Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-07-23
A WOMAN OF NERVE.

~ W OAAAAN NJ AA@-tAA -
Mrs. Caroline c. Slranburgh, wife OF
P. P. Stranburgh, Of this city, says the
Bloomington III. Paragraph, was pas
senger on tue Pennsylvania, which was
burnt to the water's edge in the Mississ-
ippi. sixty miles below Memphis, on Sun
day morning. l 9Th inst. Mrs. ). lelt her
berth just before the explosion took place
aud when she heard the report, which
shook every piece Of timber IN the boat
she caught hold Of her little child, which
was only two months old, and rushed in
to the ladies cabin ut the very moment
that a large piece of machinery came
crashing through the floor. She ran 10
the captains room and told him thnt the
boat was on fire, bu, he said she WAS mis-
taken, and advised her TO be calm. She
said She was no, mistaken, ana her man
ucr was so earnest that the captain think
ing she might be correct, went down 10
the boiler deck. lie returned in n short
time, and remarked to Mrs. s. "Ihere
is no danger now-the fire has been sub
dued." Mrs. S. however, insisted that
the boat was in flames and told the cap
tain to make preparations for saving the
passengers. As she finished speaking
the flames broke through the cabin floor.
and IN less than inmate the cabin was
4. dled with smoke. She saw that the
time for aosion had arrived, aud she knew
that her life and that OF her child depen-
] ded ur9n her own exe1tjon; SO she went
down the private staircase, and was for
t,mate enough TO reach the boiler deck
in safety. Knowing that she,wou!d per-
ish by fire If she staid on the boat, She
determined 70 leave it and run the risk
u Of losing her life by another me'hod.-
+, She accordinly seized board about sew
en- feet long and eight or ten inches wide,
and grasping her child with one arm and
! the board with the other, plunged into
!, the river,
=. Tue current owing to the high stage
Of water was very rapid, and Mrs. S.
had as much as she could do to keep her
> :, sell and child above tae surface; but she
proved equal to ihe dangerous situation
in which she was placed, and her poril-
Gus journey down The river would not
have been attended with half the danger
that it was, ir her unseldsh heart had
not prompted her to save man who
was unable to save himself A short
time after ru,irg tie boat she saw a
. man struggling ia the water. and she
Il, knew from his movements lbat he was
Of too much exhausted to save Inn sii from
Nc going to the bottom eo She generously
an noblv le0pariized her life to save his
she graspcd him Toy the arm, at the ri.k
p of being pulled from he. frail support
th aud assisted Tim ii getting upon a little
b. piece &C plank ,ha. was hardly sufficient
k. 10 keen herself and child above the sur
face After floating for an hour and a
= lalg .he three were rescued bY some
ib men. who, having heard the explosion
o. launched a small boai and started Up thc
stream to render assistance 90 the unior-
iuuate sufferers. Nhea the man who
~ rescued by Mrs Stranbnrgh placed his
Is. feet IN the boat, be tried TO express the
m gratitude which hc felt for his weserrer
is bat bis hsart Has 50 iull Of thankfulnesl
,o that his tongue refused 20 gi.c faIl utter
ance % lis grateful feelings. Mrs. s
a' leii this city about three months ago, anl
re went 10 Clinton. Miss, her birthplace
be where her relatives reside. She tOoA
u- passage Oh G.e Pennsylvania, al Nicks
:. burgl aad wa4 orluaa'e enough 70 az
81" rive at her own house ~ This city, Mon
= day evening.