Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-12-19
NO. II.
Thrilling Narrative of the Loss of a
Steamer-the Marah of Dsath.


Steamer--the Marsh of Death.
The sad details of the loss OF the propeller
Jersey City, on Lake Erie. on The after.
noon of Saturday, the 24th of November,
have at length been received The annals of
lake disasters present few Incidents that can
compare in intensity of horror with the
simple narrative of the survivors Of the
wreck. After descrihins-slae terr;s,e os,s
of wind, the binding snow-sto-m. and the
final wreck Of the steamer, the account pro.
eeeds:
Captain MoH-oS Immediately ordered a-a.
ry one to the hurricane deck as the onl,,
chance of safety. A number, needless of his
warnings, jumped into the life-boat and
made for the shore. They were all lost
among the breakers. Soon after grounding
the propeller keeled over, broadside to the
seas, and with her deck exposed to the &C
ton of the raves. Iier deck load Was at
once washed off, and the repeated blows Of
the huge waves stove in her decks and
dashed her sides into pieces. The hurri-
c,ne deck. with its load of half frozen suffer
ers fioated towards the shore.
About three o'clock in the afternoon, the
hurricane deck GROUNDED within short dis
tance from the shore, in shallow water. At
this moment boy, who was on the wreck,
was washed off by the waves, but was res
cued by Captain Monroe. After this the
boy became frightened for the first time,
and clung eagerly to his preserTer. Capt,
Monroe listened plank hfe-preserver to his
body. and taking the boy in his arms, leaPed
into the W ser and waded ashore. As the
boy was Ian led his susPenders broke, and
his panta!oo1s fell about his ankles, where
they frozs in a slid mas, claiming him to
the spot where he STOOD. In few moments
the half naked boy was dead
Can't. Nj Dnroe walked to the piece of
wreck and directed his comrades where 20
| leap so as to strike in the shallowest water
| One by one 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 his
head bent down as if in despair. Capt. Mon
roe called him by name, but he did not an
swer, although his mouth opened. To sec
ond hail he again opened his mouth, without
giving any articulate sound. Capt. Monroe
and engineers Manchester and Cummings
went to the wreck and after considerable diff.
ficulty got off the helpless man.
Capt Monroe took Derby on his back ,
while tho two engineers steadied his legs SO
as to prevent the waves washing him Oft La
this way the party wadcd through the va
ter, ice making on them at every step, the
surf dashing arouRd thep. the bitter wind
freezing their hands and faces, and the bliH-
ding snow obscuring their view, ii
On reaching the shore, CApa Monroe at
, tempted to lower Derby to his feet, but
found it impossible to let him down. The
, living belrer had frozen fast to his dead bur
den.
t The captains arms were frozen stiff, and
t clasped around the arms of the dead man.
The two engineers were also frozen about
the hands tn It they could render no assist
2 ance Finding it impossible to rid himself
Of his terrible burden in any other way
/ Capt Monroe flung himself on the ground
e head foremost and thus spilled, the desC
i man from his shoulder But he had escsp
ed from one horrible di emma only to fin,
a himself in another His trousers were froze.
! stiff up to his hips so that he was as much una
i BILE to rise as if his legs had been enca:ed il
] lengths of stove pipe, and his companion
. could render him no assistance. At shor
i distlncc was the body Of man. frozen in
: sitting position. Capt. Monroe managed e
i roll himself to the hody, and by il climed 4
s his feet
n This little party Of survivors now set on
:, on their linfIl march towards the light
+ house which was at no great dist .nce. The,
5, had got safely along until within about thre
: hundred yards Of the house, when a smal
Il creek impeded their progress. First Eng
e neer Manchester attempted to cross III
le creek, but abandoned it and returned to tn
e, shore, where he sat down exhausted and des
IS pairing Second Engineer Cummings cam
r up and endeavored to encourage him To fuI
= ther efforts bnt in vain Captain Monro
,e begged Nan hester to rise and rnake an NJ
Of trclnpt to gyt around the creek, telling hin
t, the lighthouse was close by. Its of no usG
n Captain said the unfortunate man, 81 can
lie go any further"
V, Cummings placed his arm around the bod
Jr Of his conii ade, in order to lift him to h
1T feet, but at that moment the icy hand
e. death was laid on both, elapsed in each ott
is ers arms, face almost touching face, Wit
in words Of friendly cheer frozen in the ute
lie ance, these two brave men Manchester ali
ok Cunmngs-perished within few minut,
&c walk o! safety. In this position they wel
IS afterwards fund by the party senti searcl
Is, Captain Monroe succeeded in reaching ii
u lighthouse III safety although badly frozel
re Out Of twenty-five who had formed the ere
r- and passens gers of the ill-fated Jersey Cit
but five survived, being Capt. Monroe, tv
freinen, the wbeelsman, and one passenge
The others either perished in the waves
Ia were frozen TO death in that awful dea
Ito march.