The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-01-05
THE VICTIM OF THE FLOOD.

The VICTIM OF THE FLOOD.
Inc following appalling details of man bein
swept away by torrent, is extracted from an &C
count oil the Great Floods in Scotland August
: 1879, by Sir t. d. Lander:
CruIckshanks was innkeeper of the vii
lage OF Charleston of Aberour, on the Spev
a dancing party had been convened in hi
little mansion the previous evening and the
mrth OF the landlord was so extreme as t.
attract the painful and to awaken the super
stltlons Tears of his wife. "Surely our gooC
man is daft the day." was her observation
10 one OF the guests; 81 meier saw hin
dance at SIC rate. Lord grant him binna
Iley when the tributary brook that passes
charleston began to swell, Cruickshanks
VINO mad some timber lying on its banks
requested the assistance of two neiohbors
TO drag lt out Of danger but the waters in
creased so rapidly that they were fain to
abandon the task, and escaped with great
( diincuity. Every entreaty was employed to
prevail on him also, to quit the raft on which
ne was floating but proud of his skill as a
heater, he Knocked at the fears of his adj
vlsers; and when his own were at length
excited, 1t was too late to hearken to their
counsel. In an attempt to push through the
current, his guiding pole was torn from his
grasp and the raft sped down the stream
like an arrow from the string.
AT the point where the brook met the river.
IN the ordinary state Of both, there grew
some trees, now surrounded by deep and
strong currents, and far from the land.
The raft took direction towards one of
these; and seeing the wide and tumuituous
waters OF Spey before him, in which there
was no hope that his loosely connected logs
could stick one moment together, he coollv
prepared himself, and, collecting all his
force INTO one well-directed effort, he spranp,
caught tree, and clung amongst its boughs.
whist the trail raft, hurried away from UNI
der his foot, was dashed into fragments. and
scattered on the bosom of the waves. A
shout OF JOY arose from his anxious friends.
for they now deemed him safe but he ut
tered no shout liz return. Every nerve was
strained to procure help. "a boat |" was
the general cry, and some ran this way and
some that, to endeavor to procure one. 1t
was now between seven and eight o'clock
IN the evening. A boat was speedily OBJ
tanned from Mr.. Gordon of Aberour : and.
| though no one there was very expert in its
use, 1t was quickly manned by people eager
to save Crulckshanks from his perilous stu
alton. The current was too terrible about
the tree, to admit of their nearing it, so as
to take him directly into the boat; but their
object was to row through the smoother wa
/ ter, to such distance as might enable them
to throw rope to him, by which means they
/ hoped to drag him to the boat. Frequently
did they attempt this, and as frequently were
( they foiled, even by that which was consid-
cred as the gentler part of the stream, for
1T hurried them past the point whence they
/ n % In nc al
compelled them to row up again by the side.
to start on each fresh adventure. Often
were they carried SO much in the direction
OF the tree, as to be compelled to exert all
their strength to pull themselves away from
him they would have saved, that they might
avoid the vortex that would have caught
and swept them to destruction. And often
was poor Cruickshanks tantaliZed with the
approach Of help, which came but to add to
the other miseries of his situation, that of
the Interest disappointment.
Yet he bore all calmly. In the transient
glimpses they had of him, as thew were
driven past him, they saw no blanching on
his dauntless countenance, they heard no
| reproach no complaint, no sound, but an &C.
caslonal short exclamation of encourage
ment to persevere in their friendly endeav-
ors. But the evening wore on, and still
they were unsuccessful. It seemed to them
that something more than mere natural
causes was operating against them. His
hour is Gomez said they as they regarded
one another with looks of awe; our strug-
giles are valn.' The courage and the hope
which had hitherto supported them, began
to tail, and the descending shades of night
extIngushed the last feeble sparks of both,
0a Il sastf NV,1t 49, L.. !
| Fancy alone can picture the horrors that
must have crept on the unfortunate man, as
amidst the impenetrable darkness which
now prevailed, he became aware of the con-
tinued increase of the flood that roared
around him. by its gradual advance towards
his feet, whilst the rain and the tempest
continued to beat more and more dreadfully
upon him. That these were long ineffectu-
al in shaking his collected mind, we know
from the fact, afterwards ascertaned, that
he actually wound up his watch while in
this dreadful situation. But hearing no
more the occasional passing EXPLANATIONS Of
those who had been hitherto trying to sue
cor him, he began to shout for help in a
voice that became every moment more long
drawn and piteous, as between the gusts of
the tempest, and borne over the thunders OF
ears of his clustered friends, and rent the
heart Of his distracted wife. Ever and anon
it came, and hoarser than before, and there
was an occasional wildness in its note, and
now and then strange and clamorous rep
ettion for time, as if despair had inspired
him with an unnatural energy. But the
shouts became gradually shorter, less audi
bic, and less frequent, till at last their ca
gerly listening ears could catch them nc
longer. " Is he gone ?"-was the half-whis
pered question they put to one another, anc
the smothered responses that were mutteret
around. but too plainly told how much the
fears OF all were in unison.
What was that p cried his wife in deliri
Gus scream,-'Thatw was his whistle Iheard.
She said truly. A shrill whistle, such al
that which is given with the fingers in the
mouth, rose again over the loud din of the
deluge, and the yelling of the storm. HI
was not yet gone. His voice was but crack
ed, by his frequent exertons to make j
heard, and he had now resorted to an easie
mode of transmitting to his friends the Ger
tainty of his safety. For some time his I'm