The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-02
JACKKNIFE SAVED HIS LIFE.
Remarkable Escape of n Passenger on
the Vile de Havre.

Bv the sinking Of la Bourgogne and
the awful loss OF life Is recalled the
accident To tho Vile de Hayre of the
same line In 1872. when the latter named
ship was struck al night and went down
at once. carrying almost all on board.
Pitifully few were those VINO were save"
from the Havre. but among them was
the prominent New York lawyer Wit
thaus. and the way I'm which ne escaped
is so extraordinary that II sounds Ike a
well-coacocted tale. instead of the plain
fact that sir. Witthaus vouches II to be,
says the New York Press.
The afternoon preceding the accident to
the Havre. Mr.. Witthaus with another
man. was on deck. and Mr. Witthaus was
leaning against the taffrail under the
flagstaff I'm the stern. As the two men
stood there talking the fr'rnd out hi7
hand on the large life buoy that was
hanging over the side and called Mr..
Wtthaus attention 10 b.
Look" he said. these life buoys are
simply screaming faices. TINS one here
is 50 stim and hard with coats Of paint
that you Couldn't get Il free except by
cutting 1t with a knife
Mr.. Witthaus attempted to move %,
but found IL glued hard and fast The
friend took out his knife and began IDLY
sticking IL into the soft pine az the far-
staff and amused himself so the rest of
the time that they talked before they
were interrupted by the dinner gons'
Then they both went below.
Early the next morning While the pas
sengers were still asleep the collision oc-
Cured. and in the mad panic that at once
followed Mr. Witthdus did what Ae coild
10 get Tho women and children into the
liieDoats. From the first h. regarded him
self as doomed. for there were not near
lv boats enough for all the passengers.
and il was evident that the ship would
loat only a few minutes Several Wo-
men whom be- knew on board be found
places for at once. only to see the boat
ovcrurn as soon MS ii was l2unche'.
and an 30 down. one OF them with her
two little children I'm her arms
Horrided and sickened by the sight he
went back 10 the stern Of the ship. which
was higher out OF the water than the
bow. to wait until he too went down,
and stood leaning again on the ianraIl.
As he did so I'm a flash he recollected the
conversation Of the afternoon before. and
looked over the rail. There still hung thc
life buoy. stiff and immOvabie. and The
instinct of self-preseryation sprang TO life
once more. 4 knife 10 free the buoy and
be- might be saved but ne had none with
him. and 20 find one was impossible with
the ship liable TO so down at any sec
0nd.
At the same moment his cye caught
the Flagstaff. and there. where his friend
had evidently forgotten IL the afternoon
before. stuck the knife. With the haste
Of life and death Mr.. Wftth1us pulled
it ont and began 20 saw away az the
buoy. and he freed g. and threw himself
of the deck into thc sea just In time
90 get beyond the vortex that came as
the great ship went dWon. sucking hum
dreds of victims with il. Mr. Nitthais
foaied about for some lime and was ~
last picked up los a small boat that was
waiting about for chance survivors. and
was brought back To- New York TO tell
of one OF the most awful catastr3phes
that ever happened "a sea.