Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-09-21
Human Action Under Excitement.

As ferryboat from New York was
entering the slip in Jersey City, = man
fell or leaped overheard. He narrowly
escaped being crushed between the boat
and the bridge, ard in less than Sec
ond was hidden from the sight OF the
people who rushed TO the edge of the
bridge and those who were on the boat.
Tho de, khands shouted TO the pilot, and
then the passengers ana people on the
bridge caught up tie cry, and the pilot
signaled tu the engineer. The boat was
backed and the man was revealed,
struggling in the water, beneath whose
surface he once disappeared for a mo-
ment. The bridge hands acted quickly
and with judgment tempered by the cir
cumstances. One dangled a short haw-
ser over the head of the struggling man.
another poked at him with pole, and q
third ran for (. ladder, which he afler-
ward placed in the pit of the mans
stomach, while the man hung on 10 the
rope. In the meantime the behavior OF
the spectators became exceedingly in
teresling. The men made no effort
toward rendering assi,tarc', bat pushed
and almost fought for places in the fore
most ranks ou the boat and bridge. The
women behaved most strangely. Half
a dozen OF them spent several minutes
shouldorinE their way past al the men,
peering over tie edge Of the bridge and
then forcing thr ugh the throny again
until they were beyond the hindmost
line of people. Once there, they
turned and made their way to the front
again, all the time uttering sounds and
exc!amatiuns of sympathy or .amenta-
ton. This they did over and ever again.
Others became impressed with the idea
that their male companions were benton
leaping into the water after the strug-
Cling man.
Don't, John, please. pray you,
don't, john" n pretty girl cried, as she
flung her arms around the neck OF
sto.id-loJking young man who had
made no other motion than to peer be-
tween two heads in front OF MS. lie
disengaged her arms. and the girl re-
doubled her commands 10 him not TO
Jump. not 10 90 after the man, not 70 be
drowned himself, and finally not TO be
"a FOOL" At the same time half a
dozen feet away another young woman
was clinging 70 the arm OF Ter compan-
ion and sobbing loudly.
You won't take your coat Of, will
you' You won't, will you'" Probably
the tears in her eyes prevented her see
ing, rs the Others did. that he would not
1t was evident that nothing was likely
TO tempt him 70.
The man in the water seized the rope
and lifted his meek and shoulders above
the waters surface. Then it was that
one of the bridgc-tenders poked him
with the pole and the other lunged at
him with the ladder. a colored man
who stood on the deck of the ferryboat,
and who was terribly excited by the
scene around him, perceived a large,
round, browa paper bundle lying ut his
feet. 1t had been dropped by the man
in the water. The colored man seized
the bundle and hrandished it over his
head.
"He-ah! he-ahw lie shouted to the
man in the water, you los you' bundle.
Hcah's you bundle"
He dung the parcel at the man just as
the bridgemen were drawing his drip
ping figure up by means of the rope, the
ladder and the pole. The bundle ioated
away and was overlooked.