Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-03-30
MRS. LEVI DouD, SISTER OF MRS.
w. r. pAUM, TELLS OF THE DIS.
AsTER TO THE DAKOTA"
orTUMWANs ON BOAT
Mrs. Daum Was Injured in Leaving
Steamer-There Was No Panic
Japs Were Friendly and Hospltable.
"A Kind Plumber.

tnougnt We mad run aground anu
was not frightened at all. We were
on deck and did not get the crash
that came below, where they said
the engine room began to fill In q
moment. Then the word came we
had best pack our bags and be
ready to go ashore. Even then we
were not frightened, nor were we
until we came down stairs and
found almost everyone had left the
boat, while yelling mob of Japs
in fishing boats thronged the side
of the steamer Levi Doud
in letter telling of experiences of
party of Ottumwa women in wreck
of steamer Dakota.
Among the passengers Of the steanl-
coast of Japan, were party Of women
including Mrs. w. r. Daum of this
city and her sister Mrs. Doud, Mrs.
George Smith, Miss Florence Dwight
and Miss Gaylord, all of Chicago.
In getting into the fishing boat in
which the party left the sinking
steamer, Mrs. Daum sprained her
ankle and Mrs. Frederick Cloud Of
Ottumwa sustained a wrenched hip.
In a letter received today by Mr..
Daum from Mrs. Doud, written the day
after the wreck, she tells in the follow
ing words the story of the disaster:
"Fhis is an unexpected experience,
and while we wait for something to
turn up, I'll write you on some scraps,
hoping to get it to you as soon as pos
Cih1n nn1xy q In r could noh1o MIRO
Smith and Miss Gaylord are at the
light house, perhaps four miles from
here, and If there is any chance of
cabling, she will, l am sure. (Mrs.
Smith succeeded in cabling that day
that all were safe, which was the first
information Mr.. Daum received, this
message reaching him at Logansport
Ind, about $50 Monday morning
March 4th.)
Little Excitement.
"In the first place. wa are as than
quill as one could wish and have been
all the time and If Annie (Mrs. Daum)
had not sprained the tendons of one
leg, we might be having quite lark
Our good friend, the plumber of the
ship-Heaven reward him hunted
the ship doctor early this morning and
brought him to us. He, the doctor
says 1t is just sprain, and we are do
ing all we can by keeping 1T quiet and
| with hot water bag under 1t. This
hot water bag she brought off the ship
for me and it is more precious than
gold. We were having a beautiful
time yesterday afternoon-the lowell
est day you ever saw and the shore
was SO near that we We're admirine
the landscape yesterday afternoon
at five o'clock, when all of sudden
we struck. | thought we had rur
aground and was not frightened at all
thinking that we must pull off and &c
on. Being on deck, we did not set thi
crash that came below wheer they
said that the engine room began t6
fill in moment.
Frightened at Last.
Eve stood around for bit, not wor
rying, then had word indirectly thai
we had best pack our bags and BIZ
ready to, go ashore. Even then we were
not frightened, nor were we until fl
nally we came downstairs with a few
things and found that almost every
body was gone and yelling mob O
Japs in fishing boats alongside. Some
one told us to go down to the lowel
deck and there they told us to go up
| UP we went and were ordered bacl
and finally we managed to get int
one of the fishing boats, but Annie
(, twisted her leg in getting in and it wa!
/ rather difficult for her to get out again
when we finally got to shore, which |
i seemed we never would. The Jap
brought us to village farther ava,
than some, but think the boat belongs
here and none of the other passenger
were here. Miss Dwight and Mrs
I Walker, the stewardess, besides tn
plumber and chief engineer were witt
4 us and everybody was kind in helpini
Annie up from the shore and into tn
house. which is said to be a hotel.
queer enough place it is. It was darl
when we arrived and both the plumbe
and engineer said the ship would sim
that night as she was fast filling. w
were all so sorry for the captain. H
was on the bridge. Mrs, Walker. VIII
was in another shipwreck very nea
here ten years ago, says that the .cul
rents and tides are so strong an
treacherous she thinks they drew tn
boat to shore more than the capital
intended The plumber and enginee
left us with the heather, as we wante
to be sure Mrs. Smith and Miss Gay
lord were all right. We sat on tn
floor, though Annie lay on it, and con
posed our minds.
Natives Are Curious.
| I'm a few moments all the people o
the coast were there to look US owe
There must have been one hundre
men, women and children crowde
around the four Of us, feeling GU
clothes and hats and everything. TIL
men tried on Miss Dwight's hat an
comb. After long time a polieema
came and cleared out the most 6
them. They are kindly people and "
thought best to be friendly with then
Pads were brought in and put on tn
mating for us and the paper screen
lput up, though somebody was AWAY