Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-09
A BOY I'm A WRECK.

was in 1874.
Among the passengers was q New York
boy, Maurice D.. He was going over
20 join his parents, then in Paris. Young
D. was only II at the time, but an ex-
pert swimmer, and owing to this fact
alone his life was saved.
The writer once heard him give an &C.
count of his experience.
'When it became certainty" he said
"that the ship was going down, there was
q mad rush for the lifeboats. Every SEM
blance of law and order disappeared De-
spite the captain and his officers, it was
simply struggle, in which superior brute
force came off best. l did not try for q
place. The lifeboats were too few any
way, and many would be left on deck.
| The whole scene made an indelible impress
sion on my memory. Hysterical women,
men with blanched faces and crying chill
dren stood grouped together. Husbands
and wives, brothers, sisters and lovers tried
to comfort and prepare each other for the
worst. Some tried to help each other in
making a final effort to escape the dread
full fate that was impending.
ION the other hand even at that terri
BILE moment, there were some ludicrous
sights. remember seeing one man nerv-
ously clutching very small pillow which
he evidently seemed to think would buoy
| him up when he should find himself strug-
Cling in the water. A lady stood clinging
to her husbands arm with one hand, the
most despairing look on her face have
ever seen, while with the other she held
fast to small satChel.
IL had met early on the voyage certain
l11Ic onI bic Ntrifa of A lhonu rhny ho1
been kind to me, and had become attach
ed to them. We three stood together while
the decks sank lower and lower. had
given the judges wife my life preserver,
and the judge had secured one. But they
both realized that their time had probably
come. She chung to her husband, sobbing.
suggested to the judge that possibly be-
tween us we might keep his wife up, but
he absolutely forbade my risking my own
life in that way. No, my boy, said he.
L refuse to let you try it. Save yourself If
you can. God bless youP
"Just before the ships decks went quito
under I rushed down into the saloon and
wrenched off quite large piece of one Of
the seats, and hurrying back gave it to
my friend as an additional support Then,
realizing that the instant the ship went
under the terrific downward suction would
drag all the people with it, 1 told the judge
that now was the time to take to the wa
ter. Wringing their hands, I myself step
ped upon the rail, and just as the first
small waves washed her deck l sprang
away from her as far as could and swan
off dozen strokes or more.
ct never saw the judge and his wife
again. Whether they failed to get clear of
the ships suction, or whether they sue
cumbed after monetary struggle, or
whether they attempted to leave the ships
side at all, shall never know. have al
ways surmised that they were sucked down
in the vortex, as their life preservers would
have held them up for some time.
"Iknew that number of the passengers
had followed my lead. OF these could
see 90 or 80 struggling in the water. There
was not a vestige of the steamer.
II swan slowly away for a considerable
distance and then began to float. 1t was
appalling to me to realize how swiftly the
Vile de Havre must have gone to the bot
tom once her decks went under. 1t did not
seem two minutes, but her very masts had
disappeared.
at will be remembered by those who
knew the particulars of the wreck that the
channel was comparatively smooth at the
time of the accident. This gave good
swimmer a chance. Ny father had taught
me to swim when was little chap, and
fortunately for myself now 1 had become
quite an expert realized my life was at
stake and put forth all the skill had.
'As 1 said, swan away very slowly
and deliberately, saving my wind and
strength until was well out of reach Of
the deadly grasp of any drowning person.
Then 1 began to float The gentle swells
would raise and lower me, and occasional
ly puff would dash the salt water over
my face. was perfectly cool. felt con-
fident of holding out some hours.
"Once in awhile would tread water
for minute in order to look about me. A
light fog that had been around when the
steamer sank cleared away. 1 could still
see people swimming about or floating
some distance off. Several vessels too,
were in sight. could make out the hazy
outline of the coast of Normandy miles
away. hoped that by this time some Of
the lifeboats had either reached land or
run across some ship.
'At last something happened as kept
up the struggle for life that was as strange
as 1t was pathetlc.
Il think the ship sank about 10 o'clock
In the morning, and must have alter
nately 6oated and swum around for five or
six hours, when I suddenly felt something
lightly bump my shoulder.
Turning my head, saw that it was
small plank, ON which lay little terrier.
The poor little thing was shivering from
cold and fright and looked at me with an
almost human look Of pleading. But I
was growing chilled through and numb by
my long stay in the water. Much as
hated to do it, pushed the little pup into
the water and put the plank under my
chest. 1t never occurred to me until many
hours later that 1 might have saved the
dog by putting him on my back. 1t seemed
a heartless act but what human being
would have done otherwise?
"Well, to that plank probably owe my
life, for it supported me wonderfully well.
1.-Two hours more passed. Night was
coming on. Benumbed and all but ex-
hausted, was giving up, when a small
French packet arrived and picked up the
few survivors, and was among them. 1
was pretty nearly gone. But after days
rest at Havre was able to sit up and tell
my father and mother, who had given me
up for lost all the particulars l had of the
fate of those they knew among the passen-
gers. u. D. Gorham in st. Louis Repub-
lie.