The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-03-28
A STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

"Tell us how your hair turned white >
said one of the party at the ffreside.
In June. 1851" said the man wifi
the white hair, 81 left my home in Ohio
for Buffalo. Being in hurry to return
/ took passage by the steamer G. p.
Griffith for Toledo, on a late Sunday af
ternoon. The ship carried over 400, pas
sengers and crew. l must have slept
soundly for about two hours in my berth,
when was awakened by the sound OF
hurrying footsteps overhead, and. look
ing through the ventilator to the upper
deck, | saw two or three sailors running
along dragging n hose pipe. l partly
dressed and went forward to the prone
made deck, where 1 heard from the pilot
house above the voice Of the captain cry
ing, Starboard Hard starboard! and
steer her for the shoren
1.-The ship veered from her course and
headed for the shore, five miles away.
went back to my stateroom, awakened
the man in the other berth, and raped
on several OF the doors. As came ont
again into the cabin / saw smoke curling
out from the side. The command had
been given to call up the passengers, and
when | again reached the forward deck
they were crowding upon it, just aroused
from sleep, they hurried out half dressed or
in their night clothes, many carrying chill
dren, bandboxcs, bird-cages, carpet bags
and bundles, all anxious to save some
thing. | climbed up on the railing and,
taking hold of stanchion, swung my
self to the main deck below. Stepping
over the forms of many who were living
there still asleep, went around to the
engine and. looking up, saw that the
hire had broken out near the smoke stack
in spot so difficult to get at that in all
probability the ship was doomed. Hurry
ing back to the main deck, upon which
the crowd was fast increasing, l removed
all my clothing but my night shirt and
drawers. Taking my money and valu-
aDles, rolled them up with my trousers
and laid them carefully away on deck
where | might recover them if the shin
should escape destruction. Climbing up
on the rail near the gangplank, | held on
until the frantic crowd. pressing for
ward, forced me away. | crcpt along on
the gunwale to near the wheel on the
land side, where l chung and watched
the crowd as they surged forward from
the approaching flames
"There was scarcely 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 children, and.
throwing them overheard, jumped after
them. Women with babes in their arms
went about piteously 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 | saw babies
actually trying with their little hands to
catch the dancing light of the flames in
the water.
"The ship grounded at daybreak in
about ten feet of water, a little more
than half mile from the shore. The
water all about the forward part of her
was full of drowned and drowning peo-
pie. Many good swimmers struck out
for the shores, 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 a strug-
Cling crowd of drowning creatures cling
ing to each other. Suddenly space of
about twenty feet cleared instantly by
their sinking out of sight, dragging each
other down. determined to Jump, swim
toward the stern of the boat until out of
reach of the clutches of the drowning.
and then make a detour for the shore.
Remembering how | used TO jump into
the water as boy, when learning to
swim, | put my fJet 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 rising
to the surface struck out with my arms,
but to my horror found my feet bound
tightly together. The band of my draw
ers had burst, and, slipping down, had
bound my ankles as securely as if tied.
Turning on my back, carefully olsen
tangled them from each foot These eff
forts greatly exhausted me, but, once
free, | swan toward the stern until was
quite clear of all distractions, and then
struck out for shore. One strong swim
Iner passed me and spoke some encour-
aging words. | saw others who must
have become dazed, swimming back into
the lake.
II was not an experienced swimmer. but
] had passed, as l had judged, nearly
half the distance to the shore when a