Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-10-07
RESCUED WITH LIFE LIN.
Hardship and Torture Suffered
By the Passengers on the
Wrecked Scotsman.
A NIGHT ON THE CLIFFS.
New York Passenger on the lll-Fated
Ship Tells a Thrilling Story OF
the Disaster.


the Disaster
The Fate of Many Likely Never TO
BE Revealed = Perilous Journey
Over Rocks and Through Marshes
TO the Lighthousc--Tcn Hours IN
Life Boats.
New York. Oct. 6.-Mrs. Walton
Aims and her daughter, Miss Netue
Aims. OF No. $ East One Hundred ana
T'wenty-third street, this city, We're
passengers ON the wrecked steamship
Scotsman. and have just arrived here
from Canada. Both are still suffering
from tho exposure and Miss Aims y
unable to walk In the tramp across
Belle Isle she sprained her ankle, anu
| for six hours aftcrward was conlpeiieu
to walk on.
| In an interview Miss Aims made the
| following statement in regard 70 'ie
hardships and tortures the passengers
| were obliged to undergo before being
| rescued
AT was awful. The last of y y Y
| blur of misery In my memory. ii'hh
Of lt--while we were in peril OF our
| lives. he crew were robbing our rooms
| below--we were sent ashore one ~
one on a life line-we had TO ciinp
| cliff 1000 feet high, IN danger o. iaii-
] Ing back into the sea-we walked ior
! hours through q treacherous marsh
/ Terrible hardships one after ahothtf'
I'VE were lowered by rope ih'o
| the second boat. There were thirteeh
women and two children IN our poat.
We were out ten hours, skirtlng up any
/ down the high. rocky coast wi.nov'
| finding a place where we couin amt
| All this time we We're slowly Iree1ins
About 10 o'clock in the forenoon the
captain ordered as back on boara ~
he believed the danger OF the ships
| slipping Off the rocky ledge was over.
went down TO our CABIN 70 get soine
dry clothes. A rough looking man toiu
me to get out that the ship was going
to sink. But went ahead
.'Our cabin was u sight. our room
had been ransacked, and saw vaiises
that had been slashed open with
knives. One passenger found TWO IRE
men in his room and drove them out as
they were packing up his things.
.'ln Il short time they began 70 SEND
MS ashore on a life line, one by one.
1t was a thrilling experience, but one
harder to bear met us on shore. we
were landed at the base OF cliif 1000
feet high.
None of us will ever forget that
climb. From ledge to ledge, where
ever I'VE could find foothold or hand
rest, we slowly made our way up the
precjpice 1t took MS two hours to
climb 800 feet There, on a projecting
ledge, night overlook us.
1T was perhaps 80 by % feet, and
there were fully 200 persons on it. SO
cramped were we for room that we
weren't allowed to stretch out. but had
TO huddIe our knees up and sit pressed
IN against each other. This helped us
| TO keep warm. however.
at was said that there was light
house less than four miles away, and
men were sent out TO bring aid. A
guide came oyer from tn lighthouse
| later and took some of the men back
| with him. hut said that no woman
could stand the trip.
Eat II o'clock another lighthouse
4 man arrived and my mother and
resolved 10 go back with him. ] hired
1 two stewards TO look after mother, as
/ knew she would need help First OF
! all we had 20 climb the TOO feet OF cliif
remaining. How we ever did 1t don't
| know.
.~rhere were fourteen Of us in all
| six women. The way was through a
hog. Every step was pain. To make
matters worse ! sprained my ankle.
1.-THE trip TO the lighthouse Is be-
| wound words 10 describe. There were
! holIows with marshy places. The moss
was Shiny and we tripped and fell
again and again. brulsIng ourselves on
| the rocks underneath.
'.The island was full Of lakes and
/ our course led us around and between
| them. with the moss dragging like nets
/ al our feet.
! zone of the ladies had to give up.
| Two Of the men volunteered 10 stay
| with her We thought we were lost,
| but the guide consulted his compass
/ and urged us to climb another hill.
| Then we sighted the lighthouse.
| Hunting parties were out all the
time, but there Is no telling whether
some Of the people may not have
wandered away and died in that will
! derness No r0Icall was taken on the
| ledge. so there can never be full ac-
| counting.
..On Tuesday. the day we left, we
heard the captain had ordered all those
left az the ledge and on the ship to
strike for the lighthouse, as the wind
was shifting and he feared that IL a
southeastern came up the Icy spray
would freeze to death those on the
ledge They hadn't reached the light
house when we LETT on the Montfort.
eve were well treated at the light
| house. and the officers and sailors on
! the Montfort were kindness itself"