Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
A ROMANCE OF THE RIYER.
How a Young Man Saved q Girl
From a Burning Mississippi
Steamer.


RE AFTERWARDS WINS HER LOVE WITHOUT RE-
COGNIZIE9 BIER.
A Rochester correspondent OF the New York
Times tells romantic story which has lust
James Fry, the travelling agent of New Or
leans business house. started from st. Louis for
that city on the steamer StOnewall. The hay
on board took fire and burned and fearful
panic ensued. few only OF the passengers
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-eyidently father,
mother and daughter, the latter apparently
about tifteen-soung Fry, and young lady, ap.
parently seventeen or eighteen years old. OF
al who had jumped into the river the light OF
the burHing vessel showed only one here and
there struggling in the water or swimming
Those who remained on the deck haSt1ly rolled
overheard several bales OF hay which the fire
had not yet reached. to De sened II possible II
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 steamer. The flames at last wrapped the
were hudded together about the guards were
forced to jump. The family mentioned above
spraDg into the water, claSping each others
hands. Fry and the other young lady followed
them. Fry was 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
ii
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 1t. This gave
him tine idea OF attempting to reach the shore
with it and save the girls, the youngest of
whom was rapidly becoming exhausted. He
told them what he intended to do, and begged
the gill to summon all her courage as he would
surely save her. This was the moment when
the three men We're driven from the bale of hay
by the burning oil. The men at once attempted
10 reach another hale a few feet from them TO
which four Others were already clinging. and
which was barely Sufficient to sustain their
ject was gained The other swan to the second
bale and tried TO seize hold upon it. The four
who were supporting themselves with this bale
fought against having the added weight OF tle
NTH. as It would swamp them all. Three times
they pushed him away. The pale, terror
stricken face Of the struggling men were plainly
visible In the glare of the flames. Each time
the fifth man was repulsed he returned to the
bale, begging for place to hold The fourth
!Ime ne succeeded In Selling hold one corner of
the bale. The hay began to sink. One of the
four who had possession of the precious bale
was an italian. He drew knife as the bale
was going down, and plunged 1t into the breast
hope away. He fell back and disappeared be-
meath the water.
This terrible scene was enacted within five
feet OF those on the spar. 1t was more than the
girl could bear, and she tainted away. Fry sup
ported her In his arms and, hastily telling the
other young LADY to cling to the spar until he
den. He reached 1t in safety, and, giving the
girl in charge OF people who were helpless wit
nesses of the fearful scene in the river, re-
turned to render aid to the young lady he had
left. He was gone only a few minutes but. dur
ing 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 2J0 paSSen-
gers and the crew of twenty, only thirty-five
were saved. The girl rescued by young Fry
was sent to Toledo. o., where she said she had
fri ends.
A year ago last month Fry was in Cincinnati,
transacting some business for a house in ST.
Louis, in whose employ he has been for several
years. An acquaintance OF his insisted on
taking him to call at the residence of friend
one evening. He met there and was introduced
TO Mrs Richmond, a widow or great personal
years, and was then only twenty-four. 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 ac-
cepted it. day early In the present month
was selected for the wedding. Fry went to Chi
cago the last of November. few days before
the wedding he and his betrothed were laying
out a route for the wedding tour. She told him
TO select any route that pleased him, the travel
ing of which did not Oblige them to go any dis
lance whatever by water. She manifested such
horrer OF travelling by water that Fry was curl
Gus to know what had caused it. His astont sh-
ment may be imagined when she relattd to hm
the terrible experience of the night of OlSoDer
%, 1862 on the Mississippi, during the burning
of the steamer Stonewall, on which she was q
passenger. and at which time her father and
mother were drowned. Mrs. Richmond was
none other than the girl OF fifteen whom Fry
had rescued on that memorable night. By the
sad death OF her parents she had been left with
few thousand dollars, but no near relatives. AT
the age OF nineteen, to obtain home. She married
Frank Richmond of Chicago, a dealer in wheat.
He became bankrupt, and died in 1915, since
which time she had made her home among his
and her friends.