Litchfield enquirer., 1876-11-16
TFr0n the NeE Orleans Republican,
 a Hero iFa Want.
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 On the Tth of October. 1859, the British steamship Connaught, four thousand tons, sp-unx a leak which gained upon her so rapsdly that by the next morning the wa ter had extnguished her engine fires, leaving her coffin for six hundred and one human beings, sinking slowly but surely in heavy sea. In this condition, and wilile one hundred and fifty miles from Boston harbor, fire (which had been Snouldering for some days unknown) burst out. and doubled the chances for death. She was an iron ship, and soon her sides came 50 hot that they missed and steamed as she rolled deeper and deeper. Tsere vas . race between fire and water for sn thoss lives, and do the best they s-suld the boats would not be able to save a third of them from one death or the other The American brig Minnie Schae- fer. one hundred and ninety-eight tons, Captain John Wilson, saw the blazing, sinking steamer, and bore down to her as Slstance So slow and difficult was the labor OF getting the passengers into and ont Of the boats that only two hundred e8ald be transferred to the brig before snnduwn Then John Wilson said: ''It is a horrible thing to see the sun going down and so many pes.pie yet on board the wreck. settling down and burning up. will do all in my power to save them"
 lie nobIy kept his word. As good ssIlOr as he was a man, he came down to the Ieewar,l of the wreck, made fast to her. and Ibsf0re midnight the last man on her deck (she captain1 had passed into the brig safely. Try to picture it. A great ocean steamer, with water pouring in from without to fill her up and fire roaring within to burn her down; over six hundred lives in the balance. Any lurch she made might have been her last, and if she rolled over and sunk-what hope for the-iittle brig, She did not sink just then John Wilson left her, a sheet of flame, aud landed his priceless cargo safe at generous Boston Tn recognition of his courage, humanity and good seaman ship. the British government gave hIm gold watch and chain. The company to which the CBnnaught belonged presented him xith Sl.50O; Boston added a silver service and medals; testimonials and sub scriptions in plenty came in. Nor were his crew forgotten in the general enthu- siaSm-
 Then came the war; Some sums grant cd to him were withheld; property in which he had invested his money was cap- tured or destroyed. By which side? When I state that he is now sixty-four years of age. is disabled by failing eyesight from following his profession; that his wife is a confirmed invalid; that all his testimonial gifts have been sold or left in pledge for bread, and that this once self reliant and always brave and true man is utterly destitute-is it worth while to ask? When he made fast to the burning Con- naught he said nothing about politics. Humanity has no politics. Shall we not paraphrase his own words and say: ''Thls Is a horrible affair, to see the sun going down upon the wreck with so much good yet on board. We will do all in our pow CT to help him." Before I make an appeal abroad for this afflicted hero it is only fair that his countrymen should be given the opportunity-I may almost say the privilege-Of assisting him. His residence is No $40 Franklin street, New Orleans. and subscriptions may be sent to Mrs. Hill, No 306 Baronne street; Mir. Creevy, corner of Union and Carondelet streets, or to your obedieut servant,
 A. DE FoNBLANQUE, British Consul.