The Portland daily press., 1879-08-08
oAKsMITH's DAUGHTERS.
The True Narrative OF Their Sad Fate.

The True Narrative OF Their Sad Fate.
1t will be remembered that a short time ago
the telegraph ammo unced the death by drown
ing, off Beaufort, s. c.. of the daughters APP
pleton Oaksmith, who formerly resided in this
CITY, Mr.. Oaksmith has written the following
letter to the North Carolina Newbernian il
in W hich he gives the following interesting
particulars of the sad affair, which he says
were most enormously reported at the time:
All the facts are known only to God and my.
self. L was the only one in the boat who could
swim, or who had ever before confronted peril
and death. Hence 1 was not panic-stricken,
and had dreadful realization of all that was
going on.
All the heroism displayed in the fearful
struggle was by my noble daughters, Bessie
and Corinne, who lost their lives in heart
rending efforts to save their two younger sis
tiers.
The accident occurred in this way: 1 was
steering the boat with a yoke, and when half
way across, between Fort Macon and Beaufort
she steered wildly and L intrusted the main
sheet to my son Randolph, seventeen years OF
age, charging him to keep if clear and watch
charged him to ''let fly" the moment the sail
passed the wind. He hauled the sail aft-my
daughters "shifted seats" quietly-the boom
swung over-the sheet chung" or caught Qrom
whatever cause don't care now to know, and
the boat waved and capsized.
1t was all in moment. AS she went over
ordered "Look out for the little children
each take one and cling to the boat!' My duty
was for all. Bessie took her sister Mildred
Corinne our beautiful Pauline, and Randolph
his little brother Stanley. 1t was an lnstinc-
tive act guided by my first order. AS the boat
CIR. 30 esnIy 10 Il
the boat" 1 cried, stick to the boat" Up to
this moment my children were not panic strick-
en-, but were beautifully calm and quiet. The
boat capsized on her port side. As she settled
in the water from canses now needless to re-
count, she rolled completely over, her mast
and sail going under her, which told me the
water was over fifteen feet deep. As she rolled
the girls went out of the boat on the starboard
side, the two eldest each holding little sister.
1 went with them and helped them to get hold
of the boat again. Randolph, still holding
Stanley, fell over on the port side and was
rolled under the boat, which, being relieved OF
our weight, came to the surface and hung a
moment, keel up. Telling Bessie and Corinne
to hold had on to the gunwale, 1 rolled the
boat up by her keel, got Randolph out and up
on the other side OF the boat greatly exhausted
butsstill holding Stanley; charged him not to
let 60 of him and to cling to the boat; l then
SWAN round on the other side and found that
my daughters had all lost their hold, got the
two eldest ones ohce more back, telling them
that would go for the little ones. l was
clinging to the stern to get breath for my task
when Bessie and Corinne turned around and
saw their little sisters being swept away. They
uttered one shrek and threwithemselves off and
struggled to get to them. AT this instant L
realized that the boats anchor had gone to the
bottom, and was holding her. l knew then
that unless could get the boat clear of her
anchor or assistance soon came, some would be
lost. 1 got two boat gratings and two oars to
my daughters, who still needed my voice. l
told the little ones to cling to the grating, and
arms and "keep heads up and arms down"
Corinne answered cheerfully, "All right,
papa" and called out to the others, keep
your heads up and your arms down, and keep
quiet"
then swan against the current to the bow
of the boat, which was six feet under water,
held by her cable, and went down and tried in
vain to cast it adrift. had thrown off my
coat and vest early in the struggle, and had nc
knife. The weight of my body on the bow
pressed down by the current, bore it further
down, and I felt the boat again rolling over.
let go my hold and came to the surface,
steadied the boat again, encouraged my son to
hold on to his little brother and the boat to
the last, and looking for my daughters, saw
them drifting away, but apparently safe. AT
this moment, while holding on the boat to re-
cover myself, L saw some canoes or boats
in the distance and apparently fishing. Iraised
my voice for help. The men appeared to look,
but did not come. Could have got the boat
clear from her cable in time, believe could
have saved my daughters. 1 wasted much
strength in that vain endeavOr. Had l not
done so I might possibly, have got one of them
to the shore, but after they drifted twenty feet
by the stern it was impossible for me to get
either back to the boat. 1t required all my
strength to swim to the bow against the cur
rent when made my vain effort to set the boat
cd if orr " n
that could not endure it, and started to swim
to my daughters where we doubtless
should have all persisted together, which
would have been better for me, were it not fol
the living when l saw the boat which rescued
us coming round the point OF the marsh. My
reason told me that the chances Of saving my
daughters were greater with my help in that
boat than out of it, and waited in agony til
she came, and directed the kind friends who
were in her where to search. The rest is all
known.
We found my daughters all floating except
Bessie; but, near where saw her last, was Mil.
dred, lying lifeless, with her arms across an
oar. The truth was very plain to me-the poor
child had lost her hold upon the grating, and
Bessie, my noble eldest daughter, had deliber-
ately given up her only support put her drown
ing younger sister across the oar, and died as
she had lived, from devotion to those she loved.
Corinne had done the same-the grating was
gone, but close to the drowning form of her lit
tie sister Pauline, was Corinne's oar, while hel
body was found some distance away. My eyes
alone could read all this as / helped to lift the
three inanimate forms into the boat which res
cued us. The world has never seen greater
devotion than this of my two noble eldest
daughters.
If our anchor had not gone to the bottom, Oh
the boat which came to our aid had reached US
ten minutes sooner, all would have been saved
My son Randolph does not know how to swim
he never before confronted peril, and had he
lost his hold of the boat, after l last dragged
him and his little brother ON to her, when / was
away from him, he would have doubtless per-
ished.
The suspense in which we are now living, ex
pecting hourly that poor Bessies remains may
ton. We are very grateful for all the evil
dences of profound sympathy that pour in up
on us from every quarter.