The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-13
At Sea on u COtton-Bale.

well remember the dismay with which
the tidings Of the burning of the steamer
Lexington in Long Island Sound was re-
ceived ia Boston forty years ago, The
first report was that all on board were lost,
and, in fact, 1t proved that there were only
four survivors left to tell the tale of woe
that made that fatal January night 80
tragically memorable. 1t happened, re-
Gently, in passing throughthe Sound in the
steamer Rhode Island, that l fell into con.
vcrsation with Mr. Crowley, ono of the
officers of the beat, and he told me that he
was one of the four persons who managed
to escape with their lives when the Lexing-
ton was burned. asked him to give me
the exact particulars, which he did IN a
very modest and unassuming way, and
think that the story is worth preserving !;
Tor venture to say that very few men
could have endured what he did and lived
through 1t. lie is now strong, well-pre-
served. and young-looking man (with his
hat on) Of little more than sixty years of
age, and has .expcriencedno permanent det-
riment from the awful exposure to which
he was subjected in his youth
On the night in.qucston the Lexington
was crowded with cotton to the full extent
OF its capacity, and also carrying the full
| quota OF passengers. At about 7: 80 O'Clock,
hlr y. says that he heard a rushing of feet
on the deck, and hurrying from his room,
he saw that the whole central part OF the
vessel was afirc cutting OF all commuu-
| cation with the apparatus for eXtluguish-
ing the flames There was nothing to be
done to save the steamer, and the life
| boats, as is SO often the case under similar
circumstances proved to be Of no practical
service. After assisting IN throwing over
board number of cotton-balcs, he seized
a board and jumped into the water. This
he found TO be Of little use, and seeing at
some little distance bale of cotton that
| did not appear to be on fire everything around
being made rs light Us day by the burning
ship he swan for the bale and succeeded
in reaching it. Waiting while, in order
to recover from his exhaustion, hc man.
aged to climb upon the top of the bule,
where, if he could only avoid being frozen
to death, he felt that he was for the time
being secure. Gradually the fires of the
Lexington abalcd, and at last lie found
himself alone on the waste of waters, with
nothing to do but to wait, with what
patience he could, in the cold and dark
ness, until the dawn of day should bring
relief. When the morning broke sloop
appeared i'll sight, engaged IN looking after
those who might have survived the wreck,
and he was now sure that the worst was
| over and rescue near at hand until, to his
dlsnuy, he saw the vessel change her course
and sail away without having detected
INN. ALL that day the stout-heartcd man
clung to his cotton bale, thrashing about
us lar as he could venture to do, that he
might keep the circulation in his body
allvc, and sometimes trying 10 paddle his
clumsy craft with his bare hands, but with
| out the slightest effect. Occasionally he
| tell INTO doze, and tumbled twice into
inc water, regaining his place upon the
DaIc with not little difficulty. AS night
drew on he wound up his watch as usual,
and thinking that he had now become sutli-
GENTLY accustomed to the motion of his
| craft 10 enable him to do it III safety and
| Dcing very tlrcu and sleepy, ne adjusted
himself for Il good nights rest. AS he as.
sured me, he did sleep quietly through the
whole night, and woke in the Il orning re-
lrcshed IN body and mind. The Wedncs-
aay sun now dawned, and another dreary
day on the cotton bale awaited him, Two
or three times it flashed across him that a
good square mcap' would be refreshing.
either hunger I'll thirst. lie had neither a
coat on his back or a covering for his head.
ana how he was able to avoid being frozen
to death is a marvel; but he reyer lost
ncart 1or an instant, or had the slightest
doubt OF being rescued at last. Sometimes
hc 1oatcd near the land, and then the
winds and the currents bore him away to
point from which the land could not be
seen at all. He again tried to wind up his
watch, but with his frozen fingers, could
not handle the key. After a while he fell
into sort of doze, and imagined himself
to be in the Stonington harbor, and decided
to slip from the bale and wade ashore.
The plunge into the icy waters restored him
to his senses, and again he centrivcd in
some mysterious way to recover his seat on
the cotton bale. On the third evening, at
about nine O'Clock, he found himself fast
nearing the shore, and recognized spot
known as "'rhe horse III the bank, ,"-from
the resemblance to a horse of a clump of
bushes growing near the water. His heart
now revived, and he felt that all that re-
maincd was for HIM to get through the surf
in safety, which, in his enfceble condition,
he kcnw would require strong effort OF
the will. This he accomplished, and at
last found himself once more standing on
the solid ground. AS his frozen feet were
entirely insensible, it was with the greatest
difficulty that he was enabled to walk ut
all, but, after one or two fails, he struck
into narrow valley, thinking that he
might find some spot where he could be
sheltered from the searching wind and wait
for the dawn of morning.
After pitching along, as he supposcs,
about half mile, to his indcscribablo joy
a ligh ht appeared, and making his way to
the door of the house from which it shone,
he knocked for admittalco. A young man
came to the door, who at first shrank back
aifrightcd at the strange looking being who
stood upon the step; but it was not long
before the hosptable family were busy
doing everything in their power for his re-
Lief and comfort. A bright fire was burn