Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-12-08
The Hudson River Disaster.

AHt lhNnNh hiiNA RA0hoANhf
The following particulars Of the horrible disas-
ter to the steamer suunyside, on tine Hudson River,
we CLEAN from our exchanges
About two hours and one-half after leaving
Troy, the keel Of the vessel grated ON a rock
The bow was twenty-five feet from the shore
Unfortunately, the yesse. was carried out about
three hundred feet Words fail 10 picture ade-
quatey the scene which followed Except the of
dcers, every person on board was pauic stru.,
The mate lowered small boat aud managed to
get a hawser ashore This prevented the vessel
from being carried out further. As sheep tenders
would dryca flock, the officers drove the parayzcd
crowd to the hurricane deck whore bitter cold
added To their desperation 4 liio-boat was
launched Captain 1eson ordered every man to
stand back The womcn-Slrs. G.. A. Walker
Mrs Bounce and daughter Sarah Butler and Su-
san Xix were passed into the boat The mate
stepped In and was ordered % pull ashore BE
fore the oars sluted the water five Of the colored
walters two Troy potato dealers, a German ped
der and six other men, leaptd into the boat
It capsized, and eighteen were struggling IN che
water It was the battle Of battles Every one
was fighting for lie against fearful odds From
the hurricane deck an appalled, crowd looked
down into the water Only one Of the females
escaped with her life, and she was the youngest
and weakest Mate Burhans started 10 swim for
shore The Ice foes noated into his face and cut
it fearfully His hands could not reach the water
They strucl, on the ice But lie worked tooth and
nail Well for him that he is a giant in bodily
frame It required giants will and giant
muscle to do the task Under ice and over ice
.ltl
himself lie reached the rocked shore What
had gone before wac nothing to what was to come
lie started to climb up the rock thirty feet high
il was. In agony, such as no man on earth but
himself can realize, lac commenced the ascent
Every place his hands touched is marked with his
blood pieces Of his flesh clung 20 the rock 1t
was life and death fight for the man. and the
chances in favor Of death He reached the top;
how, we cannot tell nor can he His clothes had
frozen stiff he could not bend Ills tongue re-
fused it, Office, aud he could not shout for help
lie wandered along road, leading he knew not
where. An eighth Of a mile inland it was blocked
by fence lie tried TO climb to it; It was no
use In desperation, the man hurled his body
against the barrier 1t gave way; he walked
through the fields till he reached a house half a
mile from the shore Falling against the door, he
ssoancd " In the name Of God, open the door The
Sunnysle is sunk" When the door was opened
the form Of a man fell across the threshold lie
was picked up and taken inside by the owner OF
the house, Hugh sloan and his son.
Meantime, episodes at the wreck were thrilling.
Oneman, while striking for the shore was clutched
by Mrs. Bounce He was sure then that she
could not be saved, and equally sure that unless
herholdon him was released he would be drowned.
He struggled to release himself, but failed in his
efforts. AZ last he put his left hand on her head,
and pushed her under water In few minutes
the hold on the man was relaxed The lady went
to the bottom, and the man reached the shore
Immediately after the life-boat was capszed,
another was lowered, By order Of the captain.
Captain Teson and the second engineer got into
il. The capsized boat WAS floating keel upwards
CllngIng to it was a man who could not have sep
arated from it II he had chosen to do So His hair
was frozen to the boat, and his legs frozen To foe
Of ice. lie was lifted into the yawl and conveyed
back to the sunnyside; then he was put in the
pilots room, and wrapped in warm blankets lie
revived in the course Of an hour and is now in a
fair condition Without losing any time, the cap
tain and his assistant started ont again with their
boat They heard a groan near the port wheel
house, and found Mrs Walker floating face up
wards. She was got on board the Sunnyside, and
lived for two hours Had 1t been possible to pro-
cure medical assistance, or even stimulants her
life would have been saved. She was wrapped in
blankets and every possible effort made to save
her, She lived until she reached the shore,
whittier she was taken at five O'Clock, and when
the danger was all over, expired
Lena Bounce, sixteen years OF age and Of deli
cate build, after the first lfe-boat calsized found
herself floating close to the Sunnyside One hand
grasped her mother, the other held a muiI. A
cake Office parted the motherand daughter Mrs.
Bounce was deliberately drowned by a man who
considered his action necessary to save his own
life The daughter was lifted up to the forward
gangway Of the Sunnyside where she stood some
minutes in water three feet deep Finding that
she was freezing, she started for the pilot house
In mortal agony the poor girl toed for half an
hour. She succeeded in reaching the upper deck
forward. Let her tell the rest;
In the pilot house were several men, who asked
me what wanted | said wanted to get in.
One OF them cried out, " / can't help You; am
almost frozen myself" III | were in youl
place, said crying, and you in mine would
help you. Then they came out and put me in
the pilot house Even then was freezing. Soon
afterwards was rescued"
She was lifted into the pilot house by standing
on the hands Of man who had humanity a,
large as his hands, and was lifted up by another
whose humanity and muscle were equally deyel.
oped, They saved her life, but the man who
reached down did his share cumsily. lie dislo-
Gated her shoulder blade, and the dislocation wa,
not reduced until nearly night The girl was
numbed by the cold, and carried ashore when all
hands went, and taken to Mr.. sloan's, where her
clothing was cut from her, Last night she was
ieverish and it is probable that serious Hines.
will follow.
Henry lEE set fire to a house near FredereLs
burg va, and was unsupported; but his innocent
son was arrested and was likely TO be convicted
by clrcumstantal evidence The son told hi,
iather TO keep silent and allow him to be nun