The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-12-20

The following letter from Rev. T. LorriauX,
formerly Of Ottawa, and passenger on the
ill-fntcd steamer, Vile du Havre, TO his sister
Emma, of Philadelphia, is handed US by his
brother David Of our city. 1t will be read
with interest by his friends in Ottawa and
vicinity:
ROYAL HOTEL, CARDIFF, Dee I, 1913.
M Dear Emmo-1'he newspapers have
already given you the lamentablc account Of
the disaster which has befallen US On n
beautiful night, and when the sea was perfect
ly calm, we were run down by the English
sailing vessel Loeb Earn. In about twelve
minutes after being struck we went down, and
of BIB passengers aboard 226 persisted.
found myself with Mrs. Spaiiord, ut the stern
of the boat, and, as we realized the situation
we pcrCipitatcd ourselves to where her dear
little children lay, IN order to save them. As
soon as we reached the deck we saw that VIC
must soon 20 down. The children were
around Us and said, Pray, prayr' | address
ed a short prayer to God, which they repeated
after me Il was at this moment that the ship
was ingulfed by the waves | went down, rs
it seemed to me, to great depth, and coming
up again to the surface, caught fragment
of a chair which helped me to remain atlOat
From time to time would 90 down and up
again to the surface, until at last and just as
the little strength had left was giving way,
came UP to gentleman who had two life
prcservcts | asked him if he would let mo
have one of them, which he did, and thus en-
abled to remain aoai, reached sort of raft,
which proved to be the roof of our kitchen.
On this climbed, and pushed by the wind
near the English vessel which had run us
down. | WAS by them nick ed I'm
On entering the cabin, the first person
saw WINS Mrs. Spaifora. She fell in my arms :;
her four little daughters, whom loved as if
they had been my own, had disappeared in
the bosom of the mighty ocean. Mrs. Spat
ford gave proof OF n hcroism that cannot be
told, Her first words were: "The Lord had
given them the Lord hath taken them away,
may do his holy will"
My dear Emma, what trial and what an
awful scene! All around me were men, wo-
men and children in the agony Of despair A
lady was nquiring for her daughter, young
man seeks IN vain for his father, his mother
and his sister, all three Of whom have disap
peared under the waves. A French lady was
borne on her husbands shoulders for more
than an hour, and while the poor woman was
being rescued her husband was sinking, ex
hauStcd, never again to be seen. Two MINIS
tpISi thb itCNs iOulti lNCN \ IdSCD udNt
perlshed Mr.. Weiss was severely wounded
Finally we found ourselves-26 passengers
on board the Loeb Earn in the most deplora-
bic condition. There were ten ladies, one lit
tie girl and rs men. A little later an Ameri
can vessel took us on board, with the eXccp.
ton of Mr.. Weiss, who could not be carried
and Mr.. Cook, who remained on the Loeb
Earn TO take care of our friend. On board
the American vessel we were admirably taken
care of. Every evening we joined in divine
service; one evening il was conducted in En-.
glish, and the next in French; all the surviv
ing officers of the French vessel Joining in
with us, | had become acquainted with an
American lady who had two charming chill
dren, and whose husband captain of an
American frigatc, was awaiting her at Nice. |
The poor lady had got up on deck a, the mo- |
ment of the accident but while she went
down in the cabin to save her children the |
vessel went down.
Please send these lines to Ottawa, AMI re-
member me kindly To the ladies and scholars |
of the Seminary Your loving brother,
TuEO