Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-02-14
wRecklNo or THE CHEESE BOX.
Capt. E-icsson's Account oi the Rescas
Of the Monitors sur, iyors.

Capt. E-icsson's Account oi the Re.cas
of the Monitors survivors.
After fearful and dangerous passage
over the frantic seas, we reached the
hode Island. which still had the tow
line caught in her wheel and had driftej
perhaps tive miles to lecwarl. Nj
came alongside under thu lee bows,
where the hrst Loaf, that had lett the
Monitor n arly an hour before, had ust
dis haryed its men, but We found that
getting on toard the Rhode Island was
a harder task than getting from the
Monitor We were carried by the sen
from stem to stern, for 10 have made
fast would have been fatal; the boat
was bounding against the ships sides;
sometimes il was be,ow the wheel. and
then. on the summit of a huge wave,
far above the decks then the two boats
would crash 10 sether and once, while
surgeon weeks WAS holding on 10 the
rail, he lo>l his fingers 10y a collision
which swamped the other boat. ines
were thrown to US from the deck OF the
hode Island, winch were of no assist
ance, for not one of us could climb a
small rope; and besides the men who
threw them would Immediately let 20
their holds, in their excitement to
throw another which | fond out to he
the case when | kept hauling in rope i'll.
stead of climbing.
IL must be understood that two yes
sells lying side by side. when there is any
motion to the sea, move alternately; or
in other words, one is constantly pass.
ing the other up or down. At one time,
when our Ooat was near the bows OF the
steamer, We would rise upon the sea
until we could touch her rail: and then
in an instant, by very rapid descent,
We would touch her keel. While We
were thus rising and falling upon the
sea, ! caught rops, and rising with tn I
Loaf managed to reach within foot or
two of the rail, when a man if there
had been one, could easily have hauled
me on Loari. hut they had all followed
after the boat, which at that instant
was washed aslern, and hang
dangling in the air over the bow OF the
| hode Island, with Ensign Norman At
water hanging to the cathead. three or
four feet from me, like myself, with
10th hands clinching rope and shout
ing for some one to save him.
Our hands grew painful and all the
time weaker, until | saw his strength
give way He slipped foot, caught
again, and with his last prayer. ~
God" saw him fall 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 much
beloved companion, which no one b ID
witnessed but myself. still clung 10
the rope with aching hands, calling in
vain for help. Tut could not Le heard,
Tor the wind shrieked far above my
voice. My heart here, for the only time
in my life, gave up hope, and home and
friends were most tenderly 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.
n was there. | can only recolect hear
ing an old sailor say. as fell into the
ottom Of the boat. Where in - did
I'D ZONE from. The Century.