Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-09-05

(euch -, Alas! 700 many neo tont oey
II We had lost one Of our number.
could not II wished give connect
/ ed story Of the events which occurred I
the few minutes following the breakin
OF the slip. In fact saw very little
It except what was Immediately aroun
me. ! did not Deo over half dozen pee
pie taken out, though think the large
! part Of them were out before came u
, TO the wharf; and know only BY read
Ing how most Of the reecues were made
, Even - to the events Of which | was d
immediate part, my Impressions ar
varying Some portions Of the time sr
, almost blanks, as attempt TO recal
them, while some Of the scenes arc burn
ed into my memory beyond efiacemeni
Later In the day, asked Charlie
Haskell Of Pittsfeld, q member OF on
party, where he came out. "Why,
said he, ~ stood right behind you there
and you and I helped pull out some o
the same people," may have recog
nixsd him at the time, but to this day
can not recollect seeing him until SOM
time sfter we got out.
1t seems to me that must have beeI
near the place where the slip brok'
when the crash came. can not tel
just what saw and heard. There is {
picture 10 my memory Of the crowt
sinking 10 the middle. That is abou1
all, though I knew 10 Hash what Wal
happening. can not tell whether !
person screamed. can recall no sensa
tion OF falling, though l am peculiarly
susceptible TO the sinking sensation
which accompanies q fall; but in the
next instant after had realized that the
alp wss breaking, the water seemed tf
come swirling up around me and away
up over my head.
Some OF the first questions asked me
by three fourths OF those who have talk
ed with me about the affair are, Ibid
any body grab hold Of you In the waterS' =
"was there anybody above you holding
you down. "Wss there anybody under
yous, and others Of similar nature; to
all OF which I have to answer that ]
don't know. | do not know that any.
body took hold of me. should hate 70
think, and do not think, that ] pulled
anybody down. But In that mass OF
struggling humanity, felt that my
chances for life were small, and FOR a
while supposed that should never see
the sunlight again.
How long I stayed under l have no
idea. Not long enough TO think, accord
ing to the conventional rule, OF every
thing had ever done ln my life, but
long enough for long procession OF
thoughts Of the past, the present, and
the future, to 20 racing through my
brain. And along with my other
thoughts was q kind OF regret that life
which had accomplished 90 little should
be wound up In such an inconsequent,
useless, needless way. And perhaps ]
ought TO be ashamed 10 acknowledge II,
but forcing itself into prominence among
and above all my thoughts was the phys
ical sensation Of strxngliug and suffer-
Ing for breath. Indeed, was just hop
Ing that the relief Of unconsciousness
would come soon
When confused roar OF sound broke
upon my ears, and l found myself 1t the
surface of the water. Around the sides
Of the boz trap into which we had been
plunged men were holding down boards.
One Of them WAS within my reach, and l
graspcd Il, and thought no more Of death
for myself.
Immediately worked along short
distance to the erd Of the broken slip
which was next the boat. This was too
steep to climb up without something to
hold on to, but managed to get footing
on the submerged end Of Il or on some
thing else, am not clear what. Lying
at my feet In the water were nian and
q woman, both with their faces under
water. turned them over and assisted
about pulling them out. They showed
signs OF life, though unconscious, but
am very much afraid from what after
wards learned that they were among
those who died after being taken out.
They had been In the water only little
longer than IL may be wrong, but Il
seems to me it must have been a matter
merely OF secondhand the man was
under middle age, Of sturdy frame and
bronzed face, apparently Of rugged con-
stitutIon and sble TO Withstand severe
shock. That they had already succumb-
ed Ii su indication to me that had N.Y.
self had narrow escape. One or two
others whom We pulled out later were
also unconscious.
When could see no more to do there,
I climbed up over the ladders, ropes,
etc., which then covered the alp, and
looked up the other members OF our
party, and was overjoyed to find that
they had got out safely.
As thought over this affair, In the
time Immediately following, the convic-
tion grew upon me that there must have
been q tremendous amount of prompt
and effective work done BY those on the
wharf and those In the water ~ well !;
and "a / talked with those Who had seen
more Of II than / did, learned that IL
had been Q place where heroes we're
made. even got into the hero list
myself, In some Of the papers, but that
was an error, and I wish distinctly TO
state that there WAS no heroic quality In
nv acts. What little did fear was Of
no avail, and / know 1t was clumsily
done Q can hear the men on the wharf
above swearing at me now, and 1t no
risk TO myself.
have pondered on this matter Of
heroism considerably since, in the light
of what l saw that day, and It is no dis
paragement to the noble work done there
or to those who did II, to say that have
come to the conclusion that the hero, 10
time of danger or In everyday life, 10
the one who sees . disagreeable or dan
gerous duty to be done, and does t..
The duty lies at his hand, calling 70
him In . voice that can not 70 unheed-
ed, TO act-to the limit Of his strength,
perhaps, perhaps beyond his strength
~ snfa That Il khA oaaon0o nf
heroism, and heroes are made every day,
though we know It not.
All the members Of our party, and
large number Of the other half-drown-
ed victims, many Of them suffering se-
verely from the shock Of the affair,
made their way from the wharf up 10
The Bluffs hotel on the hill above. This
house We shall always remember with
the deepest gratitude. Proprietors and
employees placed everything they had at
our disposal, lent al their spare clo-
thing, and did their utmost 10 every way
for us. Many Of the guests opened their
rooms and rendered much assistance. OF
course there were exceptions even there.
Some Of the guests l understood were
disturbed by the hubbub, and heard a
man Of well-fed appearance remonstrat-
ing with ono Of the proprietors, In a
somewhat arrogant manner, because
dinner was going TO be latei I'm glad
don't know who be was.
The party naturally broke up at this
point, some going directly home; but
the most Of us went back on the hrsi
train which left to Ellsworth, where We
were the guests Of Mr.. and Mrs. Camp.
bell. Ifthey had had their way, they
would have taken the whole party 10
their house and kept them there weea