The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-01-09
A Thrilling Story Of Shipwreck.


steamer in answer to an expression OF
opinion as to the loss Of life in the re- I
cent accident; "if every body had kept
cool and collected all the boats that
were not smashed woald probably have
been safely lowered, and perhaps not
life lost; but the trouble is, men even the
bravest-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 Marmion, 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 lig hit and starboard her helm, we
starboarded little and paid no further
attention to her till suddenly we opened
both her lights, showing that she had
ported. We Immediately put our helm
hard a-starboard, and blew two whistles
to warn the approaching vessel
of our intention to pass to the
left. She, however, adhered to her
original intention, having at first been
deceived by red lantern which we had
hoisted at our peak as a signal for the
telegraph operator at the Highlands,
and which she had mistaken for our
port side.i light 1t was at once appar-
ent that collision was inevitable. We
were low in the water, and the ap-
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
marine glass, and saw her approach
ing, her large bulk doomed up so formi-
daily that l 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 q thought
other than that flung the glass on the
deck, sprang into the quarterboat, and
before the crash of the collision came was
upon her forecastle. Then, the instant
| knew I was safe, came the thought
that I, the chief officer of the ship, had
deserted her, and as she stopped, after
having crashed halfway through the
Marmion, l at once sprang back to
where l had left deck, but which was
now gaping wound, and down | went
into the sea. At this instant the in
rushing waterreached the furnace doors,
and the fires, unable to escape by these
openings, were forced violently up the
funnel, making for few seconds, ev-
cry thing as light as day, and enabling
me to see my way up the Jagged tim
bers with distinctness l had hard
work to prevent being drawn into the
fire-room by the rapidly entering food
of water, but | succeeded, and soon
stood on deck again, and can assure
you that although confidently expect
ed that the steamer would go down at
once, it 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 it,and not soul
on board had missed me-. Both of, our
starboard 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, coal-heavers and some
of the sailors, and neither orders nor
threats could induce them to get ont 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
of self-preservation cut the tackle fall.
Fortunately there was stout stopper
around the davit, or this act of mad
ness would have allowed this end of the
boat to drop, and those in her would
have been spilled overheard and some
of them probably drowned. The neces-
sary 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 boats 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 he should stay by
her. The second mate, engineer and
myself at once went on board again,
and after getting ON board of the Gen.
eral Meade the crew willingly returned
to the Marmion, which, it was evident,
was as low as she was going to sink. A
hawser was then passed to the other
steamer, and for a time she lowed us in
towards the Hook. But we lowed
heavy, being so water-l logged, and the
hawser parted, and before another
could be got ont it was discovered that
the Gen. Meade was leaking badly, and
for her own safety mus: abandon us
Then we made sail upon the Marmion
and, wind and tide being fair, sailed
in to the point of the Hook and
anchored as the ebb began to make in
four and a half fathoms of water. She
was too near the Knoll, however, and
as she swung with the tide her keel tool
the ground, and she remained there un
!. til she broke up, some three days after
The cargo was all taken out by wreck
ers. The machinery probably lies Their,
to this day. The men that crowded in