The morning call., 1892-10-25
STRUGGLING FOR LIFE,
The Horrible Sensations Of a
Drowning Man.
PETER KELLY KNOWS THEN.
an Investigation Will Be Made Into the
Manner Of Backing Up by the River
Steamer Dauntless.

Customs Officer Peter Kelly Jr. was run
down by the stern-wheel steamer Dauntless
last Saturday and only escaped with his
lie by the merest miracle.
The young man is Hercules In strength,
ana at the time Of the accident be was doing
what Is termed the "anchor watch" being
III attendance on the City of Rio de Janero.
which was lying at the end of the Pacific
Mail dock.
Young Kelly was in whitehall boat on
the lookout for opium smugglers when the
Dauntless, laden with flour, began to back
out In order to 60 to the steamship Oceanic,
which was locked on the other side OF the
wharf
Kelly saw the steamer backing Onto him,
anu he Immediately pulled up his anchor
ana tried TO get out of the way.
There were two men in the pilot-house,
both OF whom were gazing at him. but the
engines were not reversed and the progress
OF the boat was not retarded, as she swung
backward.
On she came as Kelly was pulling for his
lie TO get out of the way. The desperate
| efforts that he put forth seemed only to draw
| MIN Into the terrible mae.stI On az the huge
| vehicle of death drew near
Inc great wheel struck his boat and
| drawn under the bottom OF the steamer,
after receiving several severe bruises
Inc unfortunate young man could not
/ swim stroke, and while submerged and
pumping against the bottom of that craft
| the memories of lifetime came to him.
Alter being rescured more dead than
alive be was taken TO the residence OF his
| father at 235 Fell street
In speaking to a friend he described his
| sensations.
When saw that big wheel approaching
me L looked up and saw the men in the
| pllot-h0use and they saw me. | tried 10 get
away, but it was impossible. The monster
pore down upon me and IN a moment my
Doat was In splinlers and / was under the
| plg hat-bottomed steamer. While there
| dld not lose courage, though
| l knew that | could not swim. The first
Thought that came to me was that of my
| good father and mother and of my brothers
| ana sisters. L was strangled, choked and
knew not where there was an avenue of
| escape. Dante's Inferno" could not have
| presented more horrors. There l was, sud-
denly stricken down and thrown out of the
world, as II were, In twinkling and fight
ing for life with desperation. The dreams
OF my childhood doomed up before me the
history of my life went by in panoramic
review. while grim despair was fast grdling
itse about me as the tentacles Of an ocl o.
pus.
the steamer, and padding with my hands
like dog | arose to the surface OF the
water, when a line was thrown TO me.
which grasped. In another moment was
lifted into boat. Then | realized that /
was again IN the land of the living and that
| would be restored TO my family. One can
imagine the transition from apparent death
to life"
Kelly is quite seriously injured, and his
parents are alarmed as TO his condition.
Those who saw the Dsuntess run him
down were 10 Marine, the for m n Of he
hatch on the City of Rio de Janeirn, and
his helpers. James Keane aud Charles A.
Smith The first and second assistant en-
gineers of the snip also witnessed the mis-
hap, and they are to be present when an
investigation is made before Collector
Phelps, which Will occur as soon as the wit
nesses are found.
Captain Benson of the Dauntless will
claim that he did not see young Kelly when
he was backing down.
'Ihey think it funny 10 run down GUS
toms officers when they can" said an old
timer Of the Mail dock to a CALL reporter
yesterday