The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-12-17
The Rescue of the Monitors Survivors

From paper on the Loss of the Monitor.
accompanying Capt. Eric~ ,on's account of hi>
vessels in the December Century We alote the
following: After a fearful and dangerous
passage over the frantic seas. We reached the
Rhode Island, which still had the tow-line
caught in her wheel and had tlriftcd perbaps
Two miles 10 lccWard. We came ALONGSIDE
under the lee bows, where the first boat that
mad left the Monitor nearly an hour before had
just discharged lis men: but We found that
getting on board the Rhode Island was a harder
task than getting from the Monitor. We were
carried by the sea from stem to stern. for TO
have made fast would have been fatal: the
boat was bounding against the ships sides /:
sometimes ii was below the wheel. and them
ON the summit Of a huge wave. far above the
decks; then the two boats would crash together:
and once, while surgeon Weeks was holding
on to the rail, he lost his fingers hy "A collision
winch >Wamped the other boat. Lines were
thrown To Us from the deck Of the Rhode
Island. which We're of no assistance. for not
one of lis could climb small ropc; and be-
sides. the men who threw them would immp-
dIateiy let 20 their holds. il their excitement.
to throw another-Which found to be the
case when L kept hauling in rope instead Of
climbing.
1t must be understood that two vessels living
side 10y side. when there is any motion to the
sea, move Alternately; in other words one is
constantly passing the other UP or down. At
one time, when our boat WAS near the bows of
the steamer, we would rise upon the SCI: until
we could touch her rail: then il AN Instant bv
a very rapid descent, We could touch her Keel.
! W hlie We We're thus rising and falling upon the
sea, caught rope and rising with the boat
managed to reach within foot or TWO of the
rail. when man, if there had been one could
easily have hauled me on board. But they had
all followed after the boat. ich at that instant
was washed astcrn, and hung dangling in the
ar over the bow of the Rhode Island. with
Ensign Norman Atwater hanging TO the cat
head, three or four feet from me like myself.
with both hands clinching rope and shouting
Tor some one to save him. our hands crew
painful and all the time weaker. until | saw his
strength give way. He slipped foot. caught
AGAIN, and With his last prayer, so Cod" | saw
nm tall and SINK to rise no more. The ship
rolled. and rose upon the sea. sometimes with
| her Keel out of water, SO that | was hanging
! thirty feet above the sea, and with the fate in
view that had befallen our mucll-beloved com
! panion which no one had witnessed but myself.
still chung to the rope with aching hands. call
| ing in vain for help. But | could not be heard,
for the wind shrieked far above my voice. nv
heart here, for the only time in my life gave up
hope. and home and friend, Were most tendcrlv
thought of. While | was in this state. within
few seconds of giving up, the sea rolled for
ward. bringing with it the boat and when |
would have fallen into the sea. it was there
can only recoilect hearing an Old sailor say. as [
fell into the bottom of the boat, "Wher in
-- did he come from?