The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-11-18

Just then l discovered what ap-
peared to be a human head above the
water, and pair of arms vainIy bat
tling with the fierce stream in the
manner of man who was unable to
swim. He swiftly approached me,
and. determining to make an effort to
save him, l anxiously watched my op-
portunlty. As he was passing within
arms length, l let go my hold of the
line with my left hand, and made a
desperate dash at his collar. was
successful. and seized him by the
large blue shirt which men fwar's
men wear, and with great exertion
hauled him to my rope, which he i'm
mediately grasped. and on recovering
his breath sufficiently, the poor fel-
low heartily thanked me. The boats
had by this time been lowered, and
were pulling down the river after the
rest of our number, assisted by the
cutter manned by the burying party
We were encouraged from the deck
to hold on for only minute longer,
and wore presently taken into the
jolly boat, which then gave way after
the others. Both of us were much
exhausted, but little brandy pour
ed dow our throats soon restored us.
and l desired the cockswail to pull
down the river to see if he could be
of any use.
One sailor was picked up more than
half mile from the ship, and when
We got on board l anxiously inquired
after the rest of my boats crew. We
were informed that three men were
drowned, and one poor fellow actually
revolved IN the huge paddle box for
some IniLu'es, like a white mouse,
until the engineer of the watch stop
ped the wheels by connecting them
with the engines. Providentially,
there was native boat mOored by
painter astern of the ship, and the
hoatman, hearing a noise, sncceelel
IN rescuing five men and two others
We're picked up by the cutter a con
siderable distance astern of the CrOc-
odlle. One poor fellow was half
drowned, and he, with the aforesaid
"white mousse" was in the sick bay
under the surgeons hands for more
than week after
When The tide had run down TO
what is called ''slack water" we at
last got on board; and thankful we
felt to stand on the old ships deck,
which was terra tirma after the un-
stable element in which we had been
disportipg ourselves. l was taken
down to the wardroom, my full dress
coat, which was full now only in the
sense of being saturated with water,
was taken off by willing hands They
administered some needed cordial,
and then l turned into my hammock,
and slept the sleep of the wearled.
l forgot to mention that the other
boats We're successful in avoiding the
wheels, and beyond the destruction
OF our boat, and the loss of three
lives,-quite enough for one days
work, no further injury was sustained.
Two days after, the governor gen
eral, Lord --, came on board to
inspect the ship, and, on being in
formed of the accident, could hardly
be induced to credit the small loss of
life; as it is well known that during
the freshets. and in such night, any
boat getting athwart- hawse, l. g.,
across the bows, of a ship. much more
under steamers paddle wheels, is
sure to be cut in two, and rarely do
any of the crew on such occasions es-
cape with their lives The bodies of
the drowned seamen were not recover
ed. | was fortunate in escaping with a
good ducking and the loss of my
sword and belt
The Crocodile sailed from Calcutta
on the third day after the incident
narrated in my story; and a cruise in
the Bay of Bengal drove away the
jungle fever, and restored all the sick
men to health.