The furnace in our car did great damage to some, and altogether about seventy were more or less hurt.  The accident was caused by a rail breaking, owing to severe frost.

After this I tried to persuade my friend to go to Iowa, sell his store, and come to sea with me, where he would be safe from any more tricks of this sort.  He still seemed inclined to hold on to the rail.

A Good Record in Life-Saving.

[From the Shanghai Mercury, April 13, 1887.]

The steamship “Kiang-yu,” Captain Knights, left the Kin-lee-yuen Wharf for Hankow, at 2 o’clock on the morning of the 1st instant.  On account of the fog prevailing, she anchored at Halfway Point till 6 A. M., when she got under way and ran as far as Lin-ho Point, where she anchored again until 11 o’clock.  The wind had been fresh from the south, but at noon it changed in a squall to north, and continued very strong all day.  At 4 P. M., when about 75 miles up the Yangtse, a junk that had been capsized was seen.  A boat was lowered and six men, two women, and two children were taken off, who were all got safely on board the “Kiang-yu.”  A change of clothes was raised for them among the Chinese passengers, and over thirty dollars were subscribed for the unfortunates, who were landed at Kiang-yin.  Their home was about five miles lower down the river.  They had left there in the morning, and were capsized in the sudden change of wind.  The poor creatures appeared to be very grateful for their rescue.

This is not the first time that Captain Knights has been instrumental in saving life.  During the last six years, he has picked up over thirty people on the Yangtse, and in November, 1858, when second officer of the tea-clipper “Northfleet,” he performed a gallant action in going in charge of a boat during a cyclone to the rescue of the crew of the brig “Hebe.”  This happened about four hundred and fifty miles southwest of the Scilly Islands, Land’s End.  The “Northfleet” was bound for Portsmouth with some four hundred and fifty soldiers and sailors, invalids from Hongkong, and twenty-four saloon passengers, mostly naval and military officers.  The “Hebe” was laden with grain from Alexandria, and was in a sinking condition.

The following testimonial, signed by several of the military and naval officers on board the “Northfleet,” who witnessed the rescue, and by the captain and mate of the “Hebe,” speaks for itself: 

Ship “Northfleet” (at sea),

November 18th, 1858.

We take much pleasure in awarding to Mr. Knights, 2nd officer of this ship, this unsolicited testimonial, expressive of our high sense of the coolness, judgment and courage he displayed on the morning of November the 13th, 1858, when, under circumstances of great difficulty and imminent danger, when in charge of the cutter, with five men, in a gale of wind and high tumultuous sea running, he was, by the interposition of Divine Providence, mercifully allowed to be the means of rescuing the master, mate, and crew (9 in all) of the brig “Hebe,” of Southampton, reported to be in a sinking state.