Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-09-27
Miss Morrison's Story.

In the Coroner's investigation ut Parry
Sound, Miss Christy Ann Morrison, the only
lady survivor OF the wreck of the steamer
Asia, testified as follows:
got up on Thursday morning feeling very
seasick. IL was pretty rough all the morn
ing. ! think that about II O'Clock the first
intimation | had of danger was from the
noise made by the horses. | asked the mate
II there was any danger He said they had
already thrown of the horses, and would
throw of what freight they could then
went back To my berth, and the boat rolled
SO much 10 one side that l got life-pre-
server and put IL on. Half an hour possibly,
had elapsed between the first idea had of
danger and my putting on the life-preserver.
After putting ON the life-preserver sat by
the cabin door until the water came into the
cabin Then by catching hold OF the cabin
door and railing l managed to get on the
upper deck of all, The boat then seemed TO
he settling down, one side being much the
undermost The life boat happened to be
close to where got to.
/ lowered myself into the water,
and the Captain caught me and held me
from sinking till the mate CAME and helped
me into the boat At that time there were
twelve in the boat did not know any in
the boat except the first mate and Miss
McNab, NV room mate. A number ofpeopie
from the other boats came into our boat
Inc reason WHY lItN came 1nIO our
boat was that they upset The
reason why they upset was the rough
ness OF the sea They did not seem over
crowded One reason that they upset was
that they had not n sufficient number Of
oars one OF the other boats had one, an
other had not any, ours had two The rea-
son / know they had so few oars was
that they came alongside of our
boat and asked the Captain ii we had
any to spare. l did not see any
person left ON board the steamer after we
left the ships side. The boats ran along
together for little, then the other two up
set They upset three times Every time
they righted a few were missing. The third
time did not see any one clinging to them
at all | only saw two boats beside our own.
Six OF the passengers OF the two boats came
into ours About twenty minutes afterward
our boat capslzed She righted- held ON 70
the ropes, or life lines going round the boat
so that when size rlghted was in again
After we righted heard some one say thret
were gone We then sailed or drifted before
the storm Our boat capsized three times
Each time some were missing. i did mol
notice any one to be hurt on the boats right
I ing except the mate, who had got scratch
| below his eve After our number was re.
| duced 70 seven the boat did not capsize an,
n.cre I. 5cca::sc Tic storm;
/ that we ceased to capsze. The last capsiz'
/ took place shortly before dark. Before darl
/ the mate said he saw lanu, ana aftef uaTl
/ we saw a lighthouse which the mate sait
was Bying Inlet light Wren we saw tn
/ light all cheered up considerable, but sooi
/ after one of the strangers died, name un
known The only members of the crew tina
/ knew In our boat were the Captain am
mate. After the stranger died two other
died almost immediately together. They Jus
1 seemed TO perish They did not seem 10 hav
sustained any internal injury. i did no
| hear them complain of any injury Abou
midnight the mate succumbed, and abou
ten MINUTES after him the Captain dies
| The person I have called the mate wa
named John Mcdonald, who was secon
cousin OF mine. 1he person l have calie
CAPTAIN was named John Saving.
CAPTAIN OF the steamer Asia. A
the time they died the sea wa
quite calm, and the wind was moderate
shortly after daybreak 1 and Mr.: Tink
landed The bodies were still IN the boa
After landing we drew the boat ON shore an
walked along piece, and, finding we cou
not walk, we returned to the boat, and N
| Thinks took the bodies out OF the boat an
laid them ON the island. We then got I'M
the boat again, and rowed along wtst, an o.
we had picked up thaving lost our oars whs
! we capsized) to find place-a habitan
place That was the last l saw OF u
| bodies / know that we isft the bodies