Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-02-23

"oie tnefe, WHO amlo tne Deatlno OF thai
pitiless tempest, believed themselves in
the home that they never more must see
and with hollow reproachiul voices, be-
sought bread. ana wondered why water
was withheld from them by the hands
that were most dear. A few, whose
worse passions were quickened by alco.
hol, TO a fend like fury, assaulted OF
wounded those who came in their way,
making their shrieks of defiance and tleiI
curses heard above the roar of the storm
lntemperance never displayed itself in
more distressing attitudes. At length
death began his work. The misera.
bic creatures fell dead every hour upon
the deck, being frozen stiff and hard
Each corpse. as it became breathles, was
laid upon the heap of dead, that more
space might be left. for the survivors,
Those who drank most freely, were the
frst TO perish. On the third day of these
horrors. the inhabitants of Plymouth,
alter making many Intellectual attempts,
reached the wreck, not without danger
What melancholy spectaclel Lifeless
bodies. sliffened in every form that suf-
tering could devise. Many lay in vast
pile; others sat with their heads reclining
on their knees; others. grasping the ice
covered ropes; some in posture of de
fence. like the dying gladit-r; others,
with their hands held to Heaven, as dep
recsIing their fate. Orders were given
TO search earnestly for every mark or
sign Of life. One boy was distinguished
amid the mass of dead. only by the trem
bling of his eyelids.
The poor survivors were kindly receiv.
ed into the houses of the people of Ply
mout, and every effort used for their res
toration. The Captain and Lieutenant.
and few others, who had abstained
from the use of ardent spirits, survived
The remainder were buried some in
separate graves. and others in large pit,
whose hollow is still TO be seen on the
south west side of the bnnal ground in
Plymouth. The funeral obsequies were
most solemn. When The clergyman, who
was to preforns the last services, first en-
tered and saw m ire than seventy dead
bodies, some fixing upon him their stony
eyes, and others with faces sliffened into
the horrible expression of their last NOR
tai agony, he was SO affected as 10 faint.
Some were brought on shore alive, and
received every attention, but survived
only short time. Others were restored
after long sickness, but with their limbs
SO injured by the frost, as to become Grip
Piles for life.
In village, at some distance from
Plymouth, a widowed mother and daugh-
ter were seen constantly attending couch
on which lay sufferer. 1t was the boy
whose trembling eyeiids attracted the no.
tice of pity, as he lay among the dead.
"Mother'' he said in a feeble voice.
"God bless you for having taught me to
avoid ardent spirits. 1t was this that
saved me. After those around me grew
intoxicated, | had enough to do to pro-
protect myself from them. Some attack
ed and dared me TO fight /; others pressed
the poisonous draught TO my lips and
bade me drink. Ny lips we're parched
with thirst. But knew if 1 drank with
them l must lose my reason as they did
and perhaps plaspheme my Maker.
One by one, they died. these poor, in
furiated wretches. Their shrieks still
seem to ring in my ears. 1t was in vain
that the Captain and other officers, and |
a few good men, warned them of what
would ensue. if they thus continued TO
drink-and tried every method in their |,
power to restore them 70 order. They
still fed upon the intoxicating liquor
They grew delirious-they died in heaps
Dear mother. our sufferings from hun
ger and cold, you cannot imagine. AT
ter my feet were frozen, but before 1 lost
the use of my hands, 1 discovered box
among fragments of the wreck far under
water. 1 toiled with rope to drag it up;
but my strength was not sufficient. A
comrade, who was still able to move
little, assisted me. At length it came
within our reach. We hoped it might
contain bread, and took courage. Uuit-
ing our strength we burst it open.
1t contained only few bottles of olive
oil; yet we gave God thanks. for we
found that by occasionally moistening
our dips with it. and swallowing little,
il allayed the gnawing, burning pain in
The stomach. Then my cnmrade died,
and | laid beside him as one dead, sur
rounded by corpses. Presently. the vi
olence of the tempest, that had so long
ragged, subsided, and / heard the quick
footsteps and strange voices amid the
wreck where we lay. They were the
blessed people of Plymouth. who had
Jared every danger to save us. They
lifted in their arms, and wrapped in blan.