The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-06


said Mrs. Gciscl was to be brought out to
meet hing by ono Indian, and that if two
came ne world not consent to the exchange
These terms were agreed to and carried
out to tho iettcr The same Indian brought
Mrs. GciScl and the baby down to the
meeting place and the exchange was made.
IL never forget the scene which we wit
messed that afternoon" continued Con-
gresham Hermann, when old Brown
came down the mountain side carrying the
wee baby i'll his arms and leading poor
Mrs. Geiscl, still attircd In her torn and
battered nightdrcss, by the hand. a great
shout went up in the settlement and n
party of us rushed out to meet them and
escort them to the fort iii triumph"
Congressman Simpson In u Shipwreck.
Storm and shipwrccl> led Jerry Simpson
to make his first public speech. 1t was
away back in 1878. Jerry Was In command
of the barge J. II. Ruttcr, which, In tow
of tho steamer V. II. Kctchanl, left tho
port of Chicago Oct. 30 and ran into what
Is remembered to this day rs one Of tho
worst storms. that ever swept over Lake
Michigan.
The nor'wcStor struck us off Point
Bctscy," said Jerry Simpson, in telling
tho story to some of his congressional
friends last winter. "Tho seas began to
run mast high. Wcwcnt on with difficulty
till about midnight, when the hawser be-
tween my boat and the steamer parted in
the strain. Tho barge Immediately swung
into the trough of the SEA and broke her
steering gear. She was we'll nigh unman-
agcable, but ordered out tho anchors, and
we succeeded in dropping them and in get
ting hold some miles of Ludington. A
lifcboat tried to reach us from the shore.
but was unable to do so account of the
heilyy sea. Next morning the storm had
moderated to some extent, and u govern
mcnt tug came out to us from Huntington,
bringing with it IL barge with which to
save some of our cargo
Then tho tug carefully approached us
ON the Ice side and put aboard 81 men who
had been brought out to transfer our cargo
to the barge. set them to work shifting
tho load in order to help the vessel ride out
the waves, when the storm broke out again
with rcdoublcd fury. Our anchorage gave
way, and We wcro.sct adrift. The waves
rolled over us, and knew that if we did
not run aground pretty soon we should
founder, and there was not much choice of
evils. Our cargo consisted of 10, 600 bush
els of rye, and any sailor will tell YOU that
Is about the slippcricst and most trcachcr-
Gus sort of cargo II skipper can have in
his hold In rough weather.
The rye Kept runningto one side till our
ship was frightfully listed, and in fact,
the water was standing ankle deep upon
the Ice side of our deck Tho seas were now
running pretty high, and 1t looked as If
we were in tight fix. ordered tho long
shorcmcn to take to the rigging and to
hold on with IL death grip in order to avoid
being washed away. In few minutes
the crew and had to do the same thing.
MIR hn ~,
the seas boiling throughand over our poor
craft below us. felt particularly sad when
l saw my trunk and all my best clothes go
hoating by BY this time the ship was
pounding very hard on the bottom, and as
every big sea struck her thought it would
be the last, and that sho would break in
two and go to pieces.
Fully 5000 people were gathered on
the shore watching our struggle against
the elements and wondering If wo should
BIO able to reach the shore alive Twenty
-FOUR hours we stuck to the rigging, and
pretty drcary work it was, you may mag
Inc, but we knew the gallant crews of the
life saving service were coming, and we
had encouragement to hold out. Finally
tho llfcboat reached us, and the longshore-
men were sent ashore on tho first trip.
Then tho crew and followed When we
stepped upon tho shore the people gave us
royal welcome They gathered about us
with dry clothing, with hot coffee and food.
Nothing was too good for us. AS soon as
we had been warmed and fed they insisted
should tell them all about the shipwrcck.
They led the way to public hail. set mo
upon tho platform and told me to go ahead.
In this way I was induced to make my
first speech in public, and think 1t was
the best speech ever made. know my
heart was full, and there is nothing like
sincerity and feeling ii you want to I'M
press an audience"
jerry Simpson is too modest TO tell all
OF tho story of that shipwrcck, and there
are to this day records In Chicago and trn-
ditions along the great lakes which speak
of the manner in which he saved his ship.
OF his bravery and good scamanship and
OF tho fact that, like n true sailor man, nc
was tho last to leave the threatened craft.
For Pa hours, with oil hope apparently
gone tho future congressman held the
Rutter to his anchor in tho fury of the
cross seas, and no eventually saved the ship
and most of her cargo.
WALTER WELLMAN.
IL IA Man Dead After He Is Electrocuted9