The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-12-21
8. A. SPEAR Proprietor.l
Thriiii-s narrative Of the Loss Of the
jersey CITY.

Thrilii.s narrative Of the Loss OF tn
Jersey City.
The sad details of the loss of tb
propeller Jersey CITY, on the aftel
noon Of Saturday, the Gath {
I November, have at length been re
ceived. The annals OF lake disaster
! present few incidents that can com
Ipare in intensity Of horror with IN
simple narrative of the survivors {
;, the wreck. Rarely have there bee
scenes OF suffering and acts OF tru
!" heroism that could equal the traged
, enacted on Long Point beach. TIL
: story, as narrated by the survivor
to one OF our citizens who went ate
the body Of the lsmented Mr.. A. II
Derby, is substantially as follows:
The propeller Jersey City, Capt
Monroe, from Toledo, bonnd iul
Buffalo, was out in the great gale u
Friday and Saturday, the 23d and
Gath of November. Finding it i'm
possible to reach Buffalo in the
storm, Capt. Monroe headed the
steamer for Long Point. Canada, in.
tending to take shelter behind it,
Every one in this latitude will re.
member the terrible morning ol
Saturday. the Oath of November. -
The wind blew with resistless force,
and the snow swept through the air
with such violence that 1t cut like
sharp hail, and was 80 thick that
objects at short distance we're in
visible. About eleven O'Clock in the
morning, during a momentary rift
in snow cloud, Long Point was
seen ahead, and Captain Monroe
discovered that he had been driven
too far in to weather the Point
without great difficulty. The steam.
er's course was changed and an at.
tempt made to get around the Point
The ordinary fires were found un
equal to getting up the great press
ure OF steam necessary, aud kegs Of
lard and butter were rapidly thrown
into feed the flames. But every
effort was vain. A sudden shock,
a dull grating sound that was felt
above the bowling of the tempest.
and the Jersey city was a hopeless
wreck. She had grounded on the
shoal about two miles distant from
the Point.
Captain Monroe Immediately Or
dered every one to the hurricane
deck as the only chance of safety.-
A number, needless OF his warnings,
jumped into the lie boat and made
Tor the shore. They were all lost
among the breakers that hissed
across the intervening waste OF
water.
Soon after grounding the propeller
keeIed over, broadside to the sea,
and with her deck exposed to the
action of the waves. Her deck load
was at once washed off. and the re
peated blows of the huge waves
stove in her decks and dashed her
sides into pieces. The hurricane
deck, with its. load Of half-irozen
sufferers, hoatei towards the shore.
About three o'clock in the afternoon
the hurricane deck grounded within
n short distance from the shore in
shallow water. At this moment a
boy who was on the wreck was
washed off by the waves, but was
rescued by Capt. Monroe. After this
the boy became frightened for the
first time, and clung eagerly to his
preserver. Capt. Monroe fastened
a plank liie.prcserver to his body,
and, taking the boy in his arms,
leaped into the water and waded
ashore. As the boy was landed, his
suspenders broke and his pantaloons
fell about his ancles. where they
froze in a solid mass. claiming him
to the spot where he stood. In
few moments the hali-naked boy
was dead.
Capt. Monroe walked back to the
piece Of wreck and directed his com
rades where to leap so as to strike
in the shallowest water. One by
one the leap was made in safety,
until but one was left on board, and
that one was Mr.. A. H. Derby, the
Clerk Of the propeller. He was
seen sitting on the wreck with tis
head bent down as in despair. -
Capt. Monroe called him by name,
but he did not answer, though bis
mouth opened. To a second hail,
he again opened his mouth without
giving an articulate sound, Capt.
Monroe and Engineers Manchester
and Cummings went to the wreck
and after considerable difficulty got
offthe helpless man. Capt Monroe
took Derby on his back, whilst tho
two Engineers steadied his legs so
as to prevent the waves washing him
of. In this way the party waded
through the water, ice making on
them at every step, the suri dashing
around them, the bitter wind freez
ing their hands and faces, and the
blinding snow obscuring their view,
On reaching the shore, Captain
Monroe attempted to lower Derby
to his feet, but found It impossible
to let him 60. The Lying bearer
had frozen fast to his dead burden.
The Captains arms were frozen
stiff, and clasped around the arms o.
the dead man. The two Engineer.
were also so frozen about the hands
that they could render no assistance
Finding it impossible to rid him
self of his terrible burden in any
other way, Capt. Monroe flung him
|self on the ground, head foremost
, and thus "spilled" the dead maj
from bis shoulders. But he hat