New Britain herald., 1929-09-07

NltlSSituutS OI tIdNel century ago are described in letters which were written in 1926 and 1929 and found recently in Rocky Hill by Miss Frances Crean, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas ?. Crean of Glen street. Miss Crean. while bi- cycling with some friends, saw and old shack and while Investigating its contents was surprised to dis cover the letters, which are actually page out of the history of early Connecticut.
 Travelng in the early 18th ccn- tury offered few Inducements or luXuries. The letters describe two boat trips, inc 10 New York and one, apparently, to Wilmington, Del. On the latter, the young persons who reported the experiences says, the female travellers were overcome by dread nal de mer and made no bones about it.
 The letters follow:
 Near Death in He'll Gate
 -N'N l ol h, 'tl. ', l S- D.
 Dear Cousin Jemima: It is with infinite satisfaction that l announce to you my arrival here on Thurs day morning. after a passage of twenty hours after leaving you at Cousin Cynthias. I left you at II O'cli q, m. and arrived at New Ha- ven at f o'clock and I took a pleas ant walk with a young gentleman from the military school from Yer mont that was a passenger in the stage with me around the streets of New Haven viewing the public buildings. At 6 o'clock we went on board the steamboat United States at N. H. for New York it was then almost dark. We had a number of passengers on board. We drank tea at half past seven o'clock and at nine pretty generally all retired to our berths. At one o'clock in the morning 1 aWoke from my slumhers by the noise created by the talk of the passengers who had risen for the purpose of beholding the boat pass through the narrows of rocks or in other words Hell Gate for so it is called from it's dangerous pass being completely encompassed with rocks and it's being a very dark foggy night and a strong head cur rent running made it extremely in tereSting to those whose lives were thus placed in somewhat unpleasant situation. To observe the danger to which they were exposed knowing and confiding myself to an all pro- teCting providence of infinite good ness and mercy with perfect and by sea and land through rocky dan gerous and difficult ways l lulled my disturbed mind and was soon lost in the peaceful and quiet arms of Morpheus until half past f o'clock when l was again aroused by in creased noise. Then directly sprung from my bed and attired myself as soon as possible and was on deck Of the boat where almost every pas Senger had collected. The weather was so intensely foggy and thick that we could not discern anything fif- teen feet ahead notwithstanding we mad a fair moon but completely ecIlpsed by the fog. At one time we were in the very act of going on the rocks and they were almost di- rectly under our bows and with the facility of lightning we commenced to back water and threw out our anchor to prevent her driving on the rocks where she must have in- evltably have gone had we not per celved it in time. In attempting to get in the anchor they wound the pivot and hand spikes places in for the purpose of heaving and were getting the cables and all al once they were heard to cry out for as slstance but before they could re- celve it. six men were thrown around as with a whirlpool and dashed on the deck. They were very much hurt though no lives lost We came to anchor and then waited un- Ill daylight and gained here at