Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-10-07
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1859.

again Il gOl no hnsWtI' mish' hNe
thought that the logging had taken away
his senses. lad not some Of the men assured
me that they heard him talking TO himself.
did no, trouble him again till morning.
After breakfast went to the hatehway apd
called out to him once more. l heard
nothing from him, nor could SEQ him
had not seen him siucc put him down
therc. called out TO him several times.
but he would make no reply-and yet the
same men told mo they had heard him talk
ing tha, very morning. lie seemed TO be
calling on them for help, but he would no,
ask me. I" He'll beg before he'll s,arvc,"
thought, and 20 determined to let him
stay there. | supposed that he had crawl
ed forward to the iorecas,le bulkhead, in
order to make the sailors hear him. Some
Of the men asked leave to 90 down and
look after him, but refused Threatened |
to punish the Grst man who dared to go
down.
AZ noon went again, and as he did not
answer mo thi, time, resolved that he
should come TO the hatchray and ask me
ere went any more. The day passed
away. and when evening came again be-
gan TO be startled. thought Of the many
good qualities the boy had-and Of bis wid-
owed mother. lie had been in the hold
thirty.six hours, and oil OF forty without
food or drink, lie mus, DO too weak to
cry out now. l, was hard for me 20 give
up, but II he died there from absolute star
va,ion. it nigh. so harder with me still
SO a, length | made up my mind to go and
sec him.
II was not quito sundown when had the
hatch taken OF, and jumped down upon
the boxes alone. 4 little way forward I
saw space where Jack might easily have
gone down, and to ,ha, poin, crawled on
my hands and knees. called on. there but
could hear no answer. A short distance
farther was a wide space, which | had en-
,irely forgotten, bat which now remem-
bcred had been lei, open on account Of a
break in the flooring Of the hold which
would have let anything tha, might have
been slowed there rest directly upon the
thin plAnklnc Of the vessel.
ITO this place made my way and look
ell down. | heard the pla,bins OF water,
and ,honght | could de.cc, sound like
the incomin, Of a tiny Jet, or stream. Al
fr,t could SEQ nothing, but as soon "a |
became used 70 the dim light, could dis
tinguish the dim outlines Of the boy at some
distance below me. lie seemed to be sit
ting upon the broken aoor with his fee,
stretched ou, against ca.k. | called out
to him. and thought he looked up.
"Jack, are you thcreI"
And he answered me in very fain. and
weary tone
YES. help me! For heavens sake help
me Bring men and bring laniern--thO
ship has sprung a Leak"
hc,i,ated, and he added in a moro ca
ger tone
"Make hasic--I will try to hold it till
you como back"
waited TO hear no more but hurried on
deck as soon a' possible, end returned with
= lantern aud three men. leaped down
beside the boy. and could scarcely believe
the evidence Of my own senses. Three OF
the timbcrs were completely worm-eaiGn to
the very heart, and one OF the outer plank'
had been broken, and would burst in at
any moment the boy might leave IL, whose
fee. were braced against the cask before
him. Half dozen little jet. Of water,
were streaming in about him, and ho was
wet TO the skin. saw that the plank
must burst in the moment the strain was
Removed from ID, 60 | made my men brace
themselves against i. before lifted him up.
Other men were called down with planks.
and spikes, and AIDES, and, with much care
and much trouble, We finally succeeded IN
stopping the leak, and ayerting the danger.
the plank which had been stove in was SIX
feet long by eight inches wide. and would
let in q stream Of water in that capacity.
Ii would have been beyond our reach ere
we could have discovered ii, aud we would
certainly have sunk in u very short time.
knew 1t must be where the iceberg struck
US.
Jack withers was taken into the cabin,
and managed to tell his story. Shortly af-
ter put him into the hold ho erawled for
ward, and when he b. came used to the dim
climmer that came through the dead lights
looking about for snug place in which to
lie. for In, limbs were stiff and sore. lie
went to sleep, aud when he awoko he heard
a faint sound, like water, streaming through
q small hole. lle went TO the open place
in the cargo, aud looked down. and he was
SURE that he saw q small JET oi water spring
iug up from the ships bottom. lie leaped
down, and in few minutes found that the
timbers had given wholly away. and that
tho stream was increasing in size. lie
placed his hand upon the plank, and founi
it broken, and also discovered tha. the pres-
sure of the water without was forcing 1t
inward. lie had sense enough to see that
il II gained an inch more 1t must oil 60
and the ship DO Lost, and perhaps all hands
perish. Aud he saw, too, that IL he could
keep the broken plank in its place, he
nigh, stop the incoming flood. So he sat
himself upon i,, and braced his fee, against
the eask. and then called for help. But