Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-02-13
Incidents Of the Wrecked Metrop-
oils.

Oils.
John S. jenkins, one of the people
who hsed through the wreck Of the
Metropolis, tells the following:
"At six O'Clock on Wednesday even
ing the captain expressed himselr As de.
iignred with the breeze. At eight o.
clock the engineer said to me: "Comc
with NE, l have time now to show you
the engines.' At that time there Was
only . stiff breeze. l went dowu into
the engine room and word was then
passed to oil the shafting; the oiler rau
back aud cried out: "Tbere are -four
feet ot water in the shaft alley That
was the first we knew of the leak and
the storm did no: become a gale Until
four hours later. More interesting iu-
cidents happened during the time we
were GU the wreck than would ell big
book. After the ms.nmsst had gone
by the board the whole side of the ship
tell out, up to twenty feet forward OF
the boiler came forward on the hur-
ricauy deck, between the stack aud bot
Ter house, aud saw Alexandra Barclay
and his son hanging on to the forward
rigging, aud when | asked the Lao, who
was only eight years old, to allow me
to lash him to buard, as it was mad
ness to remain on the sinking vessel, he
turned around and said, "Pspa has no
board Iashed TO him aud don't want
to get ashore unless papa does, He
would not allow me to assist him.
Shortly afterwards the father with the
boy in his arms jumped overheard and
bo,h were drowned. When the vessel
first struck the shore First Officer Dick
msn said that he would not allow two
hundred souls to perish and asked per-
mission from Captain Aukers to take a
line ashore. The second mate said that
be couldn't make 1t Dickmau re
piled, 1 can try you can't live."
said the second mate. well ii don't
| will have done my duty. | must
obey the orders of my superior officers,
but l can. stay here and see these
people drowned Mr.. Cozzens, the
seGuDd mate carried the ladies from tue
cabin to the deck on his back. Mrs.
Myers, struck BY wave, was lying al
most senselcss on the deck, with life
pieserver around her. l saw one of
the passengers leaning over her and
trying to take the preserver from her.
l told him to stop, but he said /: Every
man for himself.' | snapped my revoI-
YER at him tour times, but the caps
we're damp and would not explode.
Finding he did not desist, struck
with my fist aud almost Knocked him
overheard. Mrs. Myers was shortly
afterwards drowned, aud her husband, =,
knowing Of her death, slipped throug b
h's life preserver, aud, | am positive,
held his head under water, while with
one hand he beld on TO the rail. Que
man swan ashore with Free Mason's
badge between his teeth. He said it
was gift from his father. Mrs. W.
o. Harrison formerly Helen +. Sny-
jer) was washed forward almost sense.
less. She was the last victim among
the cabin passengers, as her brains we're
shortly afterwards dashed out, when
the third wave struck the vessel. AT
ter Captain Harrison was washed ashore
he worked like Hooper for the relief
of the survivors, aud t was not until
he discovered that the negroes or
ghouls of the coast had stripped the
body of his wife of all her clothing aud
left sand saturated blanket covering
the naked corpse that he gave way and
dropped on his knees in despair. He
has vowed that il he meets and one with
any article that belonged to bis wife in
possession he will shoot him on the spot
Of the eleven mail bags that were
shipped on the Metropolis only one
came ashore.