The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-10-01
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
Thrilling Experience of a Detroit Girl
Isashed 10 the BulVyOrlxs OF "A Sinking
Fp0p, Her,


Thrilling Experience OF a Detroit Girl
Iaashed 10 the BulYarks of a Sinking
Prop, Her.
The Detroit Free Press has the follow
! ing account of the experience of Miss
| Belle johnson, young lady who was
aboard the propeller Bertschy when it
was wrecked on Lake Huron:
After leaving Bay City we had much
| heavy weather and had become rather
accustomed to the tossing of the boat.
Thursday night no change was observe
and the lady passengers, myself among
! the number, collected in the after cabin
| to listen to the stories of several South
ern ladies-refugees from the fever epi-
demic, who had chosen the lake as a safe
resort. was standing within three feet
OF my stateroom when the conversation
was ended by terrible crash which
threw me headlOng across the cabin.
The other ladies were crowded in n cor
ner, not one being able TO speak. For
some minutes no one moved, and l only
heard an occasional prayer above the
hoarse roar. One lady, like myself, had
had experience in similar emergencies,
and we with difficulty gained the deck.
The night was very dark, and nothing
could be seen except the lighthouse bea-
con, several miles away. Our steam
whistles had been sounding signals of
distress, but the water dashed over the
engine fires and they were put out, and
the only signal on board gradually died
to moan and then failed quite We
looked for torches, but there were none
on board. Our lamps had been dashed
out and we were left groping about in
the darkness. Captain McGregor had
hpnn SICK in hpH hrIf / ,.n,rll Il,
him on deck, giving directions for the
launching of boat which was to make
an attempt at landing in order to secure
assistance. The boat was in the water
but minute, and then l knew by the
screams | heard that it had gone over.
We passed the night in this way.
each other and assisting tie
crew as we could. The male passengers
on board had secured their life-preserv-
ers and sat with them on all night. but
the women had given everything UP and
refused to put one on, thinking it
would only prolong my suffering. Early
Friday morning the steward came helow
and insisted upon buckling on the pre-
server. 1t seemed like getting into NV
coffin, for l had said my last PRAYER and
was ready. After securing tile belts we
were led to the upper deck, and. as the
boat threatened to part every minute
we were lashed one by one to the ollter.
bulwarks. Whenever the sea poured
over me the ropes held me fast, and I SAT-
tied there three hours looking into the
water and wishing 1 could go down and
have itended.
The captain, passed by, and, with his
glass, could see some of our men cling
ing to the foot of a perpendicular cliff
about forty feet in height. They had
been drifted ashore the night before.
when the small boat was sWamped. I
also saw the lifeboat being launched, and
the crowd of men hurrying up and down
the shore as though bewildered. The
llfe-saving boat could be seen an instant.
then it would sink in the trough of the
sea, and we thought it was lost. 1t
gradually neared us, and a line was
thrown out and secured by Captain Kiah.
hen two men were seen climbing out
on the ropes and through the water to-
ward our boat. 1t took them long time.
but they were at last on board and knew
how to direct our efforts for safety.
Through their management the boats
came near by and we were hauled on
board and then taken to land. Not until
L stood on solid ground could | think
that it was possible for me to escape
death.
The greatest praise is due the men in
the lifeboat. l visited their station
and found the road over
which they carried their boat rough and
sandy. AS it was about five miles from
the propeller's wreck, it seemed marvel
Gus that they could reach her at all.