Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-04-24

part oi the SiluAeu uV-.~.
towards one Of the steeraca ,a,,,rs
the Que where I'LL r. lie women and
children vera crowned as they lay in
thelr nunlss. scrambling along the
deck, guided by the rope from above.
a0d assisted by one OF the divers
vvho h&s undertaken to c9n,iucr he
trough the wreck, ! reach the co:u-
nanon way |. lie IS; ;..:lt ia The
i.oid among the cargo was hoi1inle,
he enc that HOW Ret ny gaze was
len times more SO. There, lging in
an immense heap. We're hundred or
nore bodies. 1hey looked tor all
the wo.Id as f.thay were alive, with
arms dislocated, eyes staring wildly,
faces grinning rs were 1t you ana
moving backward anal forward "i;h
the under-current; sc.ae were dress
ed, many were half na,:c. Children
we're clinSins 10 :hcir mothers, and
stout men ws.Go clasping their wives
and. scanning as if they met their fate
with calm resignation. No descrip-
tion Of the bodies brought to the sur
face could convey an idea Of ne
horrid sight in that cabin. ! c'5se
my eyes and motion tc iay conductor
my readiness TO- laaye. have seen
enough in sfat charnel house. the
recollection OF which will never Jade.
My conductor motions me towards
the steerage cabin, where the men
were by themselves, and where there
was such rush for the companies
way. Peering down into Tia. a;sbin
I saw a simil r picture OF death.
Bodies of stalwar} men, cid and
young, ware hustled together on the
stairway, giving-from their disienl-
ednostrils, gaping mouths and srarlng,
CLASSY eyes-some conception Of the
terror which seized them as they
vain1y struggled TO reach the deck,
but wersa prevented by the wave
which swept over The ship as she
keeled over and filled the cabin.
From another part OF .ae vessel !
obtained a view e. ihe sleeping apart
ment.
Here, piled up in heaps on the
port side, were numbers of bodies Of
men, and strewn among them bed
clothing of one kind and another.
From continual Knocking against the
stanchions and sharp, Jagged wood
work which is splintered and broken
from the Innings of the, hunks, tie
faces and limbs Of these dead are
more ghastly than any l have ever
seen, Imagination cannot picture
anything more terrible than what
was in this compartment. The flesh
is torn from the faces Of many of the
dead others again are bruised and
battered about their heads and faces,
which are red and bloody, and in
striking contrast to the pale, ivid
features Of others which the action
of the waters has not disturbed.
While 1 stand here another Of the
divers descends and commences to
send up some of the bodies, Ho, how
ever, is more intens upon securing
the cargo than sending up the bodies,
and only does 50 now to gain access
to some boxes aid trunks which
are lying beneath them; Having
seen enough Of the horrors be
meath the water on that fatal reef
horrors of the deep which will
never be erased from my vision-l
decided to go above, and motioned.
accordingly to the men who were
above in the boat, and pumping
down to me the necessary supply ofalr
to su tain life, and in a few minutes
| was once more at the surface gazing
upon the light of Heaven and expe-
riencing sensation, of relief ct having
left the, chambers Of. death iu the
cabins of the ill-iated Atlantic.