The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1906-10-27
STORY OF 4 SURVIVOR
Who Was a Piaythina Of the Waves Of
the Florida Coast in Last Weeks
Fearful Storm

New York. Oct 27.--Among the pas
senEeTs on the steamship Fl PasO
was John Russell Of Salem. Fla, a
laborer On the extension work 81 the
Flagler railroad along the Florida
keys the sole survivor Of JhiFly-three
men on a household that was ground
80 on bit Of beach on Lower Malta
comH Key. during the hurricane that
visited the Cuban and Florida coasts
last week
1t was early on the morning Of
Oct. IS that the rain began 20 fan"
Russell said. and We bridge builders
were awakened by il because the Oh
roof leaked. The mate. a Norwegian.
named Gus. had ordered an anchor
cut the night before big fellow that
weighed 500 poundS-fyr we sort Of
smeIIed some wind. and now he had as
put out another one just as big. in five
minutes stilI another one, 50 that We
had three out ia all.
You must understand we were high
and dry on the beach all this time
not in the water a. all. The sky be
gan 10 gloom up as black as ink. and
then all OF n sudden the wind came
out Of the Gudf with d roar. Well.
NlEr that AAL4t llDu@EDftal JUST NnlLLt-l
down the beach of the key right out
into the Gulf dragging them three
50O-pound anchors along with her.
Inside her us fellows were tossed
around Ike feathers. We didn't quite
know where we were. Everything
broke loose. The furniture whirled
around every which way, and pretty
soon the water began TO come I'm
After we had gotten about three
miles out / should say. the old thing
began 20 break up. IL was awful then.
sir. The fellows was like rats in d
trap. They didn't have any chance
To- get out and there wasn't nothing
to- do but wait for "A chance. First
one end would fall away, then part
Of another. then some planks from the
sides. Ne and nine other men, among
them "A chap named Mcbride, from
New York. were lying on the upper
floor. hanging on 10 anything. 1 had
hold Of a rope. tied in a staple in a
plank. and that was what saved my
life. When she finally went to pieces
we were all chucked out into the sea
and got pretty badly Knocked about.
But l hung on to that rope.
Some Of them lasted pretty long.
There was a door alongside Of me with
nine men on IL. Mcbride was one of
them. a big wave chucked a bit of
lumber at US, and il got some men on
another piece Of Wreckage just after
grazing my head. But / hung on. The
water kept going high over US, and one
minute L hooked at that door and the
fellows on il. and "A minute ! looked
and she was upside down, and the poor
beggars were gone. That was all I
seen of them, except that Mcbride
bobbed up and 1 tried to reach over
and catch hold of him. so he could get
a grip again, but a wave got i'm be-
tween us and he was washed away.
1t was about o'clock in the morn
ing when the storm struck us. and |
fiOated about on that bit Of timber
until nearly 3 o'clock next afternoon.
when Fl PasO picked me up off the
Frenchman's Reef in the Gulf
THE worst Of my troubles were the
sharks. They swarmed around me all
the time, biting ever now and then.
But whenever they turned 20 open
their, jaws. they got lond of the long
nails on the bottom of the plank, and
drew of in a hurry. OF course. had
10 lie along the top. while this was
going on
Il think The only thing 7 was athinl;-
ing about. even while the sharks was
trying to chew me. was that I meant
to fight il out TO the finish. I've got
wife and three children back in
Florida, and | knew | needed to live
for them, so l just kept it up.
Il aint got much left'-he looked
down comically at his blue jeans and
breeches-'but I'm hoping MIR. F1agler
viii send me transportation so 1 can
get back to work a-ain."