Autobiography Volume 2 circa 1865
After leaving Detroit on the morning of the th
we sailed well through the day and evening until midnight when a
strong wind arose the lake became rough and the boat rocked badly
and in the midst of it when we we were opposite the Cleveland lighthouse
a cry of Fire Fire Fire rang through the boat by the watch on deck
We immediately leaped from our births in our night clothes and each
one caught a bucket as best he could and I caught a bucket about half
full of water and ran barefoot as I was to the stern of the boat looking
for the fire while some was running up stairs. I leaped into the engine
room and saw the fire in one corner of the stern of the boat. I ran over the
pile of coal and dashed my water into the fire which was not larger than
a half bushel measure at the same time a bucket of water flung by Capt
Davis struck the fire and it was extinguished.
There is nothing more terrible and alarming than the
cry of fire at sea or on any water out of the reach of land. It is far more
