Frightful suffering on Lake Erie.
the fate of the Steamer Jersey City.
It will be remembered that the propeller Jersey City was reported lost off Long Point Canada, in the great gale of Nov. 24th, while on her trip from Toledo to Buffalo.
The details of the dreadful shipwreck have, however, only just been published.
We take the following extracts from the narrative of a survivor, in the Cleveland Herald of December 4th: ‘ "Soon after grounding, the propeller keeled over, broadside to the seas, and with her deck exposed to the action of the waves. Her deck load was at once washed off, and the repeated blows of the huge waves stove in her decks and dashed her sides into pieces. The hurricane deck, with its load of half-frozen sufferers, floated towards the shore.
About three o'clock in the afternoon the hurricane deck grounded within a short distance from the shore in shallow water. At this moment a boy who was on the wreck was washed off by the wave, but was rescued by Capt. Monroe. After this the boy became frightened, for the first time, and clung eagerly to his preserver Capt. Monroe fastened a plank life-preserver to his body, and, taking the boy in his arms, leaped into the water and waded ashore. As the boy was landed, his suspenders broke and his pantaloons fell about his uncles, where they froze in a solid mass, chaining him to the spot where he stood. In a few moments the half-naked boy was dead. Capt. Monroe walked back to the piece of wreck and directed his comrades where to leap so as to strike in the shallowest water. One by one the leap was made in safety, until but one was left on board, and that one was Mr. A. H. Derby, the clerk of the propeller. He was seen sitting on the wreck with his head bent down as if in despair. Captain Monroe called him by name, but he did not answer, although his mouth opened. To a second hail, he again opened his mouth without giving an articulate sound. Captain Monroe and Engineers Manchester and Cummings went to the wreck and after considerable difficulty got off the helpless man. Capt. Monroe took Derby on his back, whilst the engineers steadied his legs so as to prevent the waves from washing him off. In this way the party waded through the water, ice making on them at every step, the surf dashing around them, the bitter wind freezing their hands and faces, and the blinding snow obscuring their view.
On reaching the shore, Capt. Monroe attempted to lower Derby to his feet, but found it impossible to let him go. The living bearer had frozen fast to his dead burden.
The Captain's arms were frozen stiff, and clasped around the arms of the dead man.--The two engineers were also so frozen about the hands that they could render no assistance. Finding it impossible to rid himself of his terrible burden in any other way, Captain Monroe flung himself on the ground, head foremost, and thus "spilled" the dead man from his shoulders. But he had escaped from one horrible dilemma only to find himself in another. His trousers were frozen so stiff up to his hips that he was as much unable to rise as if his legs had been encased in lengths of stove pipe, and his companions could render him no assistance. At a short distance was the body of a man frozen in a sitting position. Capt. Monroe managed to roll himself to the body, and by it climbed to his feet.
The little party of survivors now set out on their painful march towards the light-house, which was at no great distance. They had got safely along until within about three hundred yards of the house, when a small creek impeded their progress. First Engineer Manchester attempted to cross the creek, but abandoned it and returned to the shore, where he sat down exhausted and despairing. Second Engineer Cummings came up, and endeavored to encourage him to a farther effort, but in vain. Capt. Monroe begged Manchester to rise and make an attempt to get around the creek, telling him the light-house was close by. "Its of no use, Captain, " said the unfortunate man, "I can't go any farther." Cummings placed his arms around the body of his comrade in order to lift him to his feet, but at that moment the icy hand of Death was laid on both, and, clasped in each other's arms, face almost touching face, with words of friendly cheer frozen in the utterance, these two brave men — Manchester and Cummings — perished within a few minutes' walk of safety.
In this position they were afterwards found by the party sent in search. Capt. Monroe succeeded in reaching the light-house in safety, although badly frozen. Out of the twenty-two who had formed the crew and passengers of the ill-fated Jersey City, but five survived, being Capt. Monroe, two firemen, the wheelsman, and one passenger. The others either perished in the cruel waves, or were frozen to death in that awful death march. Six of the bodies have been recovered, some being returned to their former homes, and others buried on the Point.
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