The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-03-28
From TIE Ulica IN. ~ Eluciddter.
AN EXTRAORDINARY PERIL.

tIS, ODlOs 10 OcOISc wi vi w
NY Mr.. Theodore d. Weld, the subject
Of it, is a we'll known citizen ofthIs county:
COLUMBUS, Feb. It,
Mr.. Theodore D. Weld came here yes
terday. The country is flooded by rains,
and the streams, or at least the Scioto, have |
not been so high since 1907. The stages !
are lumber ,cagons with four horses. FRI |
day night last, the 10th. Mr.. Weld, with |
one other passenger and two stage drivers,
attempted to cross Alum creek, few miles |
east of Columbus. The horses plunged i'll, |
and were instantly swimming. The wagon
tilted and threw the other passenger and
drivers upon one side, and they were washed
on to the shore. Mr.. Weld was thrown
near the nxletree, and caught hold of the
upright. The driver jerked his horses so
as to bring the leaders up the stream, as
there WINS but one place where they could
swim ont, and they were rapidly floating
with the swift current. This movement
threw every thing into confusion. Mr..
Weld found himself near the heads of the
leaders, and they (being martingaled so that
their heads were drawn into the water
were plunging and struggling. To prevent
himself from being struck by them, he at
tempted to seize them by the headstail. hut
was struck down and came up between the
wheel horses and the leaders. He was
again struck down, and again rose in the
/ midst of the mass of horses and wagon, and
found himself entangied.
Having struggled for some time, he was
sensible that the lines or whatever else i'll
was that held him, were giving way; he
caught hold of the headstall of one of the
horses, and, placing one foot upon the breast
of the horse, cleared himself and began 10
swim down the stream. 1t was about mid |
MIC hit, and the moon had sunk; hnt there
was sufficient light to see that the bank was
steep, and afforded no place to ascend. He
continued TO swim down the stream about
quarter of mile, when he saw place that
seemed to promise slopiDg bank. He
made for it, and reaching it, found place
where the torrent had washed under hill, i
and there was no means of obtaining rest, |
except by seizing upon the roots which pro-
iected from under the bank. He seized
upon a root, but was soon washed away by |
the rapid current. He then went down for
a considerable distance, and perceivine on
the other side place at which he might es-
cape he made almost death struggle to |
reach it. He was now almost exhausted,
having gone down about mile. and having |
been thrown into small whirlpool where
one of his legs was struck by log or rock, |
which rendered it useless in swimming, and
being encountered with his cloak, surtout,
overhauls, and overshoes. He took off his
cloak, and Swimming on his back,) endeav-
ored to take off his upper surtout. This he
found he could not do. He then tore the
front of it, and finding he could not tear II
of he took the skirts. one in each hand, and
tore it up the back, but finally gave it up.
He pushed off his overshoes, and endeaver-
ed to get off his boots. He got one partly
off, but they were TOO much soaked, and his
feet too much swollen to enable him to rid
himself of them.
He continued to 60 down the stream
withou: an effort, except keeping himself
above water, until he saw tree which had
fallen from the bank into the water. lie
put forth all his strength to reach 1t, and
was barely able to reach branch. 1t was
covered with ice; his hand slipped: he
caught another branch, but his hands hav
ing lost all their power, he could hold on
but a momeat. AT this instant he saw some
bushes at short distance, which he imme-
diatey swan to, and there for the first time,
put his feet upon the bottom of the stream.
The water was up to his waist, and looking
about, he discovered that the bank was
and that his only foot-hold and place Of
safety was where he was then standing in
the water. He could see no light-nothing
but an untouched and solitary wilderness
about him. He thought it useless to cry
for help in that dead hour of night he was
upwards of mile from the place where he
went into the stream, chilled through and
exhausted. He did endeavor, however, to
cry for help; he could at first hardly raise
the sound of his voice, but was at length
able to cry out. He cried for help and lis
tened and cried and listened until he was
entirely exhausted; no sound was heard to
answer him. He had lost all feeling in his
limbs was in no pain his eyesight began
to fail, and he could no longer hear the voice
of the waters. He knew, (seemingly,) that
he was dying, but had presence of mind
enough to lean over upon the bushes, 90
that his body should not be swept away.
The last ray of reason finally left him, and
he had passed the last conscious'srruggle Of
life with death. the last recollection was
an indistnct vision of light and faces, and
when he again opened his eyes, he was
lying upon a bed, and the plying compass
sionate face of woman was before him.
Nearly quarter of mile from where his
cry FOR help was raised, this woman had
heard ami been awakened by it, She
'awoke her husband it was then half past
two o'clock in the morning, and he getting
together other neighbors, they started in
search of him. He had ceased to cry, and
the men having got canoe, crossed the
creek, and being unable on account of the
current to go up it, left their canoe and
searching the bank, found him leaning over
the bushes senseless. They were barely
able to reach over the bank and get hold of
the collar of his coat, so as to raise him up. |
They took him to cabin, and in about an
hour, by friction, &C., brought him to life.
He stayed with the woman / mentioned, |
and her husband, five days, and he tells me
he could not have been treated more kindly |
by his dearest relatives. He had, when !
here yesterday, entirely recovered except
that the extrenities of his fingers, and some |
of the muscles Of bis feet were still numb,
and retained a peculiar prickly sensation.