The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-02-11

I saw a space where Jack might easily have
gone down, and to this point I crawled on
my hands aud knees. called out there
but could get no answer. A short distance
further was wide space, which had en-
tirely forgotten, but which Inow remember.
ed had been left open, on account ofa break
in the flooring of the hold, which would lei
anything that might have been stored there
rest directly upon the thin planking of the
ship. To this place made my way, and
looked down. | heard the splashing of
water, and thought Tcould detect a sound
like the incoming Of tiny jet or stream =
At first could see nothing; but as soon as
became used to the dim light, could dis
tinguish the faint, outlines of the boy at
some distance below me. He seemed to be
sitting on the broken floor, with his feet
stretched out against cask. called out
to him, and thought he looked up-"Jack,
are on there2"
He answered me in faint, weary tone :
l"Yesl help me ! Do help me! Bring men
and bring lantern; the ship has sprung q
leakr'
| hesitated, and he added. in q more eager
tone, Make haste, I will try and hold it
till you come back"
WAITED to hear no more, but hurried on
deck as soon as possible, and returned with
a lantern and three men. | leaped down
beside the boy, and could scarcely believe
the evidence Of my own senses. Three Of
the tinbers were completely worm.eaten 20
the very heart, and one Of the outer planks
had been broken, and would burst in any
moment the boy might leave it. whose feet
were braced against the plank before him -
Half-a-dozen little Jets Of water were stream.
ing in about him, and he was wet to the
skin. | saw the plank must burst the mo-
ment the strain was removed from it, so
made my men brace thsms elves against it
before Lifted him up. Other mea were
called down with planks. and spikes. and
adzes, and, with much care and trouble, we
finally succeeded in stopping the leak and
ayerting the danger. The plank which had
been stove in was six feet long. by eight in.
ches wide, and would let in stream Of
water of that capacity. 1t would have been
beyond our reach long before we could have
discovered it, and would have sunk Us in
very short time. knew 1t must be where
the iceberg struck us.
Jack Withers was taken to the cabin, and
there he managed to tell his story. Shortly
after put him in tho hold, he crawled for
ward, and when he became used to the dim
glimmer that came through the headlights,
he looked about for snug place in which
to lie, for his limbs were very sore. He
went to sleep, and when he woke he hs ,rd
faint sound like water streaming through
a small hole. He went to the open place in
the cargo aud looked down, and was sure
that he saw small Jet Of water springing
up through the ships bottom. He leaned
down, AMI. in few moments, found that
the timbers had given wholly away, and
| that the stream was increasing in size. He
placed his hand upon the plank, and found
il broken. and discovered that the pressure
of the water without was forcing 1T inward.
He had sense to see that if it gained an inch
more it must all g, and the ship be lost,
and perhaps all hands perish. And he
saw, too, that if he could keep the broken
plank in its place he mi ,ht stop the inc,m-
ing food. So he sat himself upon it, and
braced his feet against the cask, and then
called for help But he was too far away
so low down, with such mass of cargo
about him, that his voice scarcely reached
other ears than his own. Some of the men
heard him, but thought hewas talking to
himself, and there he sat, with his feet
braced, for four-ani twenty dresry hours,
with the water spifting all over him, ard
| I-ere,,iug tI,n 70 tne very sI,In. lie bad
several times thought of going to the hatch
way and calling for help, but he knew that
the broken plank would be forced in il he
left it. for he could feel it heave beneath him.
His limbs were racked with pain, but he
would not give up. I asked him it he
should not have given up If had not come
to him as did. He answered that he could
not have done it while he had life in him.
He said he thought not of himself, he was
ready to die; but he would save the rest If
he could-and he had saved us, surely saved
us all from watery grave. ga
The boy lay sick almost unto death; but
nursed him with nv own hands-nursed
him all through his delirium; and when his
reason returned, and he could sit up and
talk, bowed myself before him and hum.
bly, asked his pardon for all the wrong had
done him. He threw his arms around my
neck, and told me If | would be good to him.
he would never give me cause of offense, and
added, as he sat up again. ~ am not COW
ard, could not be dog"
nev.r forgot those words ; and from that
hour have never struck blow on beard
my ship. make my men feel that they
are men, that I so regard them, and that [
wish to make them comfortable and happy
az possible; and have not failed to gain
their respect and confidence. give no un-
due license; bnt make my crews feel that
they have friend and superior in the same
person. For nine years have sailed in
three different ships, with the same crow
A msn could not be hired to leave me save
for an officers berth. And Jack Withers
remained with me thirteen years. He was