The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-12-20
q. bELLEVUE La, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 90 1877. 1 - !

win such force as to take my breath
away decided me to leave the shin and
SWIM for shore. / took off nv oyercoat
and moved to the chains, but before
could take off the rest of nv clotbino
was washed overheard to some spars ly-
ing on the starboard bow. After vain
" attempting to get on top of the spars
started for shore, and was carried
astern, and then the current sent me
toward shore. was assisted out of the
surf by some fishermen. taken to a cab
in, and was soon all right, excepting
my legs, which were bruised, and was
not able to walk without much pain. /
reached the shore about 8.a M, and re-
NAMED in the cabin till the afternoon.
when Sheriff Brinkley drove me to his
house with the other officers, the men be-
ing taken to the life-saving stations. We
were well taken care of by Mr.. Brinkley,
who gave us clothes and supper, and
then turned us into good feather beds.
After breakfast on Sunday returned to
the station and remained there while
MIR. Conway and Mr.. Young, with the
rest OF the men, went up the beach to
signal to the Powhatan and Swatara. y
ASSISTANT ENGINEER r. G. DENIG,
says 81 was awake at i O'Clock and
heard the order to stop to take sound
lngs, and Immediately she struck bot
tom. Quick as possible l summoned
my associates, and in few moments
the entire engineer force were in the en-
gine-room. The ship was striking bot
tom three or four times a minute. The
next signal was to stop and then to back.
This was about 1:20. The conduct of
the men was admirable. u The men were
stationed at the stop-valves. The bilge
injection was put on and two Blick s
pumps were put on the zbilge. All the
water she made then came from the seas
down the hatchings which could not be
battened down. The ship was heeled
over about forty degrees to windward.
At every thump some part of the engine
frame would snap and the starboard
boilers shift toward the port side.
Every effort was made to keep the fires
going. At about ten minutes to 2
O'Clock it was found necessary to haul
the starboard fires. At 2 O'Clock the en-
gines stopped suddenly with forty
pounds of steam on, and the fires were
hauled at 2:15, the remainder of the
steam blowing through the whistle,
making signal of distress. All valves
in connection with the sea were closed,
and word passed for all hands to get on
deck. The engineers were all cool and
collected, 7s~ keftsf .si-''.@o1.
f...a, NOT THE LEAST CONFUSION
on the part Of any one being manifest.
A few moments after this the starboard
boiler shifted clear across the fre-room
then went on deck and remained in the
cabin until the order was given for all
hands to go forward. The sea was
breaking over the ship, and it was pitt.
lessly cold. | climbed up the mizzen
rigging Mr. Olson, Chief Engineer,
was also with me in the rigging. We
lashed ourselves in the rigging with the
signal halyards and waited patient
ly for daylight. At daylight
there WAS a company of about
so people ON the forecastle and every
sea would wash some. of them over.
board. There were five people in the
main rigging. About s o'clock the
main and mizzen masts began to break.
We stripped ourselves, prepaoatory te
jumping overheard. Ina few minute;
after l sprang overheard, leaving six live
people ON the ship, all ofwhom followed
in rapid succession. Before reaching the
shore a strong currsnt swept me about
a mile up the beach. Without assist
ance I could scarcely have reached the
shore, being three times carried out by
the undertow, the tide running toe
strong to keep my feet. I sought shel
ter in fish-house ON the beach, ant
about 6 O'Clock p m. was taken to The
house of Sheriff Brinkley, of Dare Co,,n
sty, where was kindly provided for un
til taken to Norfolk by the relief party