, 1870-07-04
ESCAPE FROM DEATH.
A Wnn Washed Overheard Twenty
live Miles from Port-Sixtcen f1ourH
ON a Ioist-IQi4 Final Safety,

OAA a. &t1aA-x214 s084 SA2Gkf.
From tde tEfrtl1ni Herald
In our Tuesdays Issue We made note Of the
supposed losb ot man from the lumber
barge Susan Ward, in tow with two others, dur
ing the storm OF Monday night. Search hay-
ing. been made for him, the only chance
Of his being alive seemed to be in the possi-
blsty OF lis harinng been picked up by
some passing vessel aud carried to another
port. The surprise Of t..s CROW cnn well DO
imagined whom tho missing man appeared to
their viEion in the cabin Of the barge in this
port ss they were at dinner On Wednesday.
Not long after he favored cur sanctum with
call, knowing va would: from our interest in
sailors,be glad to know Of his safety. This 10
MS narrative In brief: Between and o'clock
Of Tuesday mo,ning, when about twenty-five
miles OF this psrt, during heavy blow, por-
tious Of tho deds loads Of lumber Of tho three
harges in tow II the steamer Dubuque wcro
washed oVerbosrt, and James MelledJ, one
OF the crew If the middle barge, Busan
Ward. went oy.r With them. The darkness,
the wind, and ;hc heavy sea prevented cx-
ettions ,bcitg made to saye him at the
tow-line Of tae after barge, Merrinac, but
the washing sbout Of the floating lumber,
polled him t, let 80 and rely upon
tho lumber. This, too, although it afforded
him a snppft, compelled his being
jammed and kn'cked about to such degree
that be Lad mt been strong and hardy, he
must haEe been e obliged to let 60 from sheer
exhaustion. Happily he WAS tough and swim
mer beside. Hs experience and observation
bad taught him hat broad board was harder
to manage in yea than small one, and he
accordingly, as s.on Us he could sec, picked
out }oist abou, ten inches wide and twolye
feet long. With this he showed clear
81 tue mass, md gave himself up to drift
II = q 1r,rf "a },o I.a 1,s< I
nothing to do but to keep hold and Goat quiet
y along upon ths sutfaco Of tho water. The
sea wae, az we live said, heavy and broken;
the joist would 1ol], and his hands would hnve
to ply quite 1iEek to enable him to keep hold;
at times it Eouh rear itself almost upright,
and again q neT system Of tactics had to DO
a;dopleti, and !, sohe struggled during tho long
o'clock of tbs morning till Of tho after
noon, when he 1eached shore. The water was
cold, and the risk OF cramp was added to his
perila. He had the foresight, as soon as he
could. to get ct his heavy outer clothing, and
put himself i as free condition for easy ac-
ton as possible. About IL o'clock on Tuesday
forenoon he got aight OF land. He waa then
drifting. towards it, hut in few moments tho
wind changed, and he commenced drifting
away. Again the tickle wind shifted and set
him toward the shore. This time, how
ever be determined not to be entirely at tho
mercy OF th5 wind and current, and by swlu-
ming availed himself OF tho aid OF tho ole
ments. He vas noticed by people on the ehore
near Avon Point, a few miles out, but it was
not until be approached within aomo two miles
OF them that they became certain the objects
wore man and plank. Mr. John Gi1ord,
residing there, was Watching closely, and sided
the almost exhausted man in getting footing on
that rock bound coast He took him to his home,
where he and his wife devoted themselves to
his care, giving him food, stimulating drinks,
him. etc. On Wedpesdsy tbs l, kin,d-hearted
man brought the rescued sailor to this city.
He is much bruised, being, az he says, At stiff,
and black, and blue. all over" The escape
from drowning is wonderful, snd ia clearly ow-
ing TO his strength and hardihood and his
ability to swim. An ordinary landsman would
undoubtedly have been lost. Mt. Melledy is a
resident et East Saginaw.