Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-02-09
A WONDERFUL ESCAPE

Ever since Lake Erie has been nayi.
gated by civilized people, especially ior
the last century, has she swallowed up
largo numbers of human beings by
shipwrcck, by fire, or by other casual.
ties, and while many bodies are recov.
cred there are hundreds that are never
found, and many that float ashore that
are never identified,
Captain Gilman Appleby, of Con.
neaut, Ohio, was Captain and part
owner Of the schooner New Connect.
cut. An aunt of his then residing in
Black Rock, below Buffalo, went to
Conneaut TO visit her brother there.
After remaining for some time she be-
came exceedingly anxious to get home.
Captain Appleby endeavored to dis.
suade his aunt from taking the home
Journey until be should be going out
with his vessel, when be would take
her home. His efforts in that drec.
ton, however, were unavailing, and he
had to take her on board the schooner
to go to Buffalo in charge of the crew.
Everything passed off quietly until
sudden squall struck and rolled her
upon her side, when she nearly filled
with water, but continued TO float.
The crew loosened the vessels yawl,
jumped in and pulled for the shore,
leaving the woman in the cabin, as
they supposed drowned. The party
landed, and made their way as best
they could back to Conneaut.
Three days after the accident Cap.
tain Wilkins, of the steamboat William
Peacock, in coming down from De.
troit was besought by Captain Apple
by to board the wreck if he saw it,
and if possible to get the body OF his
aunt out of the cabin and convey it to
Buffalo. Captain Wilkins discovered
the disabled vessel drifting down the
lake, and, after coming alongside, the
first mate of the Peabody boarded the
wreck and made search The schooner
lay upon her side, and, to all appear
ances, was full of water. A pole was
employed, and it was supposed every
part of the cabin was touched, and the
conclusion was reached that the re.
mains had foated out of the cabin into
the lake; hence, further search was
given up.
Two days afterward Captain Ap-
pleby came down with vessel and
facilities to right the schooner and tow
her into the nearest port, the drowned
woman's son being along to assist in
the recovery of the body. Ghe vessel
was finally righted, and when the
cabin door had nearly reached a level
position, the woman walked through
the water and came up stairs on deck.
She was caught by Captain Appleby
and supported, while her son wept and
the sailors screamed. Five days and
nights she had been in the water,
while a portion of her time she was
up to her armpits. She could not lie
down, and what sleep she got was in
that position, and all the food she had
was a solitary cracker and raw
| onion, which nOated Oh the water.
She stated that after the vessel cap.
sized and was abandoned by the crew
she found herself alone in water waist.
deep. The cabin door was open, but
the food was two feet above it, and
the sea made constant changes in her
position. When Captain Wilkins stop
ped, she could hear the boarding par
ty talk and walk on the vessel, and
although she used her voice to its ut
most to attract attention, she could
not make them hear. She saw the
pole thrust into the cabin door by Cap
tain Mention, and asked il she should
hold on TO il and bo pulled out, but nc
answer came. The Captain heard nc
other noise than the splasbing of the
water, and had not the rcmotest
idea that the woman was there, alive
OF dead.