On Tuesday sen'night Mr. Hall's servant of Buckingham, returning from market, and finding the boat at Gainsborough putting off from shore, full of people, was so rash and imprudent, (to say no worse of it) as to leap his horse into the boat, and with the violence of the fall, drove the poor people and their horses to the farther side, which instantly carried the boat into the middle of the stream and overset it.
Imagine you see the unfortunate sufferers all plunging in a deep and rapid river, calling out for help, and struggling for life. It was all horror and confusion; and during this situation the first account was dispatched, which assured us, that out of eighty souls, only five or six were saved. By a second account we are told, that there were only thirty on board, but that out of those above twenty had been drowned. This was for some time believed to be the truest account; but I have the pleasure to hear by a third account, that many of those who were supposed to be lost, have been taken up alive; some of them at a great distance from the ferry, and that no mo re than six are missing, though numbers were brought to life with difficulty.
It was happy for them that so many horses were on board, as all who had time to lay hold of a stirrup, or a horse's tail, were brought safe to shore.
A poor man, who had a large basket of fowls on his arm, was providentially buoyed up till assistance could be had, and he, after many fruitless attempts, was at last taken, up alive, though senseless, at the distance of four hundred yards from the ferry. A poor woman who had bought a pig, and had tied one end of a string round its foot, and the other round her wrist, was dragged to land in this providential manner.
No comments:
Post a Comment