Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-03-30

from the Ship, and leaving us to our
fate. rushed back to the stern, where,
the passengers, who had now caught.
sight of the boat, were vainly stretching
forth their hands, and begging for the
love of God to take them in. The Con-
sui, whom / have before mentioned,
shouted a reward of two hundred thou
sand francs would they but take his
wife, In his agony he beseeched and
prayed them, but money. in that hour
had no temptation, and his words fell
on ears deaf to all mercy. - " 4
Seeing one of the sailors, who yet
bravely stood at the wheel, I asked, by
signs, for life-preservers. He shook his
head they had none. l then tried to
get two or three men together, who
would help me wrench off doors OF cut
away the seats and benches which ran
along the upper deck for raft, but
they would not stir; either they could I
not understand, or fear had paralyzed
them. And now the ship was settling
by the bows and rapidly sinking; al
ready the water was nearly amidships,.
and almost up to the fires. The en-
gineer had left his post, with the engine
at full speed, and it was pushing us
here and there, as chance directed. I
now began to look around to see how I
might save myself The time had passed
when we might have worked together,
and every one for himoelf was the
thought of all. -.H %. .- - ,
Having taken off my clothing, seized
small settee ;1it was almost good for
nothing as a float, yet more than one
attempted to take it from me, and it
was only by threatening them all with
my knife that 1 could keep possession.
| l knew that it was a chance, if it would
| hold but one, and life was too dear to
part with lightly. r..t .. o. -
As the water reached the boilers, the
steam poured out in volumes, and many,
thinking we were on fire, added to the
scene byrtheir cries. l had made up
my mind to throw my settee overheard,
and then, jumping after 1t, endeavor to
keep ahoat until picked up by some
passing ship, and was about to put 1t
into execution when my attention was
drawn to the brig, which was approach
ing again with the evident intention OF
ahording help. The ship had now sunk
so far that her stern was raised some
thirty feet above the water, and only
the mizzen-mast was clear of it. Every
! moment we could feel her settling lower
and lower, preparing for her final
plunge to the bottom. We were all
huddled together in the stern, anxiously
looking for boats, or at least a boat, from
the brig, when the captain hailed us,
asking what nation the ship was. He
spoke in French, and we cried back,
! 'EThe General Abbertocci,s italian. We
are sinking; can you save us Y' Then
a silence ensued, and mothers hushed
their children, and we all waited the
words-the words of life or death. The
answer came back, clear and distinct,
ave cannot help you; We are sinking
ourselves Oh, the agony of that mo-
| ment Yet there was no more frantic
crying, but men grasped each others
hands in a farewell grip, and a dark,
settled despair was on the faces of all.
now determined to reach the brig,
or perish attempting it, for l saw there
was no hope for us, and l reasoned that
the brig being a wooden vessel, would
hold out the longest, or at least afford
means of building a raft; at any rate it
was death to- stay where / was, for
| knew 1 should be drawn in by the sue
ton when she sank. So, grasping my
watch, and what money had with me,
which | had taken from my vest, went
up the rigging, and as the brig sank on
the swells, / jumped down and across.
The exact distance / sprang / could not
say, but struck her gunwale and fell
in the passage-way, between it and the
after cabin. lay for a moment stunned,
and then springing up l Gamer amid
ships. Here everything also was in con-
fusion, our steamer having struck her
on the starboard side near the bow, cut
ting a hole in her to the water, and
carrying away n good part of her rig
ging. ---- .-.f2 90.
The Captain and sailors, numbering
about ten men, were endeav oring to get
small boat, which lay keel upward on
her deck, free from the entangled rig
ging, and launch it. 1t was only after
working with will that we were en-
abled to get it over the side, and, Jump
ing in as best we could, we pulled away
from the brig toward the steamer, but
we dare not approach too near for feal
of being drawn in, but shouted for then
to jump, and we would try and pick then
up. -.---L L-.f ..-..--4
, 1t was too late. One awful scream
| one cry of agony-such as 1 pray may
/ never hear again--as she plunged to the
/. bottom; and of all those cabin .passen
J. gers. alone was left. The waters me
!, and closed over her as peacefully anC
/ calmly as if nothing had occurred, anC
, nearly sixty souls, men, women ant
E elchildren, were in eternity. g,a- .
g. The day had fairly broken now, AM
lfHith thesnew light we seemed to hav
r new hope. Finding that the brig
z (which had drltted' some way OH, wa
still floating, we steered for her, and
t clambering up, threw ourselves upol
d the deck worn out and exhausted.
D think, had our vessel then sank that no
) a man could have saved himself, so nj
s terly wereswe used up. 20 =
e But help was near at hand. We ha
/ discovered, wilhelm the, boat, the mast
d and spars of ship looming up on tin
t horizon, and now She was in plain sight
II We hoisted our. flag as being in distress
: and shouted, and almostScried with Joy
e. as we saw her return the signal, an
e then come bearing down toward US. A
n she passed where the steamer sank, sh
y put out her boats aandl picked up tw
It steerage passengers, and then came
v lus. She proved to'be The King, boun
# from Norway Stoethe coast of Afric
Her Captain, bluff old sailor, bnt
e kind-hearted man, after a consultatio
|. with the Captain of our brig, told hi
d he would help him into the neare
rs port, which was Leghorn, or, as /
re called it, Lirerno. Our vessel, althoug
severefy damaged, wouldSstil float, fl
ip being, as sailors have it only in ballas
lie viz, having noscargo, we were enable
hxyn of