The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-09-25
NUMBER 16.
Reader, my tale is told Joe Harris lost his
wager, and won Meta for wife. To all old
bachelors I would say at parting af
go thou and do likewise"

Terrible Scenes at Sea--NnrIative Of u
Survivor from the Golden Gntc.
Mr. A. Bates, steerage passenger on board
the California steamer Golden Gate, furnishes
a San Francisco paper the following interest,"
ing narrative of the scenes on board that YES
sci when she was burned at sea :: --' -' =
The day was very warm, and 1 was sitting
on deck forward. This was about half past A
o'clock in the afternoon. All was quiet.
suddenly saw smoke issuing from the deck,
about midships, and near the smoke stack. /
watched it a moment, when becoming convinc-
ed there was fire, l cried out. Just at
this moment others saw the smoke too, and we
all rushed toward the pumps or brakes for
ward, which were chiefly used for cleaning the
deck. n - --
We used the pumps as best we could. We
took turns working. worked few minutes,
when, seeing it could do no good, l went for
ward All then began to crowd forward, and
had no life preservers, for they were in the
boats behind, and no one could 60 through the
fire after them. In about five minutes from the
time l saw the smoke the flames burst through
the decks. 1t seems as if the means for ex-
tinguishing fire had been neglected, for the
pumps would not work.
The flames kept coming forward every mo-
Ropes were now attached to the vessel and
thrown over the side, to hold on to. Some
were so frightened that the moment the fire
came near them they plunged wildly overheard
and Were drowned. Others climbed over and
held on to the ropes as long as they could
They got exhausted and dropped off, singly
and in pairs, and were lost.
There we're ten boats aboard enough to
save every soul on board-but only three Of
NF loo I'D
chiefly with the crew, got safely to the shore.
The other sailed away for Manzania and has
not been heard from. The men that got into
the boats leaped overheard and were picked
up The officers seemed to be very we'll, and
the men were not insubordinate, but appeared
to obey orders and work well.
l secured a rope aud determined to stay
aboard to the last moment, and then swim for
the shore. l am very good swimmer. l had
stripped myself Of everything but my shirt. L
had about my waist belt with some money
but large sum which had in my trunks was
lost.
While thus standing at the bows, grasping
my rope, continued Mr.. Bates, "a little girl,
lovely child, about eight years of years, came
up to me and asked me to save her Her name
was Addie Manchester, and her father lives IN
San Francisco. She said:
30, mister, can you swim p
told her | could She begged me Sc hard
to save her that determined 70 try to do so
anyhow. l told her would try to save her if
she would do just as told her She said:
81 will do just as you tell me. Save me, do.
pleased don't want to be drowned. " -
showed her how to act-to get on my
back and grasp me tightly, but that she must
not choke me- She promised to do just as l
told her. She was quite cool: Just as the
fire got up to US, the vessel struck the bar. l
got over, taking Addie with me. She held on
to me tight, us | told her to do. l struck for
the beach, not far off. The breakers ran very
high | got past the first one in safety with
my burden. got past the second one also
After passed the third one, found that Ad-
die was gone | turned round and saw her
going down behind me. mali on plank,
who was passing, grasped her by the hair and
pulled her on his plank. saw she was safer
than with me, SOL continued on, and was
dragged on the beach. lay on the beach in
sensible for about half an hour. When l came
to l saw Addie. She was lively.
1 dug hole in the sand to keep warm in
We buried the dead each in a separate grave
which we scraped out with our hands and
pieces of board.
Next morning we travelled inland. About
five miles off we reached spring; here we
rested. Some of our party then started
across the mountains to reach Manzaniila
others, including myself were to remain until
assistance reached us. We had nothing to
eat. That afternoon, and after our friends
had left US, the St. Louis came along and took
us aboard.