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

the white hair. Il lett my nome IN ONO
for Buffalo. Being in a 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
engers and crew. | must have slept
soundly for about two hours in my berth,
when i was awakened by the sound of
hurrying footsteps overhead, and. look
ING through the vcntilator to the upper
deck, | saw two or three sailors running
along dragging a hose pipe. partly
dressed and went forward to the prone
made deck, where l heard from the pilot
house above the voice Of the captain cry
ling, 'Starboard. Hard starboard! and
steer her for the shore.
"The ship veercd from her course and
headed fer 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 out
again into the cabin | saw smoke curling
out from the side. The command had
been given to all up the passengers, and
when 1 againcreached the forward deck
they were crowding upon it. Just aroused
from SLEEP, they hurried outhalf dressed or
ntheir night clothes, many carrying chill
drcn, bandboxes, blrd-cages, carpet bags
and bundles, all anxious to save some
thing. I climbed up on the railing and,
taking hold of a s%tanchion, swung my
self to the main deck below, Stepping
over the forms of many who were lying
there still asleep, | went around to the
engine and. looking up, saw that the
fire had broken out near the smoke stack
in q 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, removed
all my clothing but my night shirt and
drawers. Taking my money and valu-
: ables, l rolled them up with my trousers
Aand laid them carefully away on deck
where l might recover them if the ship
should escape destruction. Climbing up
on the rail near the gangplank, l held on
until the frantic crowd. pressing for
ward, forced me away. crept 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. 49,,
s'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 children, and,
throwing them overheard, jumped after
them. Women with babes in their arms
went about pitcously 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
Hatch the dancing light of the flames in
the water.
1.-THE ship grounded at daybrcak in
about ten feet of water, q little more
than half a 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 ali sides the poor
drowning wrctches would clutch them
and drag them down.
THE flames drove me off at last. In
the water Just beneath me was Il strug-
Cling crowd of drowning creatures cling
ing to each other. Suddenly Il space of
about twenty feet cleared instantly by
their sinking out Of sight, draggingcac
other down. l determined to jump, swim
toward the stern of the boat until out of
reach of the clutches of the drowning,
and then make a dctour for the shore.
Remembering how l used to jump into
the water as a boy, when learning to
swim, l put my f-ct closely together,
arms straight by my side, and plunged
down like a wedge to the bottom, with
my eyes wide open. For a brief second
Isaw 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 cf-
forts greatly exhausted me, but, once
free, | swan toward the stern until | was
quite clear of all Instructions, and then
struck out for shore. One strong swim
mcr 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
1 had passed, as | had judged, nearly
half the distance to the shore when Il
deathlike coldness and EumbncSs came
creeping over me. All the Life | had left
seemed centred in my head, which felt
like a ball of fire. | found that l was
turning round and round in the water,
now catching glimpscs Of the burning
ship, to which even yet Il few human be-
ings were clinging, and now of the beach.
Could l ever reach it? Was it worth
while to struggle any longer? Every
movement caused intense pain IN my
chest and lungs. 1t seemed so easy to
die now.
~ ceased all efforts and raised my eyes
for a last look at the sky. was struck
'oy a peculiar golden haze of the atmos-
phere, and the air seemed filled with
human forms lowering over the drown
ing. The air WAS filled with them, and
close beside me i recognized my father,
brother and other friends who had died
many years before. They called me b.
name. They pressed closely around me,
telling me to struggle on and they would
aid mc-that my work was not done
that I could not be spared yet.
"a little strength came back to me.
remembered that l must be more than
half way to the shore. The water could
not be over five feet deep. / let myself
down, and felt the sand under me.
Aided by my spirit friends, whose hands
and presence were rs real to me as any
human touch, ! crept on my hands and
knees on the sand for some distance,
rising often>to breathe. Becoming too
weak for this. with my heavy head con-
stantly falling backward, l sank to the
bottom, and drew my body with my arms
near and nearer to the shore, rising to
the, S:rface as often as necessary. Aman
was lying on the beach, one of the few
who ever reached it. When he saw me
: feebly struggling, he crept down to the
waters edge, and. reaching out his hands,
tried to aid me. l slowly crcpt up a
little way out Of the water, but he was
so weak that, falling backward, l would
lose my hold n Slnk again.
"At last I was lying on the Try sand.
How good it seemed to lie there, if only
I need v move again. My companion
spoke roughly yet kindly to me, telling
me that It was sure death to remain
there. i refused to move, but, being
much stronger, he compelled ne to get
up, and, half supporting me in his arms,
dragged me unwillingly along. A far
mer met US and almost carried me across
the fields to a low two-roomed log cabin.
In the smaller room, containing two
beds, Twas at last permitted to lie down.
The long black neck of a bottle was in
serted between my lips, and I drank until
it was gently removed. The draught
warmed me.
81 alternated between consciousness
and Inconsistencies, but remember much