Year: 1860

Saved PassenEers-A Philosopher Mt


sea-His Kindness, nIagnnnimity and


Safe DeliVerance.


Thursdays Chicago papers give still fur
ther accounts of the terrible disaster on Lake
Michigan, and among other particulars de-
scribe the manner in which some of the
passengers saved their lives. One Of the
most interesting personal accounts of the dis
aster yet given, is that Of Mr.. II. w. Gun
nison, who was eleven hours in the water.
Mr.. Gunnison undoubtedly owes his life to
the cool deliberation and presence of mind
which his narrative shows that he possessed
throughout the terrible ordeal. Before the
boat went down he went around among his
acquaintance, shook hands and bid them
goodbye. He advised all, and especially
the military to disencumber themselves of
all articles that would add TO their weight,
and to avoid clinging to each other when in
the water. He says;


II removed every thing from my pockets
of any weight that would cucumber me at
all, having gold watch, keys, knife, money,
&C., and threw them overheard, and had
| nothing on new but my pantaloons and
shirt. l then attempted to kick
| door off the Captains state-room, but, being
barefooted, failed, and then went into the
same state-room and found nothing but q
| bureau, from which 1 took small drawer
! for my support. -'n -ta


GAS soon as the crash took place, there
was very general outcry, especially fe-
| male voices / ran and sprang as far as nos
| sible into the lake, with the bureau-drawer
| in my hands. was drawn down a consid-
erable depth by the whirl occasoned by the
| sinking of the vessel. A moment after rising
| to the top, and having time to draw but a
single breath, l was drawn under again,
| when the drawer was forced from my hands
| by the action of the water. On coming to
| the surface second time, seized hold Of q
scantling and small box that were floating
around me. =


"The storm ragged with great fury, with
| continuous thunder and almost incessant
lightning, and the rain pouring down in
torrents. The lightning gave a sort of pur-
| pie glare to the lake and the human faces
that were Yisiblea around me, as the persons
were struggling for life. During these
CLEANS the faces of different ones were dis
tinctly visible for some distance, and for a
| few moments were quite numerous in my
immediate vicinity, but disappeared rapidly.
The first scenes of strangling or drowning
seemed to be followed by convulsive strug-
giles and sharp shrieks, as they threw up
their hands and sank ---
| ALONE UPON THE WATERS.


Mr.. Gunnison conversed with all who were
near him, striving to cheer them up. For
| himself he appears to have been perfectly
| cheerful, until his companions one by one
had gone to the bottom, and he found him
self on the waste of waters alone.


II now felt powerful feeling of loneli-
ness, as there was no other person within
hailing distance, as far as l could Judge. By
this time had picked up door and short
plank, and one or two pieces of boards, which
sustained me very comfortably, as the sea at
this time was not very rough, compared with
| what it was afterward, s. y
Toward daylight an old felt hat drifted along
by my little raft, which seized hold of and
soon after got hold of a narrow strip of
board, which | also retained with the idea of
using them after daylight as signal to at
tract attention to any effort made to rescue


me;


"After day had fully dawned, and | dis
covered the great distance from shore, and
the increased fury of the storm. gave up
all hopes of rescue, and threw my hat aud
stick away. About this time the difficulty
Of holding on to the two or three pieces that
| had, was such that gave up every support
but piece two-inch pine plank, about six
feet by fourteen inches, which was my entire
support for the next four or five hours. AS
symptoms of cramp or chills appeared, ex-
erted myself by occasional efforts at swim
ming with the help of the plank"


MAGNANIMITY IN DESPAIR. r-.,-


In the lonely dangers of his situation, Mr..
Gunnison appears to have made up for the
want of companionship by indulging in a
spirit of philosophy SO cheerful as to be at
times almost grotesque. At one time he says
he thought of the Sons of Temperance, and
concluded that were they in his situation
they would not complain of any lack of cold
water. AT another he called to mind the
assurance policy of $4,000 upon his life and
felt deeply gratified that in case he should
drown, it would provide his family with a
competence; yet" says he, II determined to
save that amount TO the insurance company,
, and l succeeded" Some time after day
break he discovered portion of the wreck
with four persons upon it.


81 worked my way up in the course of hall
an hour so near as to be able to hail them
and then discovered fifth man some few
rods beyond them, on another piece of wreck
sitting upright. The sea was so rough thai
o these were only occasionally visible.
hailed them, and asked them how they were
getting along. The German made some
reply, and then asked them if there wasn't
room enough for me. They seemed to think
they were loaded down enough, and think
ing so myself, ] bade them goodbye and tolt
them was going ashore. theh told the
man with the straw hat that if he saw yes.
sci to put his hat on pole or something anG
swing it. struck off toward the shore
making considerable progress, and in the
course of half an hour lost sight of them.


SENSATIONS OF THE SWIMMER AND HIS ULTI


MATE SAFETY.


"About seven or eight o'clock the vino
Veered around from the east to the north


east and increased to a perfect hurricane
raising the sea till it rolled mountains high
l found that l could ride over these huge
waves with comparative ease by keeping
| myself nearly in a horizontal position. Tha


if let my feet drop they would be thrown
, forward Of me, and throwing me upon my
back and under the plank, which occurred


on two or three occasions, when | came neal


drowning, and only recovered my position
Of my breast to the plank by the most terri,
, BILE exertion,


"During the early part of my solitary triI


was sea-sick, and became very much ex


hausted from vomiting and retching. Occa.
sionally found an almost irresistible ten
1 dency to go TO sleep, as had slept but little
T the two nights preceding. The pain in my


shoulders and neck from head and shoulder
, above the water became intolerable, as wa
! not able for hours to make any materia
! change in my position. l also felt very
faint from exertion and hunger, and toward


noon was fortunate enough to lind two o.
| three pieces of dried applss and one largl
! fresh apple, which got hold of after teI
minutes struggle. My hands turned pur


pie and became cramped 80 that had almos
i lost the use of my fingers, and sustainsi
, | myself upon the plank by hanging my arm