Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-29

Der 9th, the correspondent OF the Lon
don Daily Neos says:
Weaving together the various per-
sonal narratives which ] have taken
down from the lips Of the passengers,
the following is the story they have to
tell: They were all in bed when the
ship struck, and were aroused first by
the humping of the ship. and next by
the cry that rang fore and aft for
every man and woman to put on life
belts Of which there was plentiful
store 10 hand. The women Jumped
up and swarmed in the companion
of the saloon, making for the deck,
where they were met by the steward
ess, who stood in the way, and half
| forced, halt persuaded them to go
back, telling them there was no dam
ger. After the screw had broken the
engines also failed, and the soils prov
ing useless, the male passengers then
cheerfully formed themselves into
gangs and worked al the pumps. but,
as one said. they we're pumping at
the North. sea, and as it was obvious
ly impossible to make clearance Of
that. the task was abandoned, and the
officers, crew, and passengers relapsed
into state of passive expectancy of
succor from without That this could
not long becoming happily seemed cer-
tain. The rockets which had been
sent up had been answered from the
shore The light ship which had
helped to mis.ead the Captain, was
plainly visible and al last two ships
sailed by so near that, till they began
hopelessly to fade away, enc to the
northward AID the other to the south
ward, the passengers were sure those
on board had seen the wreck, and
were coming to their assistance Per-
haps it was h certainty Of the near
ness of succor that kept off either the
shrekins or the ssupor of despair.
However that may be it is one of the
| most notable features about this fear
ful scene that, with few exceptions,
after the first shock everybody was
throughout the first day wonderfully
cool, patient and self-possessed There
was no regular meal GU Monday, but
there was plenty to eat and drink, and
the opportuui y seems to have been
geueraIiy, though moderately, improv-
ed The women ept below all day,
and while the fires were going. were
served with hot soup, meat, bread and
wine. and seemed to have been incin-
ed to make the best of bad job. But
towards night the horror of the situa
ton increased in measure far beyond
that marked by the darkness. All day
long the sea had been washing over
the ship, but by taking refuge in the
berths and on the tables and benches
in the saloon it had been possible to
keep comparatively dry. AS night
fell, however, the tide rose, and at mid
night the water came rushing over the
deck in huge volumes, filing the sa-
loon. aud making the cabins floating
collins. Then the women were order
ed up and instructed to take he rig
ging, bat many Of them, coweu by the
wildness OF the sea that now swept the
deck fore and aft, and shuddering be-
tore the fury of the pitiless sleet-laden
gale, refused to leave the saloon. Then
happened horrible scenes which the
pen refuses to portray in their fu!lness
One woman driven mad with fear and
despair, deliberately hung herself from
the roof Of the saloon A man taking
out his pen-kDife, dug it into his
wrist and worked it about as long as
he had strength, dying where he had
fell Another man incoherently call
ing on the wife and child be had left
in Germany, rushed about with bot
tie in his hand, frantically shouting
for paper and pencil. Somebody gave
him both, and, scribbling a nete, he
corked it down in "a bottle and threw
it overheard, following it himself
moment later, as a great wave came
and swept him ov erboard.
NE were five nuns on board, who,
by their terror-stricken conduct, seem
10 have added greatly to the weirdness
of the scene. They were deaf to all
eptreaties to leave the saloon, and
when almost by main force, the stew
ardcss (whose conduct throughout was
plucky in the extreme) managed to
get them on to the companion ladder,
they sank down on the stair and stub
bornly refused to go another step.
They seemed to have returned to the
saloon again shortly, for somewhere in
the dead of the night, when the great
er part of the crew and passengers
were in the rigging, one was seen
with her body half through the sky
light. crying aloud, in voice heard
above the storm, 20, my God, make it
quick; make it quick" At daylight
yesterday morning, when the tide had