St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-01-14

y
81 'nds.- ---.>Ia sssti1:u ,,rsis y.
= .----- -.--L-.--- L.. i. LL.-...l. i.
11E IuaT 2 -7777I ;--77--I.;77'- : :
} JANu:ARY... H.. 1864.
II; = 'Tis true. foryou, Sir; I . doubt if
It be not in great danger" observed bs,tn
Joilan, eying kcenly the wave -buffeted
little craft to which I had ca1lod his at
tention. 1t was heavily laden, with
large freight ghl4tsrp Of 6rewood, >. heavily,
that, il The smoothest' weather, the
gunwa1e Would Have touched the wa
ter's edge. 30 It as'in' .thenlniddle Of
the river, endeayoring to force its way
Eup;against the stream, by the aid Of a
square and tattered looking salt, but
every effort Of the men who managed
1'it was baffled by the extreme violence
Of the waves, which we could plainly
! see see washing clear over it from stem to
stern. t@>'9' .'>--'t."'' ALI ~ i..
T .'I'll just; wish you good evening;
SIR: and hurry on to the ferry and I,
hope the boat may have, succeeded in
passing it before 1 arrive, for that ledge
Of rock just above the station is hard
to steer past in such dreadful squall,"
said my companion, with benevolent
anxiety. But / was not disposed to
part with him thus. The danger to
which the unhappy boatmen were ex-
posed, was attraction sufficient to lead
me closer to the scene; and old Johan
and proceeded rapidly together on
our way back, hurried silently forward
by the force Of mere excitement, and
never losing sight of The struggling
vessel, which, though it made scarce
ly any way, was nevertheless gaining
ON US, as we approached the ferry in a
now nearly parallel line with the river.
| EVERY lno'ilent that led US nearer,
showed us the increasing peril of the
frail craft; and l thought | could dis
tinguish at times a despairing cry for
aid from the two. men who were I'M
perfectly managing her, and whose ges.
lures, as she was heavily tossed to and
fro by the angry swell, spoke a plain
story Of terrified hclplessness:, 4 hol-
low iu the road made US lose Sight Of
her lor few minutes; and as we as
ccnded again, in breatblcss impatience,
we caught near view, which confirm
ed our worst forebodings. The boat,
either from the rudder being unship-
ped, or the man at the helm being wash
ed down by wave, had turned CON-
pletely round, and was swept across to
almost the other side of the river, by
the strong side wind, and the violent
eddy. Every wave threatened to
swamp it altogether; and it was drift
ing fast iuto the ledge Of rocks alluded
to by Relsacher, and over which there
was now foam of1breakers scarcely
tu bo~ hs!;o. II L5 ....5 onn NH has not
seen the Rhine in one Of its angriest
moods We. were now within few
hundred yards Of thesferry. "a. .s
The cries for help were less frequent,
tor there was to all appearance no help
at hand. Four or five peasants, men
and women, stood at different points on
the banks, throwing up their hands and
screaming unavailing advice'>or conso-
lation to the poor boatmcn and nov
and then the dismal echo of their
shouts was felt rather than heard, as |
and my old companion ran alongithe
slippery road. ~i'"3 Ii y = - ,
I II In a:fewS minutes more the boat
:. drifted into an eddy most particularly
! dreaded by the fcrrymcn.
cts all over with her now and
there she goes sure enough !'' exclaim-
cd 'Reisacher, as a powerful wave caught
the boat under the side, and tn, ned i,
d keel upwards. 7,p.. !srs. - s.;.
i 4"'Tbey must be lost, before we can
reach the river added he, catching a,
J the railing by the roadside overcome
By agitation ana cexertion, while l stop,
, ped to recover my breath, and started
q down into ,the river from the precipi.
tate bank, The rain now swept in
sheets up tie stream, and almost hid
, every object upon il; but I fancied
distinguished, like phantom boat il
the MIST. old Johan's little, skiff, striv
ing to plunge through the waves, and
!, rocked like cradle BY the opposing in
tfuence Of wind and tide
l "No, it cannot be !! .Yet-yes, it is
it is Susannah striving to steer toward.
:. the wreck - exclaimed I, invvluntari
[ly. The old mans eyes, dim from age
I 5ut their vision quickened by affection
81 were fixed, like mine, in straining scru
. tiny >. aud when his gaze was sure o
its object, he; cried out In d tone Of til:
$ bitterest anguish, ... ~;,@t.
, u Oh, MY child! MY Susannah 1t ;
,her-it Is the boat. She will perish
Oh, save her! save her! Eerr Got? ?
And with; incredible speed he dartet
!, away from our resting-place. T 500,
!. overlook him, and supported him OF
r my arm, as he tottered, painting and ex
3 hadstcd, to Che tree against which hi
, little skif had been erewhile coiled. -
2We.now saw it within fifty yards Of u
, on the boiling surf, and the heroi'
t child--;her young heart buoyant will
PHYS life-blood working her helm
like oar with all her strength, and look
j; ing pale and stern at the rain and th,
) waves, which ;drenched her through
and through,-at tho furious wind
= q