Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-04-09
FIRST EDITION..
900 p. M.
SAD STORIES OF THE WRECK.


JAMES BATEdAN's FROZEN wrFE-THE ONLY WOMAN
BROUGHT UPON DECK.
James Batemans, bricklayer by trade, an
EnglishmAn, 20 years of age, is one of those saw
ed from the Atlantic. His simple but tragic
story is additionally interesting from the fact
that he alone OF all the married immigrants on
board succeeded in bringing his wife on deck.
He related it to Boston newspaper reporter, as
follows:
81 was awakened with my wife by hearing the
ship strike (; l heard them say that it was only
the noise OF the anchor, and that We were in
port In Halifax. / and my wife ran up stairs
nearly naked to the door, but the sailors were
guarding it and said they had orders to Keep all
below. / burst open the door against the men
and my wife and fell upon the deck. At this
minute they were firing the last rocket, and MIR.
Ryan, a passenger, was trying to launch boat
got into the boat with my wife, when the sail
ors came and said they would split our heads
open if we did not get out. L naturally pre-
ferred 10 stand my chance on deck rather than
be killed in the boat, 80 we obeyed them and
got into the rigging.
-" MY wife and held on to the rigging, and
Just aa we got hold fast the ship keeed over, and
we were suspended in the air by our hands. My
wife was 23 years Of age, strong woman, and
pushed her into the rigging again. Then the sea
swept over US several times was dressed IN
nothing but shirt and coat, my wife had only a
greatly from cold, My wife was freezing nine
hours in the rigging before she died. The last
man saved was the first mate, and think they
could have saved my wife at that time. Her last
words were to an officer please give me some
thing II only handkerchief, to save me from
freezing" but the officer Though warmly clad
himself, refused to aid her A Halifax paper
gives the statement OF First officer Firth to the
effect that he stayed by my wife until she per-
ished This is false. He did nothing for her
/ think he is the biggest coward God ever made
A number of otheg passengers corroborated
this.
II tried hard as last effort to save my wife
to cross the deck from the mlzzen rigging to
the fore part of the ship, and while dozens who
made the attempt were washed overheard was
successful l asked Captain Williams to try
and save my wife. He replied : Fetch your
wife IL you want her saved but it was lmpos-
sble, as could not CROSS the deck again. lot
of sailors cried, Save the woman, bus none
dared try. II was too late. When last saw
my wife she was frothing at the mouth and
nearly dead"
SAVING DROWNING MEN WITH HIS TEETH.
Many were saved by William Hoys, steerage
passenger, 35 years old, He is from county
Antrim Ireland, but he has been in America
several years, being employed as sailor upon
our lakes. Hoys crossed by the rope from the
ship 10 the rock, and had great difficulty In
clambering up it's treacherous, slippery sides.
He saw others attempt it only to fall back into
the water and drown. The men were hurried
on to the rope by the captain, who was on the
ship, aud many had not the strength to reach
the rock and were drowned on the way; others
reached it only to meet death with safety at
their fingers ends Hoys saw all this, and re-
allied how much q man might do in assisting
those who got across, and although suffering
greatly with cold-he had been for hours expos
| cd on the ship and had no clothes but Ms shrt
| and pantaloons-he took the work himself.
He lay down upon the top OF the rock and
reached over its precipitous side, and as the men
came across he caught them by their upraised
arms, their clothing, their hair-whereVer ne
| could get hold-and pulled them up to place
where they could stand. 1t was hard work and
/ every time he pulled man up he took the risk
| Of being himself pulled down. Thus he worked
until his hands became 80 cold and numb that
they refused to do further service, and then, in
stead of abandoning his self-ehosen post, he just
reached his body farther over the dangerous
side of that rock and set his teeth into the coats
/ Of the men and drew himself back until they
could hold on for themselves; More than one one
hundred men did brave Bill Hoys, the "sailol
| passenger" lift from death below over thRl
| perilous way to the safety above.
JOSEPH KELLY AND THE IRISH GIRL.
Another brave fellow is Joseph Kelly, also al
Irishnlan, who like Hoys, pulled many up from
the rope to the rock. He, too, used his teett
/ when his hands became useless from cold, anC
succeeded in saving good many. .'When sav
them drowning" said he, Il thought OF IN
| devil and felt as though l must save some II
could" And he did, and showed himself, too
to be Of the stuff that heroes are made Of. Kell
says there was one girl, though, whom he wishe
he could have saved. She was an Irish girl an
he was to care for her when she arrived in Ne'
York Her father was very poor, and after ne
passage had been paid, in order that she nigh
have little money her father sold his pig an
gave her the proceedings,a paltry eight shillingt
my God!" said Kelly, " if could only haV
saved herl could have got money in New Yor
| and paid her board until she had got situation
But she is drowned in her bed and shall move
1 L.