Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-03-07
THRILLING EXPERIENCE
Ofa Passenger ON the James ID.
Parker.

as 1t were, and he had to stop for re-
pairs. His story is as follows:
/ was on the hurricane roof with
some others, and ! felt the boat scrap
ing, and in a minute looked up and
noticed the pilot pale as death. |
thought there was immediate and pos
tive danger and ran down stairs. In
the catin | saw people rushing around
promiscuously after baggage, but |
didn stop for any baggage, and left
my valice, sample trunk and overcoat
in charge of the porter, whose check l
had. | was considerably agitated in
my feelings, but | got a lifepreserver
and tried to put it on and failed, for
it soon dropped of. [ went from the
cabin to the lower deck, and on the
stairs saw young lady and gentle
man, and heard her ask him if there
was any danger. Before | could hear
his answer | saw the cabin turn over
aud the freight begin to roll and tum
Bile around and into the river, and
then ]. heard the lady scream and saw
no more of either of them, for at this
time | Jumped into the river to escape
being crushed by the falling cabin and
the freight. believe they we're caught
and crushed to death by the timbers
or the freight, and | think my opinion
will be substantiated when all the facts
are ascertained and the wreck is clear
ed up.
CAUGHT A SPAR.
when l jumped in, / first caught
what thought was a floating spar.
but it was fast, and was washed off
it, and l then caught hold of rod of
iron, which was fastened to the boats
chimney. was afraid the cabin would
fall on me here, SO | let 90 and swan
to hogshead of tobacco floating some
distance off. | caught on to this with
only finger nail hold, for there was
not much to catch to, and then started
| off down the river with the hogsheads
rolling over and over, and trying to
stick to it. My clothing was too heavy
for me to swim away, and | had no
other chance but the tobacco hogs
head | thus foated along with it for a
mile and quarter down stream, and
at this distance | saw two men in a
boat trying to catch a horse which
was swimming around. | called to
them to come and get me out and |
would give them $50, but they kept on
after the horse. They answered me,
but | couldn't understand what they
said. ! was getting chilled through
very fast, and my fingers were so be-
numbed that | could scarcely hold on
to my hogshead, but felt that it was
I a life and death matter, and | was
bound to stick to it as long as possible.
| thought my time was up, and |
prayed brief prayer that the Lord
would make it easy for me. All the
SHORTCOMINGS OF MY LIFE
went through my mind, and l couldn't
toll you just how | felt. / had only
two weeks ago been married in Texas,
and | thought of my wife and also of
my neglect in not having transferred
to her a $1,000 insurance policy on my
life. The waves seemed as high as
house, and twice | was washed off the
hogshead and went down out of sight,
but came up again and embraced my
tobacco cask as if it was my best
friend. At last, when | had hoated a
mile and a half in that awful cold
water, | saw two men coming in a
skitf. and heard them shout to me to
hold on; that they would save me,
aud in few minutes they had
LIFTED ME INTO THE BOAT,
and then they took me to the In
diana shore and some men car
ried me to house and put
me to bed. | was full Of water and
my teeth chattered like the bones of
minstrel end man for two hours. |
was played out completely, but there
was enough left of me to be very
thankful that it was no worse with
me. | didn't know who the man was
who took care of me, nor who they
we're who saved me, but | shall find
out aud express my gratitude in
some substantial way. l was too
much shaken up to ask any ques-
tions, but will do so later. On my
way back to town | met boy who said
he guessed man had been drowned,
as he was seen hanging to hogshead
by two men in a boat. One of them
wanted to go to his rescue, but the
other refused, and the boy reckoned
that the man had gone to the bottom.
These were the tive men after the
horse, and ! was the hogshead man.
When | left the boat didn't see any
body else in the water, but the river
was filed with floating boxes and bar.
rels. Neither did [ hear any scream
ing to amount to anything, although a
few cries might have been heard. |
never had such frightful experience,
and if it isn't enough to make man
a Christian, then he is q hopeless case.
I'll never go over those falls again, and
further, | won't travel on Sunday any
more. | wouldn't have done it this
time, but | was going to Hawesville,
and | thought it would be pieasanter
staying here where | have friends than
staying in little country town, so |
staid, and started away on Sunday, and
you see the result. Another thing in
the case is this: l do not think the
officers of tile boat should have gone
into such a dangerous place with a
boatload Of passengers when there was
a safe way provided by which they
could have made the trip. | believe
the law should prevent taking such
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