The sun., 1884-02-24
a STORY oFsnrpwREcx ON LAKE ERIE
Tell us how your hair turned white"
said one OF the marty at the lrasiha

Ieu us now your hair turned white"
said one OF the party at the freside
In June. 1851" said the man with tho white
hair u left my homo in Ohio for Buffalo.
Being In ahurryto return. took passage ythe
steamer g. p. Griflith for Toledo on n late sun
day afternoon. The ship carried over 400 pas
senRers and crew. Imust have slept soundly
for about two hours in my berth when was
awakened by the sound OF hurrying footsteps
overhead and looking through the ventilator
to tho upper deck. saw two or three sailors
running along dragging hose pipe. 1 partly
dressed and went forward to the promenade
deck. whore heard from the pilot house above
the voice OF tho Captain crying 'Starboardl
Hard starboard! and steer her for the shorel
The ship veered from hor course and
headed TO. tho shore. Ave miles away. went
back to my stateroom. awakened the man in
the other berth. and raped on several OF tho
doors. As l camo out again into tho cabin
saw smoke curling out from the side. Tho
command had been given to call up the rassen-
gers. and when again reached the forward
deck they were crowding upon 1t. Just aroused
from sleep. they hurried out half dressed or in
their night clothes. many carrying children.
bandboxes bird cnges. carpet bags. and
bundles. all anxious to save something. 1
climbed up on the railing and. taking hold OF n
stanchion. swung myself to the main dock below.
Stepping over tho forms OF many who were
lying there stil asleep. l went around to the
engine and. looking up. saw that the fire
80 difficult to get at that in all probability the
ship was doomed. liurryiny back to the main
Ing % ronovsd ali my my clothing but my ,;I night
shirt and drawers. Taking my money and val
laid them CAREFULLY s away %r "n deck where mrht @
recover them II tho shin should escape destruc-
o n bns ur the the rail near tn gang
ing forward forced me away. crept along on
the gunwale to near the wheel on tho land side.
surged forward from the approaching flames.
There was scarcely scream heard. AZ the
water. Husbands caught their wives and chill.
af asr as b"Sas n th,p a4
went went i, about piteousy besg,s % some ono to
high above their. heads. After they were
drowned their quilted skirts buoged them
hands to catch the dancing light OF the flames
ten feet OF water. little more tnan haii a mile
ths Se1 o her Tss w 3 az a G
struck out for tho shore. bu, from all sides the
poo poor drowning wretches would clutch them
=" Tho flames drove me of at last In the
wator Just beneath me was struggling crowd
OF drowning creatures clnginG TO each other
Suddenly space OF about twenty feet cleared
| instantly BY their sinking out OF sight drag
swim toward the Stern stern Of the boat Until ii s"S out o
reaeh OF he clutches of the drowning and then
make max detour for the shore Remembering
| when learning to ew,-, put my feet closely
together, arms Straight By my side. and plunged
wing on the bed OF the lake heaps Of dead
| face struck out with my arms but to my hor-
| ror found my feet bound tightly toGe,her. The
band OF my drawers had burst. and slipping
down had bound my ankles as securely as Il
| tod. Turning on my back carefully dsen-
tansieen them s,, IRON each loot. These efforts
toward the stern until | WAS quite claar OF nll
| distractions. and thsn struck out for shore.
One strong swimmer passed mo and spoke
must have become diUed, swimming back into
| the lake.
| was no, an experienced swimmer, but
had passed. ms hai Judged. nearly haif the dis
md numbncss came creeping oyor mo- All the
life ! hai lo!t seemed centred in my hoad.
which .ysn yet few human heiInE5 we're cling.
EYcry movement caused intense pain In my
ceased nj eHorts and raised my eyes Tor a
last look at the SKY. Twas struck by a peculiar
seemed filed with human forms hovering over
the the drownInG oyn The air was il.d with Them
botSe S%ss % 1 h"a dsd nny
years before They called me by name. They
Dressed closely around mo- telling me to strug-
was not done-that could not be spared yet.
little strength came back to me-, re-
to the shore. Tho water could not be over n ve
feet d"ep le, myself down. nnd felt the sane
hands ard presence were as real to me NJ, as san, an,
| human touch. crept on my hands and k ncas
| on the sand for some distance. rising often tC
! NJ "a fnrt m,
| heavy head constantly falling backward / sanl
to the bottom. and drew my body with my arms
! face as often ns necessary A man WAS ly i'm
on the beach one of the few who ever reachet
down to, Tho waters edge" and. renohing ou
his hands. tried to aid me. ! slowly crept III
weak that, falling backward. would lose m!
Al last was iging on the dry, sand; How
good it seemed To iis thsro. il only need nevc
kindly to me telling me- that il was sure dea'l
to remain there. refused 10 move but. brinI
much stronger he compelled mo to get up, and
half supporting mo in his arms dragged mt
most carried tc ms acr6ss the fields to "a low @ two 70
rocmed log cabin In tho smaller room. con
talning S t%o beds beds va was AZ ast permitted t." Ii
sorted between my lips. ard drank and drail
until II was gently removed. Tho draugh
"I eternatod between consc iousncss and un
consciousness, but romotnbor much that pass ,,
sntin vest. aud heavy gold chain came in nn'
lay down urCn the other bed. He ccrtain
bad not been in the water. and ! wondered
hs had b"en saved in IA boat. A man in tn
next room was eXclaiming mournfully:
Mine iottl Nine fpttl M inc n.onish i
is gone. mine son is gone. Oh. mine Gotl
mine monish il all gonor
Again and again that mourr!ul wall went VI
Then hoard tho thll man call out wrnthfuliy
Won't some one k III that d Dntchman
| Then | dozsd Off again. Whom ! awokn
| more people ware coming in, bearing woman
and they we're saying she was ;le only woman
saved. heard them say thai eight mon swar
ashore. and twenty were saved in II boat. Oni
twenty eight saved out of over four hundred
Toward evening they put US MI IN hoav
they said. to 'Iloyd's Tavern. three mile
away; Joiting along 3yor a rough soad. tn
and romember nothing more.
Days afterward nwoka from what sesme
q long sleep. found myself lying ON a bed il
strange room alone. The sodni OF voice
came i'm through The on an window and from IN