Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-01-28
ROMANCE OF THE RIVER.

Without Recognizing Her.
A Rochester correspondent of the New
York Times tells romantic story which
has just ended in happy marriage. In
October, 1869, James Fry, the travelling
agent of New Orleans business house,
started from st. Lous for that city ON
the steamer Stonewall. The hay on
board took fire and burned, and fearful
panic ensued A few, only, of the pas
sengers chung to the steamer, in hope
that aid would reach them before the fire
forced them to take their last chance in
the river. Among these were family
of three persons-evidently father, moth
er and daughter, the latter. apparently
about 15-young Fry, and young lady,
apparently IL or or Is years old. Of all
who had jumped into the river, the
light of the burning vessel showed only
one here and there, struggling in the
water or swimming away, the river hav-
ing closed over the others. Those who
remained on the deck hastily rolled over
board several bales of hay which the fire
had not yet reached, to be seized, if pos
sible, if they were compelled to take to
the water. The main spar was burned
down and fell into the river before the
fire drove the last person from the steam
er The flames at last wrapped the en-
tire vessel about, and the passengers,
who were huddled together about the
guards, were forced to jump. The fam
lily mentioned above sprang into the wa
ter, clasping each others hands. Fry
and the other young lady followed them.
Fry was a good swimmer, and reached
the spar. AS he grasped it, the young
lady who had jumped with him came to
the surface near him. He seized her
and helped her to the floating timber
The girl who had disappeared with her
father and mother also came up within
short distance, and Fry at once went to
her aid. He succeeded in assisting her
to the spar. She never saw her father
and mother again.
Fry moved the spar with comparative
ease by swimming behind it and pushing
it. This gave him the idea of attempt
ing to reach the shore with it and save
the girls, the youngest of whom was be-
coming rapidly exhausted. He told them
what he intended to do and begged the
girl to summon all her courage, as he
would surely save her. This was the
moment when the three men were driven
from the bale of hay by the burning oil.
The men at once attempted to reach an
other bale few feet from them, to which
four others were already clinging and
which was barely sufficient to sustain
their weight. Two of the men sank be-
fore their object was gained. The other
swan to the second bale and tried to
seize hold upon 1t. The four who were
supporting themselves with this bale
fought against having the added weight
of the fifth, as it would swamp them all.
Three times they pushed him away.
The pale, terror stricken faces of the
struggling men were plainly visible in
the glare of the flames. Each time the
fifth man was repulsed he returned to
bale, begging for a place to hold. The
fourth time he succeeded in Selling hold
of one corner of the bale. The hay be-
gan to sink. One of the four who had
had possession of the precious bale was
an Italian. He drew knife as the bale
was going down and plunged it in the
breast of the man whose weight was
taking their only hope away. He fell
back and disappeared beneath the water.
This terrible scene was enacted within
five feet of those on the spar. It was
more than the girl could bear, and she
tainted away. Fry supported her in his
arms, and, hastily telling the other young
lady to cling to the spar until he re-
turned, he started for the shore with his
burden. He reached it in safety, and
giving the girl in charge of people who
were helpless witnesses of the fearful
scene in the river, returned to render aid
to the young lady he had left. He was
gone only a few minutes, but during his
absence, the four men on the bale of hay
had been, in turn, driven off by fire, and
were all drowned A boat had also
reached the scene from Neeley's Landing.
Out of the 200 passengers and the crew
of twenty, only thirty-ive were saved
The girl rescued by young Fry was sent
to Toledo, o., where she said she had
friends
A year ago last month Fry was in Gin
cinnati, transacting some business for a
house In st. Louis, in whose employ he
has been for several years. An acquaint-
ance of his insisted on taking him to call
at the residence of FRIEND one evening.
He met there and was introduced to a
Mrs. Richmond, a widow of great per-
sonal attraction. She had been a widow
for three years, and was then only "a
she was visiting at the house where Fry
met her, her home being in Chicago
Fry fell in love with Mrs. Richmond
They correspondent for several months,
when the travelling agent made the young
widow an offer of marriage and she
accepted it. A day early in the present
month was selected for the wedding
Fry went to Chicago the last of Novem-
Der. A few days before the wedding he
and and his brother were laying out a
route for the wedding tour. She told
to select any route that pleased him, the
travelling of which did not oblige them to
go any distance by water. She mani
tested such horror of travelling by water
that Fry was curious to know what had
caused it. His astonishment may be i'm
agined when she related to him the ter
rible experience of the night of October
27, 1869, on the Mississippi, during the
burning of the steamer Stonewall on
which she was passenger, and at which
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