Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-04-25
LITTLE JOHNNY HANLEY.
The Eoy Hero OF the Atlantic Dis
aster.

~ VI lllt lOSI iAtldHll0, 10 ~ CHuous
and chcrry-faced boy of apparently
nine years of age. His features are
well-tormed and his eyes are large
and Of a soft, deep gray hue, with
long black lashes. AS he appears
now one would take him to be sort
of 4 miniature purscr on the half
shell, or just out Of it, for some
good people in Halifax bought him
regular sea, jacket Of blue-cloth.
with gilt-buttons and navy cap,
which is also trimmed with gilt
buttons and cord. The unfortu-
nate little fellow lost his father and
mother and little brother ten
years old. His only surviving rel
atives are two sisters residing in
Newark, n. j., one Of whom is
married. Johnny is the pet of all
the survivors and the "lion" of the
populacc in all the towns through
which the company have passed.
His pockets are generally well sup
piled with nuts, candy and fruit,
and the way the ladies "buss" him
and tondle him is fearful premon-
ition of what his fate will be if they
continue their attentions. He says
he is an Englishman and comes
from Ashton, but does not know in
what shire the town is situated nor
his own age. He speaks with a
strong English accent, and is quite
a child in manner, Tor it seems al
most impossible to fix his attention
seriously on the fearful scenes
through which he has passed. In
deed he seems scarcely to realize its
tcrrors or the fact that his father
and mother are among the victims
of that awful night. Last evening,
however, after talking to him some
time l managed to induce him to
sit by me in the saloon of the New
port, assuring him that would not
detain him long, and obtained from
him the details of
HIS RECoLLECTIONs OF THE SHIP
w hESNs
Jay Gould, the railroad magnate,
and quite a number Of other gentle
men crowded around the table and
listened to such portions OF his mar
rative as they could hear, but he
was so intently engaged in pl .ying
with his fingers and scratching the
marble OF the tabletop that they
had difficulty in hearing more than
occasional replies to my questions.
l asked, "Did you sleep with
your father and mother on the night
of the wreck, Johnny?"
ooh, no, sir" he answered 'The
married people slept in one part of
the ship, and the single people in
another, and so l wouldn't be allow
ed to sleep with them. slept with
my brother"
"What was the first thing you
know OF the wreck Of the ship?"
81 heard the ship hit against the
rock; it seemed like big noise and
woke me up. My brother got out of
bed before me, and then l got up
and went up to the second stage, and
while was standing there two men
lifted me up and put me in the
highest bed there was in it."
"Were you able to dress in the
dark?"
ooh, yon know, there was lamps
burning and l had most Of my
clothes on only had to put on my
jacket and waistcoat and Shoes"
"What did you do next? Tell
me all you remember now Of what
you did?"
JOHNNY WRIGGLED A LITTLE
and looked as though he would like
to get away from the New York re-
porter and run about in the hand
somely furnished saloon.
"Go on, Johnny, and tell me-" l
said, show long you were in that
berth"
II think l was there about two
hours or more, and then remember
tbc IncH WcTc olOuIIH W luC Ilcn
outside of the ship to break the
window in. There was a man out
side as took a hammer or somethin'
aud knocked in the glass, and l saw
six or seven men pass up through
the window from the bed where l
was"
"Why didn't you get out of the
port-hole or window as you call it?"
81 couldn't reach it. These men
went up through the window and
didn't say anything to me-"
"Was the ship turned over on her
side then?"
"Y,s, she was layin' over, and l
crawled over the berth and on to the
up side OF it when she tuned"
"Thcn this dead-light,t this window,
was in the side of the ship but was
up over your head, was it?"
eyes, sir, / couldn't reach up to
it but some men lifted me up to it.
and then some more men that were
on the outside took hold of my arm
and pulled me up"