Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-20

A WOMAN'S STORY OF THE DISASTER.
on BoARD SHIP TRI-MOUSTAIN,(
(oyern her II IS73-

A WOMAN'S STORY OF THE DISASTER.
on BoAED SHIP TKI-MOUSTAIS,l
November y, 1878.
nv DEAR BROTHER-I hardly know in wnat
words TO commence my letter 20 you. We ate
overwhelmed with the great calamity whlch
has befaIIen US, yet feel that II IS due 10 you
and other friends at home that should make
an attempt to write, and as my strength De-
gins to return l will try to employ lew
hours of our life on shipooard by writing you
a letter, which Will be mailed on our arrival
on land, if God wills il that we should ever see
the shore again. / almost wonder that my
hand does not refuse to hold the pen which
but excitement and the necessity OF
daily action seem TO give me strength un-
natural to myself. Our journey from New
York wss ominous from the beginning. The
vessel was stopped for an hour ana halI the
same evening Of our departure Tor Arranging
the machinery. The next day was pleasant,
but on Monday and Tuesday the weather was
rough 4 dense fog set in on W etinesday, anu
continued three days. The staterooms ieakeu
badly so that we were very uncomfortable.
This was owing 70 the bad condition OIL the
deck. Many OF the passengers telt spprenehI
sive, and few Of US expressed our mutual
ESridav the sky was clear, the stars shOne
hriVhilv the wind, which had been ahead
throuChOut. changed to the westward, ana,
sIfho1gh We had no hope of reaching BresJ
until the following "Wednesday, our
faals were calmed, and, after
pIeasart evening in the saloon OF the snip,
We all retired with more quiet hearts
than we bad known since We started IN the
Nile de havre. A little after two CLOCK "
we're aroused by terrific crash, nerce sonuo
ofthe whistle, and human shrieks. l rushed
| into the hall. The stateroOms were dafk.
met first the steward, who answered me noun
| fng. then the surgeon or the vessel, VINO SAID :
- Ken az ttlit" However, 1 called out 10 Hell
l en- and Lallie to dress themselves a. once I;
/ then went again TO the hail. and met Mr.. BEL
knap. who told me to get upon deck as quick
l Iy As possible; then heard that there had oeei.
/ a collision. Ny idea was at once that We
must get ready for the n1eooats SO toIu ,IlS tng
| take their sStchels with their
! yaIuables We were dressed in mo-
| ment Could not pass the main staircase. II
| was lust there the collision had taken place.
| l did not know this at the time, but seelnS
| crowd there, felt there was not moment 70
| lose, 50 hurried back with the cnldren ana
/ rushed no the steerage stairs. On deck all was
| confusion and darkness, great nanes Durstns
| out Of the yentilator, the hfe-boatS nlled WIN
| sailors Yelling and screaming. We walked
| dOWn the deck to the front Of the saloon
| cabin. lust where V G Did you All 'sood-Dy.
! on the right saw life-bOat black with sslI-
/ ors at once said TO my sell, there Is no hop5
| for US here, these men will swamp the Doat.
l was desperately calm. knew We
| were in peril, yet never dreamed thal We
| could be sinking. A great ship loomed up
| before Us at a short distance, and then 1
/ thought there must be help. Mrs. Murray
| and her brother and Mrs, Platt ME-; oIuigls sui g
/ frlends) all stood by us; also Judge Pecknam
/ and his wife, from Albany Mr.. ana Mfs'
! Montague, with their young daughter. We
| were al perfectly calm. young man named
| Mr. Wsit son OF the proprietor OF the BrevoorI
house, came up ana told me ne was going 10
] try with feveral gentlemen, 10 cut away allIe-
boat for US. Poor fellows! Had they FOUND
! an AK or knife i've minutes sooner they might
nave succeeded, but in another moment the
mast fell, with an awful crash Just py US
/ .aCioOd God we are shipwreckedH cried MIS-
| Plat: but still hoping that there might oe
/ some Organized system OF rescue going on
which we did not see, replied, "Psrhaps y
| has been cut away on purpose" We could
| near nothing OF what tine danger was. % rs
Il Platt broke out in an eloquent song OF prayer
Lille and 1, with Helen, clung to each other
| A beautiful young creole girl, Miss Ioureai
Joined us, and, with pleading voice, s sald
"May stay with you = 80 we stoo1 Iagetrel 5 ,5i
water rushed over the deck, reaching the spo
where we stood. ne
heard NIr Waits voice crying TO as, "Rust
the next second we had gone down with tn'
| vessel As the waters washed over us some
tremendous force parted l4all1e from me- oes
perately L c4ung 70 her dreSs, out IIlls, too t0
| sIiDDed from my fingers, and was alone = III
my God. 1 knew that was orOWnlngi aIl u;
sufferings Of Strangulation were on me- ana ]
had NOT the faintesJ hope OF life, yet my con
| seriousness never deserted me, and when
| found nv head rising above water wa
almost norrined with snrpriseEiny n hsho il
! sTruck a hard substance, and cluteheu an
| iTon chain suspended from boat; 1t was up
| SCI hut sailors were cItnging TO the upl aiseC
keel; irstinctively L felt Ihere eout1 De h'
| help from them, 70 1 spoke not WORD. IN
| few moments the boat WAS broken 70 pieces
) the men clung to the fragments, ana lrieno'
. | " plank struck me On ttic CA4cSN. ACSpAASNs
! | ed thar in this position person could be slls
tanned some time, 50 ! rested HgnLy upon II
7 One bv one all these men disappeared IRON
around me barrels and floating tlmbersi tnei
one woman hoated near me and disappeared
= s.,s,n ,gas alone With my plank on IN
! ! mighty ocean. ] was not struggling LOT NE
oniy passiyely testing on my frtil support.
: ! SroS eon,ciOus that l was drifting on IRON
ths shfp and had not the taintest Thought o.
snccor, for had not seen hfe-boat, no
EneVV that one person from the steamer ha'
! neon re cued. Suddenly felt tr1angula
, | nieca OF timber hOat under nay ieet, an'
, fonnd that 1 could rest upon II. Aagin
doAted OF with the plank under my eheel
. and The tiInueP at my feet. began 70 lee
. heDurobed and cold-a death-nke 1alntnes
seemed TO come upon me, and as raised In.
/; eyes Tor the last time, as Thought, 70 heaven
a sstor5,s zVhfte boat was coming near me.
mad barely strength 10 cry feIp' MoinsI an .
| and in another moment strong arms Nef
abCut me. '"Who are yoU% crled.
4 Gsiee gepiied "An English sailor, VINO rs
!. Z os ave YOU" They drew me IL
= eod lad me hcipless ana cold, IN the ooa
: rowed OF again, and 10 2 lsm W. iaj nee
: ed up - ? ot an hour IN the water an
three SoIasSsi ~ ,,.es s,,d. ge poal nsioisy
4 10 fhe shin Loch- Erne, whicA. ~S ~ - -
: the steamer. and, when picked up, we n neLo
II mile away. We were taken 10 the snip, utar ~,
d up with ropes on deck, and tneni one Ds ~ -
4 recogniLed the passengers rescue9 - G W - -.
"a been. The boat cruised around Iof Hotl HoS
y sftervard but we we're the last found. 9 Nool
ii AID ths English captain rescue us from osaL
took US on his ship, gave al ~,
fannels 70 put on, snd, wFApP'
. in bIankets, had the eleven ladies lafd ~ q
~ cabin. HisoWn bow was 10 much lngur'