The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-03
SAVED BY A MIRACLE.
Passengers Rescued Just as They
Had Given Up Hope.

Brooklyn, N. Y, figured as the princi-
pal witnesses.
Mrs. Wheeler, and her husband after
her, were swept from the deck oil the
steamer into the sea. They were the only
passengers to whom this accident pefei.
II was their tardy good fortune TO be les-
cued, and to be carried by sure hands
directlyto their bones.
Mr.. Wheeler Is a real estate dealer In
broadway. Brooklyn, member OF the
firm OF Wheeler Brothers. With his wiie
and child he lives at the house OF MS
ia ther-in-law, Mr.. j. Brinkerhot, one OF
the Oldest citizens OF Brooklyn, at 2as
Classon avenue. Under the same roof
Mrs Wheeler was born.
Mr. Wheeler is thirty years old, and
ordinarily robust, but under the stress
of overw work his health had yielded. Mrs.
Wheeler was also feeble, and they were
on their way when the collision occurred,
TO Jamaica, for rest and recuperatlon:
Fortunately they had left their child at
home with its grandparents.
Like the other passengers, Mr.. and Mrs.
Wheeler were ordered into the rigging
after the Ailsa's side had been stove 10
escape the water that flooded the deck.
Even more than the rest they suffered In
that perilous predicament from the cold
and rain. 1t was only with her husband y
help that Mrs. Wheeler was able TO main
tain her hold upon the ratlines. The
memory of her sufferings in this dreadful
experience would have abided with her
for life if they had not been eclipsed by
what was TO follow.
When the lifeboat was cut loose from
the davits and Captain Morris ordered this
passengers down from the rigging, Mr..
and Mrs. Wheeler came down with the
rest, but their physical condition and
especially that OF Mrs. Wheeler, made
their progress one of extreme peril as
well as pain. At length, however, they
reached the seawashed deck.
1t was at this juncture that disgrace
full scene occurred. The fear-crazed and
brutal Spanish firemen, who with their
knives had liberated the llfeboat, now
rushed to the side of the ship and took
possession of the ladder. The passengers
who blocked their way they pushed ruth
lessly aside, hurting them into the swirl
ing waters on the deck, and not forbear-
ing TO use their fists. 1t was an expert
ence trying TO the most robust OF men; to
an invalid, with a feeble and exhausted
wife, dreadful beyond words. IL was the
lifeboat or death, and the lifeboat was In
the hands of ruthless human brutes.
In such circumstances, and with the
hope of rescue well nigh blotted out, MIR.
Wheeler did what he could to sustain his
dropping wife. His own strt myth was
nearly exhausted, and when new wave,
larger than its predecessors, swept over
the deck, he was unable to resist 1t, and,
his wife in his arms, Mr.. Wheeler went
over the t. ffrail into the sea.
Here, 1t seemed, was swift ending OF
ii all. 81 don't know that i had time to
think at all" Mr.. Wheeler said, linking
of that dreadful moment with a shucder,
"but il / did, thought only that we
were as good as drowned"
:. But new conditions breed new strength.
The wave that swept Mr.. and Mrs.
Wheeler into the sea carried on its crest
an empty barrel that had stood on the
Aisa's deck. Toward this buoyant object
Mr.. Wheeler addressed himself as a pres
ent hope in time of desperation. But first
he had to disentangle himself from the
frantic embrace of his wife.
Mr.. Wheeler in health is a strong swim
mer. His wife cannot swim at all, and,
with the faulty of timid persons, which
often proves fatal In such position, she
had fastened her arms about her husband,
thus doubly encumbering him. The strug-
Cling man tore himself loose from his
wife and made for the barrel, sh~ uting
to her with such strength as he had,
that on that raft they would both be
saved.
"The best made plans" 1t was the bsr-
rel which was very nearly Mr.. Wheeler Is
undoing. lie approached il from the side,
laid hands upon its slippery surface. and
essayed to climb out of the water. lie was
half way up when the treacherous cylin-
der turDe in the water and threw him
upon his back, oil the weaker for his ex-
perience.
Once, twice, ihrice-five times Wheeler
made the attempt, and five times he
failed. His eye took in a broken hoop
on the barrel and he laid eager bands
upon that. 1t snapped like rotten stick.
"Then," said Mr.. Wheeler. ~ gave up
all hope and looked for my wife, count
ing it certain that we should go down to-
gether.
Meanwhile q kindly providence had
kept Mrs Wheeler from Davy Jone es'
locker. When she was thrown into the
sea sheswore heavy winter clothing and a
large cloak that covered her from head to
foot. These garments saved her. When
she was thrown off by her husband she
sank directly under e surface and made
no manner Of doubt that her time was
come. She was too feeble yesterday to
bear even the mention of this awful mo-
ment, but it contained for her sll the
agon1es OF death.
What was her surprise, therefore, to
find herself, after an agoniziDg moment,
rising to the nurface. Her voluminous
like parachute, and. so far from drag
ging her down, were sustaining her
upon the face of the sea. Thus borne
upon the water, Mrs. Wheeler was able to
watch her usband's struggle, When he
went down for the fifth time she Joined
In his despair.
Thereafter Mrs. Wheeler had no clear
recollection of what occurred until she
found herself I'm little stiteroom, sur
rounded by new friends who were chatting
her hands. Her husband was Nv her side.
The tug Harold had come to the rescue
and taken the belated passengers of the
All sa aboard. A deck hand had seen Mr..
and Mrs. Wheeler and fished them out OF
the water with a boat hook. tie was none
too soon. In another minute their mira.
cuious luck would have been at an end
and they would have gone under for the
last time.
lhe captain of the Harold was for put.
ting Mrs. Wheeler off on Staten island
and sending her to hospital, but sh,
nor her husband would have none of 1t.
"To Brooklyn. they said. "Brooklyr
and home"
The tug pushed on to the foot of White
hall street, where more of the passenger.
were put ashore. But Mr.. Wheeler, realiz
ing his own and his .wife's condition,
dreaced the long drive TO c asson avenue
An hour in carriage might mean clil
a