The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-07-23

bia. tells of the heroic rescue of a |
lady passenger by Maybelle Watson,
who resides in Berkeley. California. |
Miss Watson was in one of the small |
boats with about 20 of the passen-
gers and crew. The boat capsized |
when the ship went under and they |
all went down. Only about 10 or IL |
who had on life preservers came up. |
Miss Watson had been in the water |
80 minutes, when young woman
appealed to her for nelp. The young !
lady had put her life preserver on
wrong and could not keep her head
above water. Miss Watson asked
some men to help, but they all re-
fused. She held the girls head
above water for almost two hours.
lhe girl was unconscious most of the
time, when Officer Hawse appeared
in a boat and asked Miss Watson to
give him her hand SO that he could
help her in. She refused assistance
until they lifted her unconscious
companion on board. When the two
girls were taken on board the San
Pedro the doctors said that Miss
Watson's companion was beyond re-
coyery, but when they learned OF the
heroic effort of Miss Watson to save
her, they worked hard and the
young lady revived and Is now all
right. Miss Watson is only 16 years
old
Professor William Hardin Lucas.
of Seattle, gave the following ac-
count of the wreck:
Thrilling Experience.
THE shock was hardly noticeable,
but | heard the crash and scraping
sound that followed. For few sec
onds | heard no other sound and de-
cided to await developments or in
formation. Soon l heard one of the
crew shouting All hands on deck!
Still | supposed only the crew was
wanted and did not leave my berth
until the cry was changed to Every
body on deck; she's struck
After adjusting life preserver,
| gathered up my grips and started
for the stairway near the stern. APP
parently all the passengers had gone
to the upper deck. AS ] climbed the
stairs the vessel lurched considera-
bly, to one side and quickly felt the
seriousness of the situation. Sew
eral men and some women were run
ming about asking for life preserv-
ers and | told them all to look in
their own berths. AS | passed along
noticed a boat filled with people
and others were trying to climb Into
It, Those In the boat were pleading
that no more get into 1t, SO | left
them and climbed over the ships rail
just In time to keep from sliding
across the steep sloping deck down
into the water on the lower side.
Within a short time the vessel sank
until the water touched my ankles,
when l sprang into the ocean, hop
ing to swim far enough away to es-
, cape the whirlpool which | thought
surely must follow the ship when 1t
sank. | had taken about % strokes
and seemed to make but little head
way, when the side of the ship top
q pied down toward me. AS the water
covered the boilers great kissing
was followed by an explosion which
heaved large quantity OF water
and wreckage toward me,
g "a few strokes brought me to a
raft, upon which | scrambled. All
q could do was simply await results,
q for | had no means of moving the
. raft After the noise of the sinking
\ vessel subsided, | heard a most
last struggles, and some of them
were shrieking the names of friends
from whom they had been separated
Words cannot convey an ade-
quate idea OF the scene nor express
i, my feelings of pity and dismay. To
be a witness of such distress Is in
deed frightful experience, especial
!, when one cannot possibly render
assistance. Although the whole thing
was over in 10 minutes after the ex-
: plosion, it was the most horrible
e experience that any one could posi-
t bly, imagine
9 The engine room crew. all of those
. saved and the stewards department
:, left on the steamer Pomona this af-
t ternoon for San Francisco. All those
q wanting to 60 to Portland left this
Q afternoon at O'Clock on the steam
8 er George w. Elder, the local relief
committee making arrangements for
3 passage.