The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-04-16

he had been saved III a BOAT. y man III
the next room Was %cXclaiming mourn
fully:
.;'Minc Colt. Mine Colt. Mine
moniSh is all gone. Mine monish is all
gone. Mine wife is gone. Mine son is
gone. Oh, mine Gott, mine monish is
all gomez
Again and again that mournful vail
went up. Then l heard the tall man
call out wrathfully:
"'Won't some one kill that fellow:
Then 1 dozcd off again. When
awokc. more people were coming IN,
bearing q woman, and they were saying
she was the only woman saved. heard
them say that eight men swami ashore.
and twenty were saved in a boat. Only
twcnty-cight saved out of over four hun.
drcd. Toward evening they put us all
in 4 heavy lumber wagon-on beds OF
Straw-to take us, they said, to 'Lloyds
Tavern, three miles away Jolting along
over a rough road. the pain in my chest
and limbs became unbcarablc, and re-
member nothing morc.
days aftcrward | awokc from what
seemed a long sleep. | found myself
lying on a bed in Il strange room, alone.
The sound Of voices camc in through the
open window and from the halls, where
people were constantly passing to and
fro. They were talking of 4 great dis
astcr, of dead bodies lying in heaps on
the sand waiting to be claimed, and OF
Others being buried in a trench. There
was something about county lines, OF
coroncrs quarrcling over fees, of thieves
in boats at night stripping the drowned
bodies. and tearing rings from fingers
and ears. Those mOnOtOnouS voices
were forever talking about that one
thing.
"Wcll, what if they were dead? The
dead were at rest. What had to DO
with that shipwrcck: Why did not
some one come to me? What was
doing here in this strange room? Why
was | so stiff and sore, so full of pain, so
weak l could not move? | fell asleep
again, and when | awokc still the same
voices were talking about poor drowned
bodies, thieves, coroncrS and boats;
and then came q dim recollection
that | had known something about
that shipwrcck. 1t all came back to me
clear and distinct. Soon afterward a
man came with broth and nourish-
inc food, Of which | ate with a relish
white he answered my questions. This
was Saturday, and had left Buffalo on
the Sunday preceding. Lloyd's tavern
was fifteen miles from the city of Clcve-
land. must get up. How could lie
hcreo must get into the air. must
90 home. Home! Why, at home doubt
less they mourned me as dead. had
been dead for days to them. l begged
the mar to bring me some clothes. He
brought me some old garments much too
large for me. with an old black slouchcd
hat, and helped me to dress, for | was
too weak to stand alone. lie then
placed me comfortably in an easy chair
and told me to rest awhile. At length,
feeling rested and stronger, ! arose and
moved slowly across the room toward the
open door.
II saw a gray-hcadcd old man coming
toward me, poorly dressed. with an old
hat in his hand. and a stubby beard on
his facc. l thought that perhaps he was
also one of the shipwrcckcd. ! spoketo
him kindly, but he did not reply, and
still advanced. l stopped; he stopped
also. w stared at each other. l spoke
again. His lips moved, but not a sound
left them. drew forward q chair, and
sat down. He sat down also, staring
half fcarfully at me. Great God! was
that myself? That white hair-could it
be mine? No, it was a wig. Some one
was playing a joke upon me. | put up
nv hand. No, it would not come off.
II went back and lay down upon my
bed, very weak, utterly disheartcned.
Later l was driven slowly down to the
beach, and | saw all that was left of the
stcamer-a few blackcned spars and the
charrcd hull. Many people were exam
ming. either from curiosity or identiti-
cation, the bodies as they were bought
in. There was a long trench in the sand,
in which were placed those not idcnti-
fed. 1t appeared that the steamer had
been wrecked on a county line, and two
coroncrs were there quarrcling over the
bodies and claiming their fees.
"My friend helped me out OF the
wagon, and seated me on a rock close by
"a most forlorn and unkempt figure J
must have presented. Two men stood
near where | sat, and one of them spok"
of having received another telegram
from Cleveland. inouiring if the body of
the man K had yet been found. A
cold chill ran down my back. Produc-
ing the telegram, he read the dcscrlp'
ton:
"'Twenty-eight years of ages feet Q inches
in height, weight about 100 pounds, fair skin,
blue eyes, black hair, small hands and feet.
mole on left shoulder. Has the body beel
found: Have it properly prepared Tor
burial, and send to n, Cleveland
II was * and they were hunting for
my body to prepare it for burial! My
friend came back just then, and l begged
to be taken to the hotel at once. must
start for home, | said, as soon as posi-
bic. Arriving at the house, | saw IL car
rage and horses standing before the
door. Four gentlemen came out and
agreed 10 takC Ilc Will tllcUl.
~ learned from their conversation
that my companions had been sent out
from Cleveland to identify the dead and
find the living. Each related incidents
connected with the search. They spoke
of being out in boats, sometimes all
night, dragging for bodies, of seeing the
thieves at their villainous work, of the
disgraccful quarreling of the coroners,
and of the discomforts of camping out.
At length n of the gentlemen said nc
regretted going back with no news of
the young man *, whose friends were so
anxious about him.
"I half believe said he. that he was
no on the boat at all. We have seen
everybody, dead or alive, who has been
found. and no one answering his descrip-
ton is discovered"
"'Whcre is his description, asked
another.
81 have it. No, not here. rcmcm-
Der, l gave it to the coroners He was,
as l rccollcct the description, a nan
about twenty-cight, fair skin, blue cyesand
black hair. 1t is hard to go back with no
information. BY the way. stranger, did
you see any n answering that descrip-
tion?'
"'Would you be willing to take the
body without preparation for burialE |
asked.
"'Why, of course. Any way we could
get it,
"'Wcll, then said /. drop me 1T
HIS house.
"a shout went up from the carriage.
4. few days later, after having enjoyed
the delightful experience of being kissed,
cried over, and welcomed back from the
dead, l lighted Il cigar, seated myself
comfortably, and had the novel cxrc>
ricncc of reading my own obituary. and
a good orthodox obituary it was, too."-
-Ner York Sun.
Women Sea Captains.
Mrs. Mary \. Miller is not the first
woman who has served successfully as