The Portland daily press., 1884-01-22
q THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
As Told by Hr. j. G. Tibbests, a Survivor

Mr. j. Tibbetts the passenger who was TAX
en- from Gay Head today, tells a thrilling story
of his experience on the wreck. He said: II
was awakened by the shock of the vessel strik-
ing on the rock. 1 hurriedly dressed, and
came on deck with my roommate, q civil en-
gineer, from Roxbury, whose name did not
know. We came out together. had fastened
life preserver aroand me in my room. My
mate laughed at me and said I had better not
wear a life preserver, as it might frighten the
passengers, and he refused to put one on. We.
came on deck, and when we saw how bad the
situation was we agreed 10 stand by each other,
to the last When the ship heeled over and
filed we were separated. think was the
first man on deck after the vessel struck. 1
saw buoy on the port side. / asked an officer
whom l saw on the deck what the matter was,
and he replied that the vessel would soon be
over the ledge, and would be all right. went
to the sailors quarters, rnd saw them rushing
up the companion way. They told me the ves-
sci was aground, and things looked bad. /
next went along by the cabin doors. Saw
some of the passengers dressing and some still
asleep in their berths. Every one who was
aWhA0 hSk6u IL Ln6r0 WAS any Danger, ana
generally replied, "Keep cool and do you best,
but get your life preseryers on" helped
some of them to tie on life preservers. Most
every one got them on backside foremost. /
prayed with number of men. l asked one
young man if he was prepared to die, and he
said no, and then taking a pack of cards out of
his pocket he cast them to the winds, saying,
4 can't appear before God with pack of cards
in my pocket
BY this time the vessel had heeled over and
nd tha nPa tocfa nfrcia hax, tod.
women screamed and prayed, and their shreks
could be heard above the roar of the sea. The
waves We're breaking clean over her. I stood
for q moment abaft of the after companion
way. Saw a young woman in the companion
way holding up her baby over her head. She
was shrieking, On my baby, my darling
baDy." The waves were dashing around her,
and the spray leaped over her head. Then
monstrous wave seized her and carried both
her and the baby into the ocean. I heard
passenger complaining to the captain that he
had lost all his baggage. Your baggage
claimed the captain, "don't think Of that.
Pity me, on whom all the blame for this win
rest.''
saw men and women struggling with each
other in the waves. 1t seemed as if every one
was being swept off the deck into the sea. My
roommate and took to the rigging, where we
staid until rescued by lfeboats from Gay
Head. saw my roommate drop out of the
rigging frozen 20 death. During the night,
and while waiting to be rescued, the purser,
danced jig on the main top while the other
sailors whistled. did not suffer much from
cold, although had no overcoat. Ny life pre-
server kept me warm. pat my hands into
my bare bosom to keep them from freezing
Saw man after man drop dead out of the rig
ging. There was much praying.
When the life boat Ca me out III the morn
ing the crew shouted for US to jump into the
sea. prepared TO do SO, but an Irishman next
to me turned around and raised his arm to
strike, saying, s'Yoa don't go into that boat
ahead of me-" 1 lodged the blow and the
next instant had leaped into the sea and was
swimming for the boat. Got on board all
right. Took the oars and rowed hard after six
others had got in, keeping myself from freez-
ing by my exertions. Have not suffered since
landed as the natives have been very kind,
and do not feel as if l had passed through
such q terrible trial. | regard myself az hay-
ing Desn sav0a by tho sraoo of God. !"