Show snip SHIP WRECK ON laake laue ERIE tell us how your hair turned white I 1 said one of the party at the fireside in june juney 1851 11 said the man with v th white hair 1 I left leit mv home in ohio for buffalo aein being in d a hurry to return I 1 took a passa passage by the steamer G 1 P Grif griffith lith tor toledo on a late saturday afternoon the ship carried earned over passengers and crew I 1 must have slept soundly for about two hours in my berth when I 1 was awakened by the sound of hurrying footsteps overhead and looking through the ventilator to the upper deck 1 saw two or three sall sali sailors orsi running along dragging a hose pipe I 1 partly dressed anu and and went fori forward to the promenade deck where I 1 heard from the pilot house above the voice of the captain crying starboard I 1 hard star starboard boardl I 1 and steer her for the shore I 1 the ship veered I 1 from rom her course and headed for the shore five miles distant I 1 went back to my stateroom awakened the man in the other berth berts and rapped on several odthe of the doors As I 1 came out again into the cabin I 1 saw smoke curling out from the side the command had been given to call up the passengers and when I 1 again reached the forward fonward deck they were crowding upon it just aroused from froin sleep slee they hurried out half dressed or in their t E air nl night ht clothes many carryll carrying children bandboxes band boxes bird cages carpet bacs bags and bundles and all anxious to save gave something I 1 climbed up on the railing and taking hold of a stanchion swung myself to ty the main deck below stepping over the forms of many who were lying there still asleep I 1 went around to the engine and looking up saw that the fire had broken out near the smokestack in a spot so 0 d difficult cult to 0 get at that in all robah robab the ship was doomed Hurrying ur in back ac t to the e main deck upon which hie t the e crowd was fast increasing i I 1 removed all my clothing but my night shirt and drawers taking my money and valuables I 1 rolled them up with my trousers trow sers and laid them carefully away on deck where I 1 might ceover them if the ship should escape destruction climbing up u on the rail near the gangplank I 1 fleit fielt held heid on until the frantic elgiva crowd pressing forward forced mcaway me away I 1 crept along on the gunwale to near the wheel on the land side where I 1 clung clune and watched the crowd as they surged forward from the approaching pro aching flames I 1 there was scarcely a scream heard As the flames drove further and further forward whole columns of people were pushed into the water husbands caught their wives and children and throwing them overboard lumpe lumped dafter after them women women with bables babies babies bables la in their arms went about piteously begging beggin some one to save their air children and ana when they were pushed or jumped into the water held their infants hish high above their heads after they were drowned their quilted skirts bouyea friem up and I 1 saw babies actually actu uly aly trying with their little hands to catch the gancin dancin dancing light of the flames in the water the ae shil ship ship grounded at daybreak in about ten feet e et of water a little more than half a mile from shore the I 1 water all about the forward part of her was full of drowned and drowning people many good swimmers struck out for the shore but from all sides the poor drowning wretches would clutch them and drag them down the flames drove me off at last in the water just beneath me was a struggling glin crowd of drowning creatures clinging lo 10 to each other suddenly a space of about twenty feet cleared instantly by their sinking out of sight dragging each other down I 1 determined ter mined to jump swim toward the stern stem of the boat until out of reach afi ott oft 1 the clutches of the drowning and then make a detour forthe shore remembering embe em bening bering h g how I 1 used to jump into the water as a boy when learning to swim I 1 put my feet closely together to ether arms straight by za my side and plunged down like ilke a wedes I 1 gu to the bottom botto nl with i my mv eyes wide open for a brief second 1 saw lying on the bed of the lake heaps of dead bodies in all positions on rising to the serf ace I 1 struck out with in my y arms but to my horror found my feet bound tightly together the band J of my drawers had bad burst and slipping i g down I 1 had bound my ankles as securely as if tied turning on my back I 1 carefully r are full fuli i disentangled them irom from from each foot th these ese efforts greatly exhausted me but once free I 1 swam towards the stem until I 1 was quite clear of al all ali I 1 obstructions and then struck out for the shore one strong swimmer passed me and spoke some encouraging words I 1 saw others who must hav have e become dazed swimming back into th the e lake 1 I was not an ail experienced swimmer but I 1 had passed as I 1 had judged nearly half the distance to the shore when a deathlike coldness and numbness came creeping over me all the life I 1 had left seemed centera in mv head which felt like a ball of fire I 1 found that I 1 was turning round and round in the water now catching glimpses of the burning ship to which even yet a few human beings were clinging and now of the beach could I 1 ever reach it was it worthwhile worth while to struggle any longer every movement caused intense pain lain in my may chest and lungs it seemed so easy to die now 1 I ceased all efforts and raised my eyes for a last look at the sky I 1 was struck by a peculiar golden haze of the atmosphere and the air seemed filled with human forms hovering over the drowning the air was elied filled with them and close beside me I 1 recognized my father brother and other friends who ano had died many years before they thet called me by naine name they pressed closely around me telling me to smuggle on and they would aid me that my work was not done that I 1 could not be spared yet A little strength came back to me I 1 remembered that ilat I 1 must be more than half way to the shore the water could not be more than five feet deep I 1 let myself down and felt the sand under me aided by my spirit friends whose hands and presence were as real to me as any human touch I 1 crept ou on my y h hands a ads and knees on the tile sand for to some m e d distance st e rising often to breathe becoming too weak for this with my heavy head falling backward I 1 sant to the bottom and drew my body with my arms near and nearer to the shore rising to the surface as often as necessary A man was lying on the beach one of the few who ever rea reached elied it when he saw me feebly struggling glin he crept down to the waters edge and reaching out his hand to aid me I 1 slowly crept up u ji A little littie y 7 ut of the water but te he was so BO vae vad weak m that fall fali falling in b backward losely hold and s sink in gita again iii 41 y at last I 1 was jya lying on the dry try sand how good it was to lie he there U if only I 1 need never move again my companion spoke roughly yet kindly to me telling me it was sure death to remain there I 1 refused to move but being much stronger he compelled me to get t up and half supporting me in nis ris his arms dragged me unwillingly along A Afar farmer mermet met us and almost carried carrid me across the fields to a low two twe roomed log cabin in the smaller room contawe two beds I 1 was at last permitted to td lie ile down the ion lon long iong black neck bottle was inserted between my lips and I 1 drank and drank until it was gently removed the draught warmed me 1 I alternated between consciousness and unconsciousness but remember much that passed about me A large man with a tall hat black satin vest and heavy gold chain came in and lay down on the other bed ile he certainly C 1 n 1 had not been in the water and itt ift I 1 wondered N 0 n if he bad been saved in a boat A man in the next room was exclaiming mournfully mine aline gottl gott mine aline gottl mine aline monis his is all gone mine aline is all gone mine allne wife is gone my son is gone oh mine gott my is all ali 11 gone I 1 again and dg again ain aln that mournful wail went up then I 1 heard the tall tali man call out wrathfully wont some one kill that i d dutchman then I 1 dozed off again when I 1 a woke more people were coming in bearing bearin a woman and they were say saying inz ing 1 she mas gas was the only woman saved I 1 heard them say that eight men swam 1 bashore and twenty were saved in a boat only twenty eight saved out of over four hundred towards they put us all in a heavy lumber wagon onon on beds of straw to take us they said to lloyds tavern three miles away jolton jolting along over a rough road the pain in my chest and limbs became unbearable and I 1 remember nothing g more I 1 awoke from what seemed a long sleep I 1 found myself lying on a bed in a strange room alone the sound of voices came in through the open window and from the halls where people were constantly passing to and fro they were talking of a reat great disaster of dead bodies I 1 lying je in cuu cun in heaps I 1 eaps on the sand waiting to be claimed aimed and of others being buried in a trench there was something about county lines thieves in at night stripping the drowned bodies and tearing rings from lingers and ears those monotonous voices were forever talking about that one thing well weli vell veli what if they were dead the dead were at rest what had I 1 to do with that shipwreck why did not some one come to me what was I 1 doing here in this strange roomi why way was I 1 so stiff and sore so full of pain pain rain so weak I 1 could not move I 1 feli feil e I 1 asleep again and when I 1 awoke still the same voices were talking about poor drowned bodies tb thieves leves ieves wreckers and boats and then came a dim recollection that I 1 had known something about that shipwreck it all came back to me clear and distinct soon afterwards a man came with some broth and nourishing food of which I 1 ate with a relish while he hii answered my questions this was saturday and md I 1 had left buffalo on the sunday preceding lloyds tavern was fifteen miles from the city of cleveland I 1 must get up how could I 1 lie here I 1 must get into the air I 1 must go home homet homel why at home doubtless they mourned in me e as dead I 1 had been dead for days to them I 1 begged the man to bring me some clothes he brought some old garments much too large for me with an old black slouched lat hat and helped me to dress for 1 was too weak to jostand stand alone ile lle he thin th n placed laced me comfortably in I 1 n an easy chair cnair and told me to j rest awhile at length feeling rested and stronger I 1 arose and moved ly across tile the room towards the open door 11 1 I saw a gray headed old man coming towards me moe poorly dressed with au a u old hat in his hand and and a stubby beard on his face I 1 thought that perhaps he also was one of 61 the snip wrecked I 1 spoke to him kindly but he did not reply and still advanced I 1 stopped he stopped also we stared at each other I 1 spoke again ilis llis lips t moved but not a sound left them I 1 dorward a chair and sat down he sat down also staring half fearfully at me great god was that myself that white hair could it be mine no it was a wig vl some one was playing a joke upon me I 1 put up my hand yio no lio it would not come off 1 I wewt went back and lay down upon mv rny bed very weak utterly disheartened heartened dis later I 1 was driven slowly down to the beach and I 1 saw all that was wag left of the steamer a afew I 1 few blackened spars and the charred hull many people were examining eitner from curiosity or for identification the bodies as they were brought tn n there was a ion trench in the sand in which wee were placed those not identified ido ids stifled my friend helped affie me out of the wagon and seated me on a rock close by a most forlorn and unkempt figure I 1 must have presented two men stood near where I 1 sat and one of them spoke of having received another telegram from cleveland inquiring if the body of the man K E had yet been found A coid chill ran down my back producing the telegram he read the description I 1 twenty eight elb eib el b t years of age 5 feet 9 inches in height weight about loo pounds fair skin suin sein stin blue eyes black hair small hands and feet leet icet ilas has the body been deen found round have it pro properly erly prepared for burial and seny send to fl cleveland 1 q I K X 1 and was they hunting for formy my body to prepare it for burial my aly f friend came back just then and I 1 begged to be taken to the hotel at once I 1 must start for home I 1 said as soon as possible arriving at the house I 1 saw a carriage and horses standing before the door four gentlemen came out and agreed to take me with them 1 I learned from their conversation that my companions had been sent out f from rom cleveland to identify the dead and find the living each related incidents connected with the search they spoke spoke of being out in boats sometimes a all ail J I 1 ni night I 1 ht dragging for bodies of seeing tte the thieves at their villainous work at length one of the gentlemen said he be regretted going back with no news of the man K whose friends were so anxious s about him 14 11 1 I half hail I 1 believe said he that he was not on the boat at all we have seen everybody dead or alive who has been found and no one answering 0 his deschi description tion is discovered A where mr I 1 Is his description ased another 11 11 1 I have it no not here I 1 remember I 1 gave it to the coroners ile he was as 1 I recollect the description a man about twenty eight fair skin kin s blue eyes and black hair it is ha hard rd to go back with no information by the way stranger did you see anyone answering swerin that description would you be willing to take the body without preparation for burial I 1 asked I 1 4 why of course any way we could get it well then said 1 I drop me at II 11 ts shouse house s A shout went up from the carriage A few days later after having en enjoyed t oyed the delightful ex experience perlen perien of being eing kissed cried over and welcomed back from ane dead I 1 lighted a cigar seated myself e comfortably ab and had ane novel experienc experience to of reading my own obituary and a good or obituary it was too hun sun bun ann |