Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-09-19

the beginning or the pres
q s. ent narrative occurred sew
Il l. i eral years ago, when the
RoN steamboat Ben Lewis ex.
ploded In sight of Cairo.
She was. II remember rightly, a st.
Louis and Memphis packet, was ON her
down trip, and was rounding or cross
Ing the bar at the mouth of the Ohio,
when her boiler burst, and she was a
wreck. Many people were killed out
right by the explosion. others We're
drowned, Others fingered in terrible
torture until death put an end to their
sufferings, and others received severe
scalds and various injuries.
was In Cairo ut the time, and shall
never forget the heartrending scenes
at the St. Charles Hotel. to which most
of the wounded We're brought, and
where they lay on pallets in the rooms
and halls, many Of them black as ne.
groes, many with the skin falling from
the flesh.
But it is with none Of these I have to
do. This narrative follows the for
tunes of man who jumped overheard,
entirely uninJured. preferring to trust
himself to the river rather than to the
flames. choose, for reasons that are
personal to him, to call him John H.
Seymour, simply because this name is
as different as can be from that which
rightfully belonged to him. He was
originally from Kingston, Canada, his
parents being of English birth, but had
resided during several years In Alton,
ILL.,, where he had accumulated consid-
cradle money in the grocery business;
was bachelor, near forty years of
age, and kept house in cottage of his
own. with rather pretty German girl
to do the hOusework. The mysterious
disappearance of the German girl. for
which Seymour did not account salts
factorily, occaslOned unpleasant COM
ment, and some very serious facts
were about to be brought to light
when he suddenly left Alton, having
privately disposed Of his cottage and
his business. 1t was because of this
train Of circumstances that he hap
pened to be passenger on the Ben
Lewis at the time of the explosion.
Seymour jumped overheard, as I
have stated, and was fortunate enough,
when he got clear of those who were
struggling in the water, to find float.
ing door, which he seized, and which
bore him up WE'LL and thus he drifted
down the river.
He had not foated far when he dis.
covered that he had companion. This
companion was holding to the door,
and might have nut in an appearance
Just then. or might not hitherto have
been visible to Seymour. AS his face
was appraised, Seymour perceived that
it had been fearfully scalded. He was
unable to speak and appeared to be
nearly exhausted. Yet, although he
was so hideous, so horribly marred and
SCARED, Seymour could not help OBJ
serving in his countenance certain
resemblance to himself. 1t was then
that a strange and sudden thought
came into his mind. I am not record
ing his impressions by. means of the
Imagination, but derive them from
statements which he subsequently
made.
He recalled the fact that he had been
obliged to leave Alton because Of dis
coveries that were about to be made,
and because Of crime with which he
was about to be charged. 1t was high
sued and prosecuted. Suppose he
should cause himself to disappear?
Suppose that he should SO use the ex-
plosiOn that 1t would prove prOvi-
DENTAL interposition to save him from
punishment and annoyance? His co1n-
panion in the water, dis1gured as he
was, might easily be mistaken for him
in death, and 1t was evident that he
could not live long.
Seymour reflected that he wore upon
a finger of his left hand peculiar and
valuable diamond ring, which was well
known in Alton. and which had been
noticed and admired by many on the
boat. II that ring should be found
upon disfigured body, 1t would cettle
the question Of identity, and he could
we'll afford to give it for the purpose
of persuading the public that he was
dead.
His resolution taken, he watched his
hideous but valuable companion mar
rOwly, waiting for his death; but they
drifted for nearly half an hour, and
still the other chung to the door. But
hiS strength was failing all the while,
and at last Seymour saw his grasp re-
lax, and then he was gone.
He was not permitted to sink; he
was too valuable to be lost. Seymour
caught him, took handkerchief from:
his pocket, and made the body FAST
to latch that remained ON the door.
Then his desire was to reach the land,
and he tried. by swimming, to push
his float in the direction of the Mis-
souri, shore, but made little progress
in that endeavor. Columbus was
passed In the course Of time, and the
low shore Of WG:f Island became Wis
IDLE. This was landing which Sey-
ceeded in Bleaching his float upon the
sand, where he found himself in an
exhausted condition. and his burden
some companion quite dead.
He did not wait long to recover his
strength, but soon proceeded to "busi
ness" Removing the ring from his
finger, he placed 1t on a similar finge-
Of the dead mans hand. Then he fe,t
In his pockets, to see II there were any
thing there by which he might be iden
titled. Finding nothing he took from
his pocket some wetted cards bearing
his address. and transferred them to
vest pocket Of the other. Finally lie
dragged the body little way up on
the sand, Obliterated the fOOtmarks,
and his task was done.
His next object was to reach the
mainland. and he succeeded in pushing
his float over to the Kentucky shore,
where he was cared for and Hospitality
entertained, as survivor Of the great
steamboat disaster. His money and
aecuritips were on his DprsOn wet hut