Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-12-21
A Thrilling Story Of Shipwreek.

cent accident. - II every DO1N han Kept
cool and collected all the boats that
were not smashed would probably have
been safely lowered, and perhaps not &
lifelost but ihetrouble is, men-even the
braves;--lose their presence of mind in
the face OF sudden peril, and the instinct
of self preservation masters their reason.
/ remember on one occasion | was mate
of the steamer MarmiUn, and was bound
from Savannah for this port, and had
got up as far AS the Scotland Lightship
when we made the green light of a
steamer on the starboard bow; and
thinking she would, of course, see our
green ligh. and starboard her helm, we
starboarded a little and paid no further
attention to her I'LL suddenly we opened
both her lights, showing that she had
ported. We Immediately put our helm
hard a-starboard, and blew two whistles
10 warn the approaching vessel
of our intention TO pass 20 the
left She, however, adhered TO her
original intention, having at first been
deceived by a red lantern which we had
hoisted at our peak as signal for the
telegraph operator at the Highlands,
and which she had mistaken for our
port side light. 1t was at once appar-
ent that d collision was inevitable. We
were low in the water, and the APP
preaching steamer, which afterwards
turned out To be the Gen. Meade, was
very high. The evening was dark, but
not at all foggy. AS looked through
n marine glass, and saw her approach
ing, her large bulk doomed up so formi-
daily that thought she must inevitably
cut our steamer completely in two. In
an instant became convinced that the
only chance for life WAS TO get on board
that steamer, and without a thought
other than that flung the glass on the
deck, sprang into the quarterboat, and
before theorash of the collision came was
upon her forecastle. Then, the instant
| knew | was safe. came the thought
that |, the chief officer of the ship, had
deserted her, and as she stopped, after
having crashed halfway through the
Marmion, | al once sprang back to
where had left deck, but which was
now gaping wound, and down went
into the sea At this instant the in
rushing water reached the furnace doors,
and the fires, unable to escape by these
openings, were forced violently up the
funnel, making for few seconds, ev-
ery thing as light as day, and enabling
me TO see my way up the jagged tim
bers with distinctness. had hard
work 10 prevent being drawn into the
iire-room by the rapidly entering flood
of water, but | succeeded, and soon
stood ON deck again, and | can assure
you that although | confidently expect
ed that the steamer would 90 down at
once, il was great relief To me to think
that could go down with her and at my
post. All this had occupied far less time
than have been telling i, land not a soul
on board had missed me. Both of our
stsr5oard boats had been smashed by
the collision. One of the port ones was
in on deck in chocks, and into the 9TH
er. which hung at the davits, had rush
ed the firemen. ooal-heaveTs and some
of the sailors, and neither orders nor
threats could induce them to get out of
her so that she could be lowered and
when they found that we would not
lower the boat unless they came out of
her, one of them. in his blind instinct
Va StlA- fitota y diipils Sul lit l-tthlt Idil.
Fortunately there was a stout stopper
around the davit. or this act of mad
ness would have allowed this end of the
boat 10 drop, and those in her would
have been spilled overheard and some
of them probably drowned. The neces-
ssry delay in rereeving the fall brought
the vessels decks to the water, and but
little lowering was necessary when at
last we were able TO do SO. BY this
time. also, two beats from the General
Meade reached us with more than
sufficient space to carry us all, As we had
but one passenger, and we all got
into the boats except the Captain, who
by this time had become convinced that
the cargo Of cotton would float the
steamer, and said that lie should stay by