Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-02-22
A Woman browns Herself in Despair al
the Death Of Her Lever.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, --6b. Il
On Friday afternoon last. the
steamer Maggie Hays, bound from
New Orleans to Nicksburg, exploded
her boilers in the chute of Island 35,
near Helena, Ark. 1t was only a
common occurrence, such as happens
every few weeks upon the MISSISSIPPI
and only four persons were hurried
out of the world One of these was
Barney Martin, the Captain OF the
vessel. lie was blown to the hurrl,
cane roof, and his body was atterWaru
found in the hold. He was not dead,
but three hours after he had been
gathered from the wreck and placed
on board the steamer COmmercldl, ne
died. The news Of that disaster came
over the wires, and IL created only
such a shock as might be anticipated
when calamities and stirring events
come crOWding so fast upon each
other that there Is no time given tC
consider. Upon one that intelligence
fell with de8dening weight. It was a
woman. On the day of the disaster,
q handsome, well-dressed lady called
at the steamboat Ofiiceof Cunningham
d Getty, on the public landing, and
tearlully inquired if it was true thai
CAPTAIN Martin had been killed by
the explosion OF the Maggie Hays.
She WIS told that il was. Ibid you
know that he was married she
asked. u know that he WASH mar
ried, - was the reply Of the party adj
dressed. The woman wept bitterly
and turned away.
Every day thereafter the same wo'
man came and went upon the levee
among the boats and the river men,
always weeping and always inquIriue
OF those she met whether it was true
that Capt. Martin was dead. Hel
Grief obtained for her universal SYM
Dathv: her manner excited wonder.
The poor girl only said, am the
wife Of Captain Martin, and must
know if he be dead or not" Monday
brought a sad realization to the broken
heart, for boat touched at our wharf
bringing the remains OF Capt. Barney
Martin, of the ilI-fdted steamer Mag
e-ia Havs. They were in charge Of q
brother, and they were being borne tC
Sistersyilia, Pa, the former home, fOI
snterment. The same sad and dis
1racted woman hOVeTed about the
landing when the boat came TO the
wharf, ana she begged and plead thai
she might be permitted TO accompany
the remains of him she called nus
band TO their last resting place; but
the brother. who knew her not as
a wife, denied the privilege, She
claimed that she was the wife Of the
dead captain, but the world did not
know it, for the marriage had been
private. The story was not credited
tGt the freEZied woman was permit
ted 10 look upon the remains Of the
one she had 50 tOndly loved and wor-
shipped. In grief and sorrow, she
turned away. be remains were placed
on board Of the steamer r. II. Hudson
for shipment up tke river. and then
came the resolve TO her tG whom the
world was now a cold and cherries
blank, to join, beyond the unknown
sea, he whom death had taken nom
her.
This was Tuesday morning. The
IfStle steamer Mary Ament, which
makes daily trips to New Richmond
and Chic, was nearly ready to take
her departure at / pm, when a wO-
man came on board and took passage
to New RichmCud, registering herself
As Miss Chamberlain. After the boat
left the dock she told the Captain she
was the wife Of Captain Barney Mar
tin, and asked him how long IL would
be before the Hudson, with ms re-
mains, would pass them. Then she
shut herself up in her staUCrOOm, and
was seen no more until the boat touch
ed at New Richmond. The Hudson
had not come up yet. The woman
came ont of her staterOOm and told
the clerk that she had expected to
meet friends at Richmond, but that
she would continue on the boat 10
Chic, and return 10 Richmond in the
morning. She paid her additional
fare, her trepidatiOn and apparent dis
tress being observable at the time,
and then she returned to her state
room, never 10 be seen again, saying,
81 viii not be long away from my
husband"
Night came on, and the boat plOd-
ded its slow way mp the river, with IFS
living though crushed heart, and after
il came the Hudson, bearing the re-
mains of the one bewept. Nearer
and nearer the boat came, and a WO-
msa stood on the guards cf the Mary
.Ament aud watched the slow approach
in the moonlight, wild and distracted.
A. the boat bearing the remains Of all
on earth dear to her passed by, she
watched il IN agony, ami "a The dead
eniug thought came over her that
there was nothing 10 i've for longer,
she sprang into the water, the waves
from the passing boat washed over
her, aud the living and the dead We're
joined.
This must have been the sad sequel
for the chambermaid, who visited the
statcrOOm Of the strange woman,
found only some articles Of clothing
but she herself was never seen on that
boat again. The yellow waters Of the
river had washed away all grief, aud
sealed for the thousandth time the
.piedge that WOman's love is
sfrouUar than life itself