The Huntington argus. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1872-1905, 1882-11-09
OMAN THE 1rFElBoAT."

"FiIialIy I saw a liSe,boat contain
ing some of the crew, and | swan
for it; asI grabbed its side one of
the sailors raised his oar to beat me
off. I grabbed him by the leg and
he fell lengthwise of the boat and |
crawled in. The crew of the vessel
acted like fends the moment the cap
tain had announced that the vessel
must go down, They robbed the
passengers of money and jewels
wherever they could, and at the last
moment took possession of the life
boats and kept everybody ont of
them that they could intimidste, l
got in by force, but had hardly sue
ceeded before the boat upset and we
were all again thrown into the ocean;
we righted her however, and the
ocean getting calmer we were able to
keep her upright with great exertions.
There were five passengers and only
FIVE sailors in our boat. and | am the
only one of the passengers that lived
to see land.
For long time after / got into the
| life-boat we foated around near the
wreck, because we had no means Of
getting away, and it was as much as
We could do to keep the boat in posi-
ton to ride the waves. Such scenes
as | witnessed | cannot to this day
recall without a shudder. The sailors
were bound that no one should get
in the life-boat, and they were guilty
of the most brutal acts imaginable
One poor woman foated near US on
piece of the wreck. She said Seen
tlemen, for Gods sake take me into
the boat" Inever saw such an APP
pealing look in my life. l reached
my hands toward her to save her,
when one of the brutal sailors raised
board, and with an oath, said,
take that woman into this boat and
III brain you" The other gentIe-
men in the boat to TX charge Of him,
and l made great eforttO catch her
but a wave washed her from her fraiI
support just as I was about to grasp
her hand. One Of the most heart
less acts l ever saw happeneds soon
afterwards. A French lad some six
teen years of age, succeeded in get
ting a hold on the gunwale Of the
boat on,the end h which the sailors
sat when one Of them shouted "keep
away from this boat, and taking his
sheath knife out he deliberately drew
it across the boys fingers. As the lad
dropped into the sea he turned his
beautiful blue eyes upon the brute
that cut him, with such a look as |
would not have cast upon me for all
the world.
The most impressive scene | say
on that fearful night, and the terrible
DAYS that followed it, l witnessed soon
after this occurrence. A large piece
of the hurricane deck was being
tossed hither and yon by the fury of
the waves. On it was a girl some
seventeen years of age. She was
kneeling in the attitude of prayer,
her hands clasped before her and her
eyes raised to heaven. There was a
look of perfect resignation upon her
beautiful face. Her jet-black hair
fell in confusion over her shoulders
and down her back, and all the cloth
ing had been torn from her shapely
body. In her left side was terrible
wound several inches long, doubtless
made by some fragment Of the wreck
and from it the crimson tide Of her
young life's blood was slowly flowing.
She was not wailing but simply offer
ing a silent prayer to her Maker;
while an old man, past fifty, l should
say, was struggling in the waves try
ing to reach our boat, holding in one
hand piece Of rope attached to the
,I,,,I- ,,,,o,, which tho vOtncr civil yVas