Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1884 — THRILLING SCENES, [ARTICLE]

THRILLING SCENES,

Witnessed and Told by Survivors of the Lost City of Columbus. Heartrending Recitals from the Few Survivors. [Compiled from Various SouroesJ Of the horrors that followed the first shock there is abundant testimony. Capt. Wright had been on duty ever since they left Boston, and, having taken the ship safely through the most dangerous part of the sound, he went to his state-room for a few momenta to get warm. He left three mates and a quartermaster in the wheel-house, with instructions to follow the course he had marked out. He had been below perhaps twenty-five minutes ( when there was a bump. It was not a crash or severe shock. Every one near the pilot* house heard the mate give the wheelman tho order to “port," Capt. Wright felt sure, aahe jumped to the wkeel-nouse, they had riin down some sailing craft, antt, without stopplug to look, ho shouted to the man at the wheel " Hard a port” Instantly realizing the actual situation, he endeavored to work the vessel off, first by steam power and then by setting the jib. Neither experiment was of any avail, and within five minutes Capt Wright knew that his ship was doomed. The first blow on the rooks did not arouse more than half of those on board, but repeated pounding and noise of exoitement soon brought nearly all from their state-rooms. When the oaptain abandoned his efforts to get her off, the vessel had already settled enough so that the sea began to break over her. Then every thought was turned to the means of saving life. Capt. Wright rushed Into the saloon cabin, where more than half the passengers, hardly awake, were trying to realize the cause of alarm. The oommander sharply, but without excitement, bade everybody keep 0001, but to dress and put on their llfo-prese-vors. Even as he entered a wave followed him, and there was a terribly distressing Scene. But the crowd seemed half paralyzed instead of frenzied in their terror. Ladles bogged for help, but most of them Obeyed the ordors of the officers and the calmer men in the room. Noarly everybody present had on a life-preserver, > properly adjusted,, boforo going on deck. Nearly all bad partly dressed bofore being driven from tho state-rooms and oabin by the water. There were a few exciting' incidents at this stage of the catastrophe. One lady begged Capt. Wright to save her two ohlldren, but the full extent of the danger was not realized, So that there was no great panic. The water filled the state-rooms and cabin slowly, and there was the continual pounding of the vessel on the ledge. But within twenty minutes all below decks became untenable, aud then tho real horrors of the night began. Just as tho passengers reached the deok a tremendous soa struck tho ship. A great white mass of roaring water fell upon the stranded vessel. Sixty terror-stricken passengers t stood upon the gale-swept deck, seeking whioh way tq turn In the darkness. A moment, and they were gone. So sudden was it that not a shrlok or a prayer came from the little company ere the great wave engulfed them. Every woman and child on board died at that moment. Those In the rigging and upon the house had only time tQ clutch tighter their supports when the fall of water was upon them. There was no opportunity to a* slst the women and children to the rigging, where they would have been for a time safe, and it is well there was not time, for death would have been just as sure, though perhaps more slow and more agonizing. About sixty souls remained on board after this first stroke pf death. Tho fate of more than half of these was still more terrible. Half a ; dozen succeeded, after great struggles, In launching a boat, and when they got a few feet away from the ship tbelr boat capsized, 1 and they, too, were drowned before the eyea of those remaining In the rigging, With the shipwrecked men it becamo a test of endurance. Boon after daybreak the Smoßo-Btaek was carried away. A few were clinging to the stays, and most of these were swept off. Then the house broke up, and the sow thereon succeeded in roitohing tho rlggiug, they being In all sorts of po- j sitlons. Two were supported on a loose swinging rope between the masts. They dangled there In the wind for hours, with the rope supporting them under the armpits. The gale swung them buck and forth like clothes on a lino, while the spray of every wave breaking over the ship drenched them. They were soon benumbed, and probubly died as they hung, the stiffening of the muscles in the cold holding them. One of them was swept away about 0 o'clook und the other disappeared about 11. Men clung one above another to tho cross-trees. Those close together could exchange a few words occasionally, aud sad, hopeless words they became as the hours wore on und no help appeared. Those who, putting their legs through the cross-trees und partially sat upon the rope, were soon benumbed below tho hips and lost all control of their limbs. John L. Cook, of Portland, Me., who with ('apt. Wright left the wreck last, says that among the confused muss who were struggling and screaming when the ship first' struck the reef he noticed a middle-aged man and his wife. Their conduct was in markod contrast with that of tho other passengers. The panic which hud seized the others was not shared by them, but their blanched faces told that they realized the peril which surrounded them. The only movefhent of muscles or nerves was that produced by tho chilling atmosphere. They stood close together clasping each other’s hands, as if about to contemplate suicide together, and thus fulfill the marital vow of standing by each other in the varying tide of life’s fortunes and misfortunes. As the wreck careened with the gale from one side to the other, and while the spray aud waveß drenched them at every moment, the husband turned and Imprinted a kiss upon tho companion of his life, and while thus embraced a heavy sea broke over the wreck aud both were washed uway and not seen afterward. Mr. Cook remembers particularly two men—one u seaman and the other a passenger—who held on in the rigging for live or six hours before they surrendered to the elements. (Jp to the last moment they were conscious, and, as they relaxed their hold from the ropes and went down, their last words were of tbelr families aud homes. One

mail who had held out uguinst the stormy elements was killed by the tailing smoke* stack just ns he was about to be rescued, and by the same event a couple of the crew were so disabled that they only survived the tom* pest a l'ew moments longer. Second Assistant Engineer Henry Collins states he was uloep in his stateroom when awakened by the shock of the vessel's strlk* lng. He hastily dressed and hurriedly ran on deck. Passengers from the main saloon who were crowding on deck were washed overboard as fast as they came up the coin punionway. ‘*l wont to the engineer’s room and saw no one there, then returned to the deck, and, seeing the sea b>caking clear over the ship, 1 made for the inizzen rigging, whore I watched everything and waited for a chance to escape. I saw passengers drop out of the rigging frozen stiff. All the women were completely helpless. The shrieks of the men in the rigging were awful. I prayed that I might die and be relieved of #y terrible agony. Some men cursed and swore, but the'majority prayed for death. All the sufferings of a life-time were crowded into these few terrible hours iu the rigging.”