The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-04
THE METROPOLIS DISASTER.
Heroic Work of One of the
Survivors,.
TaNonal Associated Press to the Star.

National Associated Press to the Star.
NORFOLK, Va, Feb. A special mes
sen2er sent out from this city TO visit
the scene OF the wrecked Metropolis re-
turned last evening, having had long,
difficult and tedious journey over the
strange and almost impossible roads
through the country but infrequently
traversed at this season. He brings full
details of the wreck. Accounts brought
from the beach all 60 to confirm the
worst reports about the rottenness OF
the Metropolis. The evidence OF the
engineer shows that the leak which b. =
gan at the stern part Of the vessel must
have arisen from very defective con-
dition OF the woodwork, and once the
break had occurred there seemed no
possibility of stopping it.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. "A dispatch
from Mr.. Collins at Norfolk says the
survivors Of the Metropolis wreck, as
also some OF the bodies, will reach here
Tuesday evening by one OF the Clyde
line OF steamers.
Timothy UBrien by his own unaided
exert!ons rescued from the breakers
nearly fifty persons. This is the second
wreck from which he has escaped with
his life, the first being that OF the steam .
er Golden Gate, which was lost OF Aca-
pulco, on the Pacific Coast, In 1858. AS
soon as the Metropolis struck on Thurs
day morning and began to break up
| there was general rush for the rigging.
OBrleu secured a position high OH the
| main mast, but when it became apparent
| that the only chance tor life WAS to swim
| ashore he boldly jumped from the rig
glng over the heads OF others and struck
o..h tnhi inh hh n
safety.
Realizing the peril OF his tellow-pass-
engers, Obrien fastened over to Car
rltuck House, three-qurters OF q mile
distant, procured q pair Of overalls and
some ary matches, returned and built
| several fires. The sea was iull Of struS-
gllng victims, and one by one were sink
| Ing, when OBrien, at 10 O'Clock, plunged
| boldly TO The rescue. Ole by one he
brought nearly exhausted and hall
dead victims ashore, placed them in the
| hands OF others at the fires, aud never
halted until o'clock in the evening,
| when the las. survivor had reached the
shore. In seven hours O'Bfien saved
| nearly fifty people, many Of whom would
have perished, but tor his great cool.
ness and manly aid.
| The last and crowning act Of this
|
Of Mrs. Ann Huet, the only surviving te-
male Of the wreck. she was struggling
teebly with the breakers, supported by
a lite perserVer, but evidently exhaust.
| ed and about to sink. O'Brien saw her
awful position, and calling to q young
mau named John Doherty 10 help him
started ior the dying woman. Twice the
1 treacherous waves snatoned her troH
his grasp. At last he caught her, anG
with Donerty's assistance brought hei
ashore UNCONSCIOUS.
She was alive, and was at once sub
lje0ted to the remedy OF beng rolled upon
u barrel TO get the salt water out Of her
and then placed upon a bed-tick beside
one OF UBrien's fires. In about thirty
minutes she revived, to find her hus
band beside her. He had washed ashore
about forty yards below on the beach,
and when dragged out his first exclama'
ton was, "Is my wife dr0wnedH ae
was told she was saved, and overjoy et
was carried to her side, where he ro
manned until she opened her eyes, to re-
alize that both had escaped ws!ery
lKrav9,