Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-10-06
Miss Morrlson's Thrilling Story Of tho
Wreck OF the Steamer Asia.

Wreck Of the Steamer Asia.
PARRY SCUM, ONT, Sept q.
At the Coroners inquest over the remains Of
the victims of the late Asia disaster Miss
Christey Ann Morrison, the only lady survivor
OF the wreck, gave substantially the following
testimony:
"Itook passage on the Asia on the evening
of the 18th. During the night the boat rolled
heavily and seemed to be overladen and very
much crowded with passengers The night
passed quietly however and there was no dis
turbance except what came from sea-sick chill
dren. OCCUPIED an upper berth In q state
room and was quite wakeful. heard the stop
| at Presque Isle. On Thursday morning when
i arose the sea was heavy and was quite sea-
| sick. The first intimation 1 had Of danger was
about IL o'clock, when the mate told me they
had thrown overheard number of horses and
that the remainder of the freight would have
to follow. The boat was rolling so much
that put on my hfe-preserver, and sat by the
cabin door until thewater came into the cabin.
Then by catching hold of the door and railing
managed to make my way to the upper deck.
The boat then seemed to be settling fast. The
lfe-boat was near and lowered myself into
the water, and the Captain caught me and held
me till the mate came and helped me into the
boat AT that time there were twelve persons
Miss McNab, ny roommate. Several persons
from other boats tame to our boat as their
own craft upset. They seemed to be destitute
or oars, none Of the boats being thus supplied
except our own. i did not see any person
left on the steamer after we left her
side. The beats ran along together for
time and then the other two upset. They
upset three tin es, and every time they righted
| some of the passengers were missing. When
| they rightedfor the third time all had disap-
| peared except six who managed 10 get into
our boat Twenty minutes after our boat cap
| sized. held On to the ropes and when she
righted was in again. After we fighted 1
heard some one say that three were gone. Our
boat capsized three times and each time some
were missing. After the number was reduced
to seven the boat did not capsize
any more and the storm began
to moderate. After dark We saw a
lighthouse which the mate said was Bying
Inlet light. When we saw the light all cheered
up considerably, but soon after one of the
strangers died. The only members of the
crew that i knew In our boat were the Captain
and mate. After the stranger died two others
died almost Immediately together. They just
seemed TO perish. They did not seem to have
sustained any internal injury. did not hear
them complain of any injury. About mid
night the mate succumbed, and about ten
! time they died the sea was quite calm, and
the wind was moderate. Shortly after day
break and Mr.. Thinks landed The bodies
were still in the boat. After landing we drew
the boat on shore and walked along piece,
and, finding we could not walk, we re-
turned to the boat and Mr.. Thinks
took the bodies out OF the boat and
laid them on the island. We then got
into the boat again, and rowed along with an
m rio
when we capsized) to find place-a habitable
place. That was the last saw of the bodies
know that we left the bodies of John Saw
age, John Mcdonald and three other men on
the island OIL which we first landed On the fol-
lowing friday night we slept OH the rocks.
Next morning we again got into our boat and
rowed until, in despair, we gave up. We went
ashore again, laid down, and slept. Then the
Indian came along, and we engaged him
to bring us to Parry Sound, where we
arrived on Sunday forenoon. There was
not any conversation in the boat at all,
except when we saw the light. Then we
sang couple of sacred songs. The other two
boats were full of people. do not believe
that the three boats 1 have spoken of were
capable of holding all the passengers that /
saw on board that steamer. All the state-rooms
were occupied. / know this because when
embarked the mate had considerable trouble
shared my room with me. The ladys maid
told me that all the other rooms were equally
nlled. Some passengers were lying on sofas
and the cabili floor. They SO laid because they
could not get berths. The lad,'s maid and
purser said SOL
A party was formed after the wre tx to
search for the persons Who died ms above de-
scribed. Rough collins were prepared, the
bodies were lifted In and they were placed up
on steamer sent with the searching party
On reaching Parry Sound the boxes were
opened and it was found that, with the
exception of the mate and one other
person, there were no marks to
snow by what means these apparently
strong, healthy, hardy men had come to their
death, while young lad of seventeen and a
girl of eighteen years of age lived through the
terrible ordeal. The mates and freman's
faces were badly bruised, no doubt by being
STRUCK with the metallic ife-boat when it up
set Captain Savage, Mr.. Little and Mr. Nc
Alpine appeared as if asleep, and gave no in
dication whatever of the trrrible struggle they
must have had with the grim monster death
Their faces were not discolored, but looked
quite natural, and bore no traces of having re-
ceived any blows
The shore line from Point au Barrie TO
french River is very inhospitable. Rocky
islands and shoals abound and deep bays
oetS@Sh Aof iutO tue SuOre dL intervals the
tire distance, about sixty miles. The spot
where the life-boat grounded is one of a very
few places where it is possible for 1t to have
got ashore between Point au Barrie and Byink
Inlet The shoals, which barely reach the sur
face Of the water, extend for from three TO FIVE
miles outside of the outer range of islands, and
the life-boat drifted with its cargo OF dead
bodies and two almost exhausted survivors
down a narrow bay between the shoals on
Tl4fh nra do 80
almost the only place where it could have
grounded safely without being dash ed to
pieces.