The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-20
LASHED TO THE DEAD,


The steam barge Manitoba arrived at Windsor
from Detroit recently, having in tow yacht to
which was lashed the dead body OF man named
Dennis Turner, and aboard the barge, weak and
hardly able to stand, was one David Merritt, the
dead mans companion. Merritt's story, as told in
the Detroit Free Press, was one full of peril and
citement.
Jackson county. Some three weeks ago they set
out on hunting and fishing tour. Hunting and
when, at O'Clock in the afternoon as they were
seven miles OFF stony Point, bound across the lake.
by some msmanagement, or from sudden shift OF
the heavy wind which was blowing from the east,
the boat was suddenly capszed. On first being
thrown out the men clambered upon the side of the
yacht, not at first regarding the affair in serious
light. But they soon found that the wind was
strengthening bringing up rougher sea, which
raj attempts to right the craft but the heavy sea-
and the numbness which soon seized them, rendered
all their attempts unsuccessful.
After time Turner became so weak and numb
that, with Merrtt'S help, he lashed himself to the
boat, to prevent the seas washing him away. Mer-
r1tt was holding a short oar or paddle when the
accident occurred, and he now found that by using
this he could keep his blood circulating, aud prevent
rendering Turner dead man. All night long the
mad, hungry waves beating over them, the wind
bowling funeral dirge the boat bounding and
straining, the clung to life, cheering each other
as best they could with the hope that daylight would
oIlng some passing Vesse 70 tnelr relief How long
one steadily dying, the other feeling that death
would soon seek him out despite all that he could do
Thus wore the night away, and just in the grey
of the morning they said to each other that their
lives depended on making another effort to right the
boat For this purpose their lashings were cast Off
and together they made the attempt But Turner's
helpessness, the cold water the rough waves all
worked against them, and with cry OF despair on
on his lips, Turner let go his precariOus hold and
sank beneath the f0aming waters. AS he rose again
he became entangled in the rigging of the mast but
was slowly drowning when Merritt made up his
mind to rescue him. Crawling carefully to the Tip
of the mast, cheering the man to bear up and hold
ON, he at length reached and brought him back sue
ceeding, after much hard labor, in again flashing
him TO the boat. Bat the poor fellow was too far
gone to recover from it and without a word or a
groan sank back his full weight on the rope around
hlm, and in a few minutes was dead.
Morning brought no relief. Passing sails were too
distant to notice the overturned yacht and Merritt
was becoming too weak to make any eXertion. He
could do no more than let the boat float before the
wind. At noon the hope of rescue before death had
nearly left But about O'Clock In the afternoon,
the Manitoba, guided by some ruling hand, bore
down upon them. Slowly she bore down, wind
blowing and running, and they at lastlsaw him.
What one OF the crew asserted was nothing but a
log prove d. under the captains glass, to be the liV-
ing and dead, and the former soon in the cabin
OF the barge. He was just able to stand and could
not tell his story until warmed by stimulants and
fire.. The yacht was taken in tow, and arrived as
stated