Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-09-14

e0 on the hurricane deck. Whlle there, quite
. number came on the deck, only few oil
whom were females, but how many came up
could not say, as It was very dark. From
a quarter to half IN hour after she was struck
she broke up, the hurricane deck floating off,
and the hulk going to the bottom, with a
tremendous noise. As she broke, I jumped
with my life preserver-a board six or eight
feet long and about one wide-into the water,
which was at this time only few feet below
us, and pulled with all my might to escape
from the mass of the wreck. After the con-
fusion had somewhat subsidized, heard the
voice of Capt Wilson cheering and encoura-
cling the people on the wreck, telling them
that the shore was but fcw miles off, and
that if they kept calm and obeyed his direc-
tons they might al be saved. heard him
in this manner for perhaps ten minutes, and
then had separated so far from the hurri-
cane deck, on which the Captain and large
number were, that heard no fnorc. All
around me were numbers of persons floating
on pieces Of the wreck, until it became day
light When it became SO light that could
see some distance, discovered large mass
of the wreck little distance to the windward
Of us covered with people. then got on
quite large piece of wreck which was float
ing. near me, and which contained no other
person, and no person got on it after did
The large mass to the windward of which
have just spoken, now began to separate. l
then left the. piece I was on and got on large
piece Of the hurricane deck, on which there
were four other persons-don't know who
they were. On this fragment remained
until we reached within about quarter of q
mile Of tho shore, when our raft broke up,
and two of the four on it with me were wash
ed of and drowned. A moment after the
remainder of our party were washed off by q
heavy sea, and one more of our little party
drowned. Ny remaining companion contriv-
ed to regain the raft, and again took to q
life preseryer which l found adoat, and on
this foated to the shore just below the bluffs.
From the time Twas swept from the raft,
until / reached the shore, was several times
buried deep under the waves. When close
in to the shore, was thrown from my life
preserver and went to the bottom, and a.
though the water was not more than three or
four feet deep, was so exhausted as to be
unable to rise, and crawled for some distance
under the water until reached dry land.
Early in the morning discovered frag-
ment Of the wreck short distance from me
on which was woman and three men. She
was 50 much exhausted that she seemed una
BILE to keep from dropping asleep, although
the exertions Of three men were continually
used to prevent it. She was finally drowned
while on the wreck, being unable to keep
her head from the water Her body remain
ing on the wreck as long as it was in sight.
l saw many pieces with from three to four
persons on them capsized, almost invariably
drowning all that were on them. To avoid
the capsizing of our frail bark, I instructed
the men with me to sit on it so as to keep
the edges under water. This prevented us
capsizing, and at the same time enabled US
to float faster, we having in this way passed
many other RATS. I saw one woman alone
floating on Dining table, and short time
after discovered her, the table capsized and
she disappeared under the water for several
seconds, but finally reappeared on the sur.
face clinging to the table, and eventually, by
great exertions, she regained her seat upon
the table. When last saw her, she was
near the shore, and rs I heard of woman
being saved shortly after I was taken to Z
house near by, I presume she must have