Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-07
A LONG SWIM.
6-5-tf

Incident in the Life of the Late Governor
Russell of Massachusetts.
In the summer of 1876 the late Gov
ernor Russell went down to Nantucket to
pass a few weeks on the water. He had
three friends with him, and the four
young men were to sail sloop that had
been floated for the first time that year.
On a squally morning the craft was
overhauled, and the young fellows decid-
ed to make short trip on her. There
were two strangers at Nantucket, young
men of about the same age as those in
the party of collegians, and they were in
vited to have sail. The six went out
accordingly.
The sea was high and the wind blew
sharply, and about five miles from the
shore the little sloop was capSlZed. The
wind struck her so that she filled very
rapidly and Immediately sank.
The only thing that came to the SURFACE
was "a long oar, and by the unanimous
consent of the four students this was
placed at the disposal of the two who had
been invited out to sail.
The situation was nationally discussed,
and it was decided that an attempt
should be made to reach Coatue shoals,
a point that was farther away than the
shore they had left, but toward which the
tide was running and the wind blew.
Russell and one of his college mates led
the others off.
The swim before them was long six
miles, and with the heavy sea that was
on. and the wind that was blowing, 1t
meant at least three hours in the water.
ON shore the fishermen and their fam
lilies were sitting down to dinner When
the accident occurred-all but one. Thls
mans wife had been delayed in the prep
aration of the MONDAY meal and during
the wait he sought to kill time by sweep
| ing the sea with his glass.
Thus it was that he saw a white sail
| glisten in the sunlight and disappear.
| He didn't know what had happened, but
| he was convinced something was wrong.
He got on a dory and made for the spot
where he had seen the sail, leaving word
that others should follow him.
The two young men that held the oar
kept ahoat but for few minutes, while
the others were battling for the shore.
II was evident that the oar would longer
support only one, and the elder of the
two sang out: "Well, goodbye, old man;
this oar won't hold us both, and you can
have my chance" Then he sank and
was drowned.
When the fisherman reached the vicin-
| ity of the accident he found the surNiv-
| ing young man in the water unconscious,
! with his arm wound tightly around the
| wooden sweep.
| The fisherman saw some distance
| ahead when he looked up white ball
| bobbing up and down. This was one of
the collegians, and he was discovered by
| the white handkerchief that he wore
| about his head When he was pulled
into the boat he gasped family my
brother" and sank into a dead faint to
the bottom of the dory. These two
words told the fisherman that there was
at least another person ahead, so that
when the boat of fishermen who had fol-
lowed the first dory were seen behind
they were signaled to go ahead as quick
~ as possible and look for more swim
mers. This they did and picked up the
brother, who told them that Russell and
his companion were still in the wa
ter When Russell, who was yet Tong
way from land, turned about to catch
sight of his companions. who he sup
posed were following. he saw q sail COM
ing down like thing of life with the
wind and tide, and he knew that he and
his friends were saved.
Russell had been swimming exactly an
hour and twenty minutes