St. Landry democrat., 1878-02-09

at the suggestion L think OF the SecOnu
engineer, who had come up, we scram-
bled on the stage plank, which was float
ing on level with the hurricane deck,
and got to the farthest end which ex-
tended to the river. We were not on
the side next the shore. Could the
staging have been cut away from the
sinking boat we would have flOated free
of it, but we knew it aid did not reach
us before the boat went down we would
go with it. The night was pitch dark,
and we could not see anything around
us. Three large fires had been kindled
on the shore, but one being directly in
front. dazzled us but left everything g
around in darkness. ], had felt utterly
abandoned and left to terrible fate,
but from the moment | reached the
stage plank, the second engineer MIR.
John Gillen, who was Oh it with us, lent
me every assistance in his power.
Through his aid alone | was enabled to
keep my footing on the plank. He
could easily have escaped himself, but
he would not abandon helpless woman,
who had no other claim upon him than
that of humanity. Had | known then
what learned afterwards, that he was
from the parish of Rapides, | would
have felt perfectly secure that he would
save me or perish in the attempt. Who
ever knew Rapides steamboatman or
in fact any Rapidian desert the helpless
in peril ? salute the noble old parish,
my beloved home for 80 many years.
1t has so long record Of brave men,
and of noble unselfsh deeds, that John
Gillen's name will only be mentioned
in her roll of honor, as son worthy Of
Rapides.
The boat was caretning fcareully on
the side on which we stood, and her
chimneys seemed coming down. How
long We were there | cannot SAY for til"
minutes We're ages. Suddenly some one
called out, that IL skitf was coming from
the river side. learned afterwards ii
was the boat of Mr.. Reid, who lived
across the river about mile down. We
were helped into it and got safely ashore
too grateful to God for our safety, to
think of anything else. Capt. Kennison
told me on the Bertha afterwards that
he called to me from the shore that the
life boat was coming to my aid. l
heard my name, but thought it was Mr..
Lindsay returning for me. l do not
doubt that the Captain did all i'll his
power to aid us, but at that time my
vision was circumscribed. I neither
heard nor saw anything but the black
waters which were rising so rapidly to
swallow us. One picture is indelebly
imprinted upon my memory. The fires
in the woods. with numerous people
clustered around it in safety, and we
party | think OF only four or five,
drowning so near them and within sound
of their voices.
The boat went down, / learned, in
sixty seven feet water. The passen-
gers who We're awake heard no jar,
when she struck, and when we ran out
the water was coming in the cabin. |
was told that in fifteen minutes from
the time the a!a,m was given, the water
| had reached the hurricane deck. Peo-
pie are not we'll able to compute time
in such periious straits, but I think it
must have been lougsr, for the boat
| from Mr.. Reid's had time to reach there
and take US off before the life boat re-
| f,.rna1 A. 1nnot 7 hnoprl NJ,
Reid's boat.
| Ipresume the pilot did his duty or
| the boat would not have sunk as near
| the shore as she did. | have heard also
the Captain and his officers did theirs
to the best OF their ability, but knowing
nothing of such matters, I am only
| giving o short narrative Of my own
personal experience, a good deal cir
cumscribed by my struggle to keep
! abeve water.
When We reached the shore every
| endeayor was made to make Us as COM
| Portable as circumstances would admit.
| One kind gentleman, whose name did
not learn, gave me his coat and q ssr.
Marks of New Orleans, who had saved
his valise, distributed its contents among
the scantilX clothed crowd.
Capt. Kennison sent us to Mr.. Reid's,
and take this public opportunity to
return my most grateful thanks to him
| and his excellent wife for their generous
hospitality to our party. They live
about three miles from the Conrtableau.
There ia nothing now to be seen OF the
Lessie Taylor, but her floating timbers.
| have heard no blame attached to any
one for the accident, and suppose it
was unavoidable. Those " floating lilies
of the Atchafalaya which Longfellow
speaks of in his g Evangeline y were not
exactly visible to us, but in their places
the frightful snags and black sullen
water make the river anything but a
pleasant remembrance TO the passengers
of the luckless vessel.
PASSENGER.
A California story tells of q man who
resolved to give up drinking, and went
IL,