The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-24
.HVE HOURS ADR|FI
Story of a MarvelousIy Cool
and Plucky Girl.
CREW OF THE M0HEGAN
Were Brave and True But
They Didn't Know Anything.

| is the plukiest person, man or woman,
ever saw in a wreck"
The man who paid this tribute was the
coxswain of the Port Houstock, England.
lifeboat. The woman TO whom he paid II
came after shipwreck and narrow escape
from death, TO this city on the Cunard
liner Lucania yesterday. With super
human endurance she foated five hours
after the wreck of the American Trans
port liner Mohegan, with waves sweeping
over her, until numb, unable 70 move, but
still able 10 smile, she was lifted into the
| Port Houstock hfeboat. This is her story
as she told it yesterday standing in the
saloon Of the Luoania, a tall. strong,
beautiful girl, dressed in gray with silver
| braid.
Not then: not in the wreck nor in the
water was the frightful part. 1t was here
on this steamer. That was the worst of
it, but here 1 knew that should the ship
be wrecked. all that human could do,
would be done to save us-there it was
| all neglect.
81 never thought 1 would drown-not
once. The snip went on the rocks easily;
| and I thought that some of the ma
chinery had been broken. I was not
| alarmed 1 was at dinner, and had al
ways before sat by the captain. He was
| the lifeboats. There was no ordernotetaoi
not there then. I can settle that point.
1 was the first on deck, and he was on
the bridge ordering out the life boats.
There was no order. No one was in his
place. 1t was Here Tom and Here
Harry but no trained crews were there
| to launch the boats.
There was something wrong when we
started and the captain was very gruff.
Shall we make good time? / asked. L
have told friends TO meet me on Satur-
day Saturday. he answered, gruffly;'
you'n be lucky if you get in by Tuesday
The boat listed very badly and 1 felt
there must be something wrong with her
Some have 'seid she was in bad condition
/ from rhe start, and that she had been
built at Hull during a strike.
sit seemed like madness for the captain
TO run so close to the snore. but there
! were three other officers. Were they
bound to follow the orders of mad cap
tain? Even after we run on the rocks
there was plenty of time TO save every
body. l heard the captain tell his men to
fire rockets and it was twenty minutes
before We sunk. The men couldn't get at
the boats on account of the list. One boat
was lowered, but the people in it, believe
were all drowned. The men were not
afraid. They were not towards. but they
were unframed and they couldn't get the
boats down.
climbed up the deck 10 the rail and got on
the rail- 1 had life-belt and he was try
ing to get me into the rigging. But we
couldn't get there. I heard the shrieks
and cries of the drowning and saw them
as they went overheard. l knew that I
must be self possessed and cool, and that
1 mustn't throw my arms out Of the water
and struggle. I kicked off my boots and
took off my skirt.Then I waited on the
"a big wave came and washed me into
the sea I went down and down, but 1
until should be swept overheard.
held my breath and knew that soon I
would come up again. Two men Srasped
my arms, and 1 threw them off. Then I
came to the surface and looked around
There was plank about three feet long,
and I caught hold of IL
az knew that 1 must get away from the
sinking ship or the suction would draw
me down. so 1 pushed away. and soon
spar like the sill of a door f1oated toward
me and 1 held to ii also. When I was
floating in the water the fourth officer
Mr.. Browning, swan 20 me. We hoated
together many hours. Can I swim? Only
a few strokes. but l didn't try TO swim
simply lay quite still and kept my mead.
Mr.. Browning and | talked of the dis
aster. He said 20 me, The captain OF
that snip should be shot and we talked
OF help coming. We knew that if we held
on until daylight we would be saved. Mr.
Browning mad no life belt. 1 found one
and called TO him 70 come and get II. We
had been talking just the minute before
and when 1 looked around he was gone.
After that I floated alone for hours. I
got numb and sleepy. but wouldn't let
myself lose consciousness. I had drifted
nearly two miles when I heard voices IN
boat. I called for help. I heard them
say. There must be a woman in the
water Then I called sgain AMI they cane
to me. I was so numb that I couldn't
catch mold Of the oars.
Poor girl. her legs are broken I
heard them say.
No. they are not,' said, and smiled.
and the laughed.
They put two oars under NJ and lifted
NE in and gave me whiskey and took M
kind as people could be-
90 fishing village. where ihey were as
Miss Noble was met At Quarantine by
her father. They left for Baltimore yes
terday afternoon.
On the American liner Paris WHOM az
rived yesterday Vas the body % Miss
Bushnell. who was lost IN the MoheEaa
disaster.
L was accompanied BY Dr. William
Bushnell. OF Mansfield .. the father %
Miss Bushnell. A reward OF $40 Ted -
The rscorerr 81 The MY hr searchers