The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-28
FROM DEATH TO LIFE.
A Man Washed observation-disclosures Hours
Floating on n J0ist-Final safety.

In q recent ISSUE says the Cleveland Herald
OF the 25th instant, we made note OF the sup
posed loss of a man from the lumber barge
Susan Ward, in tow with two Others during the
storm of Monday night. Search having been
made for him, the only chance of his being alive
seemed to be in the possibility of his having been
picked up by some passing vessel and carried to
another port. The surprise of the crew can
well be imagined when the missing man ap-
peared to their vision in the cabin of the barge
in this port as they were at dinner on Wednes-
day. Not long after, he favored our sanctum
with call, knowing we would, from our interest
in sailors, be glad TO know of his safety.
This is his narrative in brief. Between one
and two o'clock of Tuesday morning, when
about twenty. five miles OFT this port, during a
heavy blow, portions of the deck loads of lum-
Der of the three barges in tow OF the steamer
Dubuque were washed overheard, and James
Melledy, one of the crew of the middle barge,
Susan Ward, went over with them. The dark
ness, the wind andthe heavy sea prevented eX-
ertions being made to look for him at the time.
He was swimmer, and made for the tow line
of the after barge, Merrimac, but the swashing
about o ( the floating lumber and the surglng of
the line compelled him TO let go and rely upon
the lumber. This, too, although 1t afforded him
a support, compelled his being jammed and
knocked about to such such degree that If he
hae not been strong and hardy he must have
been obliged to let go from sheer exhaustion.
Happily he was tough, and a swimmer be-
side. His experience and observation had
taught him that broad board was harder to
manage in a sea than a small one, and he accord
iDgly, as soon as he could see, picked out joist
| about ten inches wide and twelve feet long.
| With this he showed clear of the mass and gave
himself up to drifting. By this it is not to be
| supposed he had nothing to do but to keep hold
| and float quietly along upon the surface of the
| water. The sea was, as we have said, heavy
and broken; the joist would roll, and his hands
| would have to ply quite lively to enable him to
keep hold; at times it would rear itself upright,
| and again a new system of tactics had to be
| adopted and so he struggled during the long
| hours from the time of his going overheard at
l o'clock of the morning TIL 5 of the afternoon,
| when he reached shore. The water was cold,
| and the risk OF cramp was added to his perils.
| He had the foresight, as soon as he could, to
get off his heavy outer clothing and put him
! self in as free a condition for easy action as
| possible. About IL o'clock Tuesday forenoon,
| he got sight OF land. He was then drifting
| towards it, but in few moments the wind
| changed and he commenced drifting away
| Again the tickle wind shifted and set him
towards the shore. This time he determined not
to be entirely at the mercy of the wind aud
| current, and by swimming aYailed himself of
| the aid of the clements.
He is much bruised, being, as he says, ''stif,
and black and blue all over" The escape from
drowning is wonderful, and is clearly owing to
his strength, hardihOod, and his being able to
swim. An ordinary landsman would undoubtedly
have been lost.