The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-04-17
SHIpWRECK ON lake ERIE.

Wv
"Tell us how your hair turned white ?"
said one of the party at the fireside.
I'm June, 1851" said the man with
the white hair, Il left my home in
Ohio for Buffalo. Being in a hurry to
return, / took passage by the steamer
G.. p. Griffith for Toledo, on late
Sunday afternoon. The ship carried
over 400 passengers and crew. must
have slept soundly for about two hours
IN my berth, when was awakened by
the sound of hurrying footsteps over
head, and, looking through the ven
tilator to the upper deck, saw two or
three sailors running along dragging
hose-pipe. l partly lessed and went
forward to the promenade deck, where
l heard from the pilot-house above the
voice of the captain crying, Star
board! Hard starboard and steer
her for the shorew
"The ship veered from her course and
headed for the shore, five miles away.
l went back to my state-room, awakened
the man in the other berth and raped
on several of the doors. As came ont
again into the cabin / saw smoke curl
ing out from the side. The command
had been given to call up the passen-
gers, and when / again reached the
forward deck they were providing upon
it. Just aroused from sleep. they hur-
ried out half dressed or in their night
clothes, many carrying children, band
boxes, bird cages, carpet bags, and
bundles, all anxious to save something
l climbed up on the railing and, taking
hold of stanchion, swung myself to
the main deck below. Stepping over
the forms of many who were lying there
still asleep, l went around to the engine
and, looking up, saw that the fire had
broken out near the smoke-stack in a
spot so difficult to get at that III all
probability the ship was doomed. Hur-
rying back to the main deck, ueon
which the crowd was fast increasing, |
removed all my clothing but my light
shirt and drawers. Taking my money
and valuables, l rolled them up with
my trousers and laid them carefully
away on deck where might recover
them if the ship should escape destruc-
ton. Climbing up on the raft near the
gang plank, / held on until the frantic
crowd, pressing forward. forced me
away. 1 crept along on the gunwale to
near the wheel on the land side, where
/ chung and watched the crowd as they
surged forward from the approaching
flames.
"There was scarcely a scream heard.
AS the flames drove them further and
further forward whole columns of
people were pushed into the water
Husbands caught their wives and chill
dren, and, throwing them overheard,
jumped after them. Women with
babies in their arms went about pite-
ously begging some one to save their
children, and when they were pushed
or jumped into the water held their
infants high above their heads. After
they were drowned their quilted skirts
buoyed them up, and I saw babies
actually trying with their little hands
to catch the dancing light OF the flames
in the water.
"The ship grounde at daybreak in
about ten feet of water, little more
than half mile from the shore. The
water all about the forward part of her
was full of drowned and drowning
people. Many good swimmers struck
out for the shore, but from all sides
the poor drowning wretches would
clutch them and drag them down.
"The flames drove me off at last. In
the water just beneath me was strug-
Cling crowd of drowning creatures
clinging to each other. Suddenly a
space of about twenty feet cleared in
stantly by their sinking out of sight
determined to Jump, swim toward the
stern of the boat until out of reach OF
the clutches of the drowning, and then
make n detour for the shore. Re-
Numbering how / used to jump into the
water as boy, when learning to swim,
] put my feet closely together, arms
straight by my side, and plunged down
like wedge TO the bottom, with my
eyes wide open. For brief second
saw lying on the bed of the lake heaps
of dead bodies in all positions. ON ris'
ing TO the surface struck out with my
arms, but TO my horror found my feet
bound tightly together. The band o.
my drawers had burst, and slipping
down, had bound my ankles as securely
as if tied. Turning on my back, care
fully disentangled them from each foot
These efforts greatly exhausted me, but
once free, swan toward the sterr
until was quite clear of all obstruc
tions, and then struck out for shore
One strong swimmer passed. me anc
spoke some encouraging words. L saw
others, who must have become dazed
swimming back into the lake.
Il was not an experienced swimmer
but had passed, as L had judged