Our blankets were wet by water coming in upon us as Elizabeth and I lay
in our berth with our hands tightly clasped in each others. She had been
telling me about her home, mother, sisters and brothers. How they were
waiting and watching for them to come home, saying, "I know my mother is
praying for us." Then I said, "And we must pray, pray awful hard,
because my father, mother and John said if I was in trouble God would
hear me and help me, and I guess I will pray for our boat to be saved."
Elizabeth said, "Yes child, pray for us all." And I am sure God heard
the feeble prayer I made as I told him how sorry everybody would be if
our dear old Michigan steamboat went down. I felt no fear through all
the storm. I said to Elizabeth, "Now we must go to sleep." She kissed
me, saying, "Dear child, what a comfort you are to me." We were cold and
wet in our berths and now the boat seemed pitching and tossing another
way. Her head would go down so far it seemed she would pitch over head
first. Many were screaming in the cabins. Mr. Crane with my brother and
William were on the cabin floor near our door. Our door had to be tied
back to keep from slamming. My brother had the life preservers ready and
some had already put them on. Oh the praying and the screaming was
terrible; but in the midst of all I went sound to sleep. When I awoke
our boat was still. We had weathered the gale.