The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-21

ing myself, Or power to keep my head above
water. In few moments time, / was
nearly sufocated, but struggled with all the
power I possessed to free myself, and I at
tempted with death struggle, to break my
arm, in hopes thereby it would relieve me
from the terrible position was in. Fortu-
nately, however, the next sea changed our
relative position 80 as to enable me to re.
lease myself. The horrors Of the struggle
for life against the terrible force of the surf,
during the few moments that followed, /
cannot describe. I observed that was
moving in currant parallel with the shore,
with greater rapidity than l was towards it.
I saw several men who had let themselves
down the bank, standing at the edge of the
surf, prepared for my rescue. The first time
that struck ground, l struck square on my
feet, but was Immediately carried back by q
returning wave. The next breaker threw
me forward heels over head against the
bank, when began to suffocate, and just
then some man seized hold of me, and was
dragged back short distance with me. l
soon felt three or four muscular hands about
me and felt that l was saved.
TOUCHING SCENES.
Frederick Snyder, sailor, who had been
wrecked five times, says:
1 forgot to mention that on a small raft
not far from the one l was on, were man
and woman alone, and the woman was
washed off number of times, when the
man would jump off after her every time,
and place her on the raft again. He work.
ed like hero to save the woman, and de-
serves all praise for his noble conduct.
They were both saved, and from what
have since learned, think it must have
been John Eviston and his wife.
Another scene / witnessed was very
| touching. A little distance from my raft
young lady fell off from raft, and just as
she fell man on my raft cried out, i" Oh,
God there goes my poor daughter" He
said this in the most heart.rending tones,
and his daughter must have heard it, for she
raised up her head as she was going down,
and looking at her father with an angelic
smile. she sank for the last time. never
shall forget the tenderness and purity of
that smile as long as / live. Others could
be heard to exclaim, "There goes my poor
husband, save him for Gods sake !" 9th
ers,." May God preserve u.s." And other
similar EXPLANATIONS and shrieks.
STATEMENT OF MR.. SMITH.
Michael E. Smith, of Ontanagon, was
among the number of the saved. He gives
the following statement of the disaster. He
was on the float with Captain Wilson
/
The captain ordered all the passengers to
get life-preservers think that most of
them did he then ordered the crew to
take axes and break open the state rooms,
so that none should be left behind l think
that nearly every passenger got out, al.
thong pulled out one as we hoated by the
state room.
A short time after this, the engine fell
through the bottom of the vessel should
think fifteen minutes after the schooner
struck her the hull went down immedi.
ately, leaving the hurricane deck floating :;
a great portion OF the passengers were on
the hurricane deck when the hull went
down the most of them jumped off very
soon, thinking that it would sink the hur-
ricane deck soon separated into five pieces {;
there were twenty five on the part on which
l was /; the captain was on this there
were some military from Milwaukee, and six
or seven ladies the other four pieces went
off with number on each.
We held up cabin doors for sails, and
came down smoothly as far as Winetka.
When within few rods of the shore, the
raft capsized some of US got back on it /;
among them the captain and myself; the
captain got one of the ladies back big
sea came, and washed US off the captain
was the last man on the float heard him
cheering the passengers another sea came
washed him of, and he was drowned.
Of the twenty-five who were on the float,
only eight were saved.
| After the life-boat twas launched, yawl
which was aft was launched. Two boats
were launched from the hurricane deck. 1
knew only two men on the raft-the cap
tain, and Mr.. Waldo, the clerk of the Ma
tional Mine at Ontanagan.
When it became light in the morning,
the four RATS were in sight, and great
many floating on pieces of the wreck.
THE SCENE ON THE RAFT.
Aid. Chilly, of Milwaukee, states: The
hurricane deck was very thin and made
very poor raft. There were about forty on
it at this time, I mean the stern half.
saw Mrs. Rice struggling in the water
and caught her by the hair OF her head, and
succeeded in getting her on the raft. She
had her infant child under her arm. l no.
ticed that it was alive. She chung to the
raft till it reached within 20 rods of the
shore, the blood pouring out of her fingers
ends, all the time.
When we reached the breakers, the first
wave that struck US washed everybody off
but the Captain and myself. l remember
hearing Martin Delany cry ont: "Get hold
of me, for Gods sake, or I'll be drowned"
The Captain made every endeavor to save
Mrs. Rice, but it was useless they both
were drowned. She must have went down
about twenty feet from shore, holding on to
the baby to the last. The next wave that
struck US, broke the raft to pieces. went
dewn and came up again. 1 cannot swim,
and could not see anything to lay hold of.
l went down again; when came up I was
within eight feet of Tom Keogh, who was
on piece of door. / tried to catch hold
it and was almost knocked senseless by it,
and went down again. .l 5Iaps7 -
My recollection was perfect; 1 made up
my mind that all my efforts were useless; 1
was, however, fortunate enough to secure