Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-14

Ferdinand schifKor's Amusing Bath
IA Now York Hay.

FefuhWHMu scntiE1r's Amusing hntt
in New York Say.
New YoRK, Aug. g. Ferdinand Schiller
saloon keeper OF No. 1873 Allen street
ia the hero of one of the most remarkabl,
occurrences that has ever happened il
the neighborhood of this metropolis
within the memory of the Oldest in
habitant.
Mr.. Schiller is IS years old and weighs
300 pounds, and it is owing to this latter
fact that he Is alive this morning, instead
OF being reported missing, and eventually
turning up at the morgue as ''riyei
mystery" The last spell of hot weather
has proved rather too much for Mr..
Schiffer's surerabundant adipose 10 stand
with any degree of comfort, and he has
therefore hied himself to the sea breezea
and attendant comforts of South Beach,
(. l., at every opportunity.
| Mr.. Schiller was at his fayorite resort
last evening, and when, ct half-pAst 8
O'Clock, he thought that the air had
cooled OF sufficiently to make life endur-
able In the city, he started for home on
the steamer Thomas Morgan, which
leaves South Beach daily at that hour. II
WAC hazardous thing to do, but Mr..
| Schiller climbed upon the rail aft, where
he remained quietly seated for some time,
utterly obliyious of the fate In store for
him. II was dark where he was seated
and probably he remained there entirely
unobaeryed
Suddenly there came o iurch in the
| vessel, and the ponderous form was no
longer seated on the rail. 1t was ssrenely
floating some 200 yards or SO away from
| the vessel, which soon disappeared in the
In tho darkness.
After Mr.. Schiller had been in the
water for several minutes ii suddenly oc-
Cured to him that he couldn't swim, but
with this narrowing thought came the
startling discovery that he couldn't sink.
Mr.. Hchiffer cannot speak English, SO he
never heard OF being crooked in the
cradle of the Deep or as he lay there,
quietly rising and falling with the waves,
that melody would probably have occurred
to him.
Then Mr.. schiff sr began to yell lussiiy
for help. The Staten Island and Bay
Ridge ferry boats and other craft in the
bsy sailed past him in tho distances, but
they were too far of for his cries to reach
them.
In exactly one hour and half from
the time he fell into the water The South
Be oh steamboat Eliza Hancox paassd
within hundred yards of the man in the
water, whose cries were heard by those
on board. One of the passengers essayed
to jump in to the rescue, but CAPTAIN
Post, in command OF the steamboat,
seized him and compelled him to remain
where he was. In remarkably qniok
time, however, the steamer was stopped
and boat lowered. Two of the dock
hands then jumped in and the boRt was
rowed in the direction OF the cries
"We'ye got him We've got him ~
was suddenly heard in the distance, and
shortly afterward the boat hove III sight.
why there ere only two men in the
boat. Where's the drowning man 2" ex.
claimed the passengers in breath. No
explanation, however, was necessary. At
the stern OF the boat still quietly floating,
his face turned upward with an ex-
preston Of mock resignation, was the
unfortunate Schiller. The men had tried
to get him into the boat but the task waa
too much, SO rope was passed under his
arms, and i'll this manner he was towed
astern, about as floating log might have
been towed under similar circumstances.
Then came very serious problem in
deed. 1t was clearly not possible 10 tow
MIR. Schiif u back 10 the city in the wake
of the steamer and the captain vas too
humane to leave him where he was; but
to get 300 pounds OF solid humanity
aboard the vessel except by means OF q
ganRplank seemed almost impossible.
Then the captain was seizad with bright
idea. wen rig derrick" said he, "and
haul him aboard"
Accordingly block and tackle was
rugged on one of the davits, and ropes
were psssed around M. 4ehiifer's arms
and legs.
Then, with the order to 'Haul away
boysm dozen stout and willing hands
applied themselves to the task, and the
ponderous frame OF the unfortunate Mr..
Schiller slowly emerged from the water.
Like some huge fish that had been
caught, Mr.. Schiffer's body was dropped
on the deck, where it lay limp and mo-
tionless. Zach, Colt i'm Himmel!" was
all he could manage to say, and then he
lost consciousness.
Great excitement prevailed among the
passengers, who felt certain that there
were others floating about, the idea pre-
yailing that Mr.. schiffer's presence was
but for forerunner of some terrible
.AuuEihe NAshstor. Oapthlu I oSti uOHeVer,
managed to assure them they were mis-
taken, and then began the lsborious work
Of resuscitating the motionless form on
the deck. The mans shirt and under
clothing were removed, his body and ex-
tramities were vigorously rubbed and
restoratiyes were applied. Under this
treatment Mr.. Schiller soon revived and
told his story. Arriving at this city he
WAS given in charge OF policeman, who
took him home.
1t was altogether marvellous escape,
and while three hundred pounds OF
ayoirdupo!u may bs announcement to carry
around us 3 steady thing, there are other
times, as this story will show, when