The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-10
A STORY OF SHIPWRECK.
Il TOUCHING INCIDENT OF TIE Loss
OF THE METIS.

Admirable Behavior of Two Children
An Awful Night In tho Angry Waves
The Mournful Fate of the Little
Ones.
It is now ascertsined that forty lives were
lost on the steamer Metis. One of the most
touching stories of the disaster is told by Mr..
Adams, OF Brooklyn, who had charge of two
children, both of whom were drowned. We
copy 1t:
The engine must have stopped for fully halt
an hour. During the interval of her laying TO
I think I heard The sound OF a whistle, as II
from a passing steamer. When we started
again I heard the working of the donkey en-
CINE. I then became somewhat anxious anu
sprang again out of my berth. l pulled On my
trousers and put on nv shoes, the children
still quietly sleeping. Though alarmed my
self, / thought 1t better that they should re-
main quiet until I had ascertained more fully
what was the matter, and Tor that purpose
went into the saloon, where l found some OF
the officers and many OF The passengers: l
was not under any great apprehension just
then, and was about returning to the boys
when I met an officer, ] do not know his name,
who said, 1.-THE boat Is sinking; the passengers
must save themselves as they best can" In
stanty realizing our position, 1t flashed across
my mind that / must not endeavor to save the
lives otthe brothers entrusted to my care sepa-
rately, bnt that We must all cling to one an
other. / instantly ran to the Children. woke
them up, and tied securely u lite-preserver
around both of them, taking one myself. I
took my waistcoat, bultoned my coat around
me, and went ait.
THEY WERE AS GENTLE AS LAMBS,
and seemed aware that something dreadful
was about to happen, and, obeyed my orders
implicitly, showing the greatest heroism.
then noticed that the steamer was settling for
ward, and hurried as rapidly as possible ait.
While going there. O gentleman named Nc
Crillis asked me II I wsnted another lte-pre-
server. I replied that It wonlt be OF great
value, as it might save the chlldren's lives.
He gave II to me willingly. TOOK II ana car
.rIed it on my arm. There was no time to lose.
I took the children to the after part OF the
boat, to the guards, and told them they must
lump into the sea with me, and that they must
put all their trust In me, and that would not
leave them. The waves were then very hign,
commencing to break over the bows OF the
MelIs, aud the rain was pouring down In Tor
rents. hpsitated Tor q moment, Ininkins
whether 1t would not be better to remain yet
awhile with the ships but, noticing that she
was breaking up forward, the tlmbers COM
mencing to fly up, and her hull settling. / saw
that her doom was sealed. I remained with
the children until the water began TO wash
over her main deck and threatened to SUB
merge us. Placing q chair by the buiwatks,
with one foot on &c and The other on the side
OF the ship, with my left arm
i uaGED THE TWO CHILDREN CLOSE TO NE,
and With a desperate leap I sprang into the
water with them. The poor little fellows
never uttered q sound OF alarm. l had some
- - 0E raonhtun q hnaf manned hC
some of the crew OF the Metls, andoshouted
out that ii only they would take the boys on
board l could lake care of myself. The Wind
and rain, had there been q boat near, would
nave probably prevented their hearing me.
With the TWO children I was rapidly carried
by the current 10 the bows OF the snip: Tnere
was q quantity OF floating debris there, which
I was tor q lime afraid would kill us. ct the
second effort, by vigorously pushing against
the bow with my feet, / succeeded IN olsen
thralIlng myself and The Children, receiving
three or four slight coIltuslons. !! had nov
succeeded In putting around me Inc secoDa
llfe-preserver, and with one arm clasplng the
bows, with the OtherI was holdlng Cle cnlluren
I'M as far out of the waller as | could, exhort-
iuu them TO keep their chins Well up ont OF
the water. Shortly after the second time OF
o,r being carried forward to her bows the
Meti. went down. Then kegs, cases, barrels,
COTTON bales aud spars seemed TO spring TO lne
snrface of the wafer, and / tried In vain to
catch hold of some OF them; but the sea was
violent, aud though l had ny hands On some
OF them, they eluded my grasp, ana very soon
ty.fve minutes had elapsed since we had
taken to the sea, and poor little Carl presently
seemed to be growing weaker and weaker.
I continued my exertions to keep his head
cleur of The high-running waves. The Child
made no complaint, no mnrmur.
THE YOUNGER BROTHER DIED.
Even then the children were together, and l
then exerted all my eFvrts towards saving Ar
thur. I placed his mead higher up on my
shoulder, and said: 'Do, Arthur, hold your
head up just as high as yon can; ! will save
you" His reply was, II can't" Very soon
aiterward he died.
their bodies, and restoring them. II possible,
TO their parents; but very Svon l felt myself
becoming weaker and weaker, and the exer-
lion | had made to save The children was pro.
duclpg physical exhaustion. After q long
struggle In my mind whether | should part
with their Door bodies / was reluctantly forced
to let them 20, knowing that the lile-pr sserVer,
still tighuIy secured around them, would hoat
Them. As we We're drifting lowarc the shore,
T iook the second lfe-preserver aud secured
both around my person, knowing thai tile bat
tie for my own life must soon Commence.
II was inst Then beginning 10 become clear,
and 4 dull, murky light announced the coming
day. [ had been there an hour and q nal IN
the walter. | felt myself becoming gradually
weaker and weaker, The seas dashing. over me
ami taxing away my breath, and thought my
last honr had cUme, when | saw q heavy gang
plank coming towards me-. l suppose 1t wa
a rang-plauk from having cleats nailed on 1t.
| was then 80 exhausted that 1t look all The
efforts OF a drowning man TO secure 1t. II
wus floating beneath the walter, apparently
weighted dJwn by spllnters coming from the
wreck. 1 succeeded IN getting on 1t, when a
wave washed me of, and Was carried away
twenty feet from iL. Thu strings OF my life.
preserver snapped. and 1t slipped around my
neck. This had q tendency TO keep my heao
from under the waller, and I was now so utter
| " weakened that / almost gave up. just theI
another wave drove the life. preserVer doW1
again 10 my waist. How the plank was again
secured BY me 1 cannot tell. My =" lilnoS
and arms were so stiff and cramped lhaL al !
could do was 10 hold The plank WIN my neei
and retain &c near me until / regained some
| little strength. At last | got 10 my 1ormel
| nosilion on the plank, the waves breaking
| over me all the lime, making me icy colo, anc
| The Quantity OF salt wafer / had swallowed
conslnv me 10 feel i'll and faint.
Inst then the storm seemed TO
with new fury, and I again despaired OF eVel
reaching shore. Presently, however, day
| lIrhC appeared, and / saw afar 0f the top
mast of some vessel, though I could not make
Ill mhIo nboorpt mo A Sh0rL LINZ