Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-19
FROM THE DEPTHS.
The Rescue of Passengers from
the Sinking Steamer Europe.
A Graphic Account, with Interesting
Incidents

WV go
passenger on the steamer Europe, whicI
barely missed going down, the other day
with all on board, and that paper ublishe'
an interesting account of the accident an
the rescue, from which the following ex
tracts are taken:
By the time the passengers had gathere,
on the deck in readiness to embark in tn
boats, the Europe's engines had been stop
ped. The national steamer approached "a
| pidly, and as she passed by our stern W,
noticed that she bore the name of Greece
After passing by us, the Greece came to {
stop about a fifth of a mile off our Dor
bow. For a few minutes at this time, anC
for the only time during the events Of the
day,
THE FRENCH SAILORS
showed a little O~ver-concern for their own
interests. Instead of proceeding to lower
away the boats Immediately, many of then
went below TO pack their clothes in Their
bags. Naturally enough each moment
seemed like an age to the passengers, and
even those who had preserved the most per-
feet GOODNESS were beginning to fret, when
the officers succeeded in gathering their
men, and the Decentralization was begun.
Here we entered upon the real danger of
the day. Both steamers lay in the trough
of the sea, rolling heavily, the Greece
especially showing her red in a most I'M
comfortable fashion. Speed in changing
our quarters was now an important consid-
Grafton, as it was of the highest conse-
quence to make the transfer before dark
ness should add 10 the danger. OF course
the first consideration was TO get
THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN AWAY.
Two officers and several sailors stood by
the ladder. Ii was an instant's work to
pass a bOw-line over a woman's shoulders
and down she went until safely dropped in
to the boat below. Then a child was sent
away, and another, and again a woman,
until the boat was full, and off she started.
With few exceptions the male passengers
evinced no eagerneSS to save themselves be-
fore the women and children were out of
danger. Only one case of excessive tim
orOusneSs came to my notice, and the sight
was funny enough TO provoke laughter in
the gravest emergency. An old French
gentleman, travelling alone, came on deck
before any n had left the ship, rugged out
for his voyage. Around his body he wore
a cork belt, a similar belt was in his hand.
and his four story head and peaked gray
beard peaked through an India rubber col
lar hat girdled his neck, standing up like
a ruff of Queen Elizabeth's time, and
making him look like a travesty upon the
cavaliers of that day. 1t was pitiful and
amusing TO see the eagerness with which
the cid fellow pressed forward TO get the
very first chance of being lowered into
the boat. His look of chagrin as he was
told to stand back and give room to the
women'was a spectacle. There were
SEVERAL MARROW ESCAPES
from being crushed between the boats and
the steamers side. Some of the people.
particularly women and children, managed
themselves awkwardly, and in consequence
every now and then some one was left
dangling in the air as the waves washed
the boats for a minute from the ships side.
Most of the men and some few women
slipped down the ropes without being tied"
Some went down cautiously, watching for
the rise ola boat on a wave, and then
swung themselves neatly into a seat.
Others again let themselves go with a rush,
burning their hands on the rope, and arriv-
ing with a thump in a doubled-up eondi-
tion. Mothers were unwilling to be low
cred without their children, and at the
same time dreaded to let their little ones be
mi "a I'LL ~ " CNAAl l1cl.
A girl of about seven years, who was
lowered by a line well aft, grasped a proiec-
ton by a portfolio, about halfway down..
and chung there with astonishing peril
nacity. The officer above could not induce
her to loosen her hold, and a mar had to
go below and push her by force from the
ship. Another little German girl was left
behind by her mother, doubtless through
no fault of the latter, and was found in a
corner after the passengers were nearly all
gone. DIR. Burridge, passenger, took the
Supplied wee thing in charge, wrapped her
in a shawl, and awaited his turn to de-
scend, with a baby under one arm and a
Glove" of a bulldog under the other. How
TO rescue the dog-"Jack' by name and
The pet of the boys-was clearly a matter
Of as much concern to the Doctor as the
of himself, and Jack at length found
his place in a boat, and behaved himself
like a gentleman throughout.
As far as the saving of worldly goods was
concerned, few evinced much anxiety, not
w~ithstanding there was much of value in
The trunks Some packed their jewels i'm
Satchels, or stuffed them into pockets, but
no m asked TO have anything of bulk car
RED. One French woman lost a consider
able amount of stuff, but was well content
reScuing her parrot in the bosom of her
When abOut half way between the steam
ers we passed a boat adrift and nearly full
Of water. The sailor at my side gave me
comforting assurance that two boats
had been smashed against the side of the
Greece and several men split into the
water, although, fortunately, the men had
been picked up. As we neared the Greece
our friends who had gone before and the
steamers passengers lined the ratings and
waved us a welcome. This was the most
attractive part of the spectacle. The
was indeed rolling terribly in the
of the sea, and the two or three
boats at her side bumped against her with
violence, despite the utmost e~ndeavors of
he anne Looking up from our boat one
could see nothing for a time but a great red
wall; then
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
he steamer descended as though about 10
roll over us, and up, up the boat went on
he swell of a wave until we could almost
have clambered 10 the railing of the deck.
One man ascending had a close rub for his
life. Just after he had slipped the bowline
Inder his arms and had been raised clear
If the boat, a great wave carried us with a
1lsh high above where he was hanging. As
came down the sailors tried to drag the
nan in but failed TO do so. Three times
he people on the deck of the steamer tried
o haul him up, and thrice we swept over
his head. The last time he must have in
have been crushed had not the
'oat caught against am open port on the
main deck which acted as a shield to the
certified creatures head. At length he was
,Ot into the boat and sent up without Sc
ious damage, and that much to the relief
# us all, for the sailors in their ~endeavors
o fend off had broken their ~boat-hooks,
nd 1t was momentarily becoming more
litticult to keep from staving in against the
ArrivedOnthe deck of the Greece
We were greeted with the congratulations
our fellOw-refugees and with lavish wei
ONES from the steamers officers and pas
Brandy and other stimulants
we're IN readiness for any who REQUIRED