Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-04-02
A BRAVE WOMAN.
The Story of q Shipwreck Whose Horrors
Were Beyond Description.

The Story OF a Shipwreck whose Horrors
Were Beyond Description.
lst. James Gazette.
The mate of the bark Lynton, Of Liver.
pool, which was wrecked in hurricane OF
Aspinwall, or Colon, in Colombia, has com.
municated q story of the wreck, in which he
says that when the vessel struck all on
board, including Mrs. Lindgard, the Cap
tain's wife, and her two children climbed
into the rigging. After clinging there for
several hours, the vessel turned over and
they were all immersed in the sea.
Every one succeeded in catching hold Of
the keel Not a.yord, not q cry or shrek,
did the CaptainywIfe utter. She held on
to the wreck with one hand, and with the
other she pressed child to her bosom. I
was clinging close to her, and for the pur-
pose OF giving her a little support held
her round the waist. The storm
ragged, il possible, worse than ever;
the water swept over us again and
again, almost sitting US. The weary
night, which seemed more like year,
dragged on. Now and again, as the waves
allowed us, we could see two large fires on
shore, which the natives keep up for the
purpose of frightening wild animals away.
becoming numb with cold, our clothes were
being torn off, and our bodies were being
cut and bruised. At about four O'Clock a.
N. a fearful sea broke over us, tearing
from the wreck the boy Hall and one of the
sailors named Johnson, who never rose
again. At length morning dawned; and
on shore between two and three hundred
yards away, we could hear the people
shouting. But on account of the heavy
seas no assistance could be rendered us.
Bit by bit the vessel broke up, and as the
day wore on Norberg was swept away.
With her hair streaming in the wind the
Captains wife still bravely chung for life to
the wreck. The Captain, who appeared to
be very much exhausted, still held on with
Lucy in his arms. The child began TO cry,
and, with tears running down her cheeks,
she uttered the pitiful request: "Papa,
papa, give me a drink" few hours
rolled on, without apparently any hope Of
rescue. The Captain then held up Lucy in
his arms, and, with a cry Of despair, ex-
claimed: "Save my little ouesl Oh, try
and save my darling childrenw These
were the last words he uttered, for shortly
after he sank down alongside of us, COM
pletely worn out. 1t is impossible to de-
scribe the agony we suffered. Never q
word of complaint was heard from the
Captains wife. A little later another gil
gantic wave broke upon us as we all lay
huddled together, and carried away
Lucy, the carpenter, and one of the
sailors from our sight. All now seemed
over. Mrs. Lindgard, turning to me,
said: "Mr. Johnston, my darling husband
and child are gone. Who's to be next?"
During the whole of the dreadful night the
ships bell had been tolling, as it had been
swung backward and forward by the wind
and the waves. The sound of the bell as it
reached US across the water rang like a
horrible death -knell in our ears. Day at
length dawned, but with nothing but death
staring us in the face. The storm still
continued with undated fury. We had
then been about thirty EIGHT hours on the
wreck, when suddenly we saw boat pull
ing off to US. At last she managed to get
alongside, and a gallant fellow jumped
over on to the planks and made fast
rope to the wreck. "Jump for your
lives" he said. The boat filed with
water, and 1 sprang into the sea,
and succeeded in catching hold of two
Of the oars. One wave came and buried
me. 1 rose again, and exerted myself to
get to the shore. Twice sank, and had
given myself up for lost, when two ma
tives rushed into the water with ropes
and hauled me ashore, naked and bleed
ing. l was taken to a French doctors
house. The boat, which was washed
ashore, was got ready for another at
tempt at rescue. This time her crew sue
ceeded in saving the Captains wife, child,
the steward. and two sailors named
Christopherson and Eyersen. All were
taken to the Doctors house. and our wants
we're attended to.