The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1864-11-16
High Tide at Long Beach.
BY SOL. SMITH.


Roll, roll Dash, DASH What does ii
all mean, the tide rising to such a hight
Such thing was never heard of before
was aware that in winter time there
were stolms-that then the waves rolled
over the bluff banks here at Long Branch
and sometimes swept away fences, pig-pens
and small houses, but that in August such
an event could occur seemed so unlikely that
when the voice of the colnIed waiter at
Cooper's cottage called out Get up all on
ye the tide is carrying US all away which
proclamation he accompanied by severe
pounding upon a Chinese gong, could
| scarcely credit the evidence Of my senses
My room was in tie second story Of the cot
tage, and | thought if anybody was safe, /
must be. Nevertheless, it must be confess,
ed that my uneasiness was considerable as
the gong f,Warning continued to. sound in
the distant corrider, aud the walters voice
persisted in procla,ming that we should be
carried away. !" .rf"a I-,L 7..t-
1t was as dark as Erebus, and i heard, or
/ fancied | heard, a roaring of the waves very
unusual TO me, my hearing being none OF
the best; and began to reflect seriously on
our situation Il say on our situation for my
wife lay beside ME, quite unconscious OF the
threatning danger The gong continued to
sound, SO determined to see how matters
stood--or at least feel my way to the door OF
window-and take a look out. stepped
out Of bed, and, by George one of my feet
found itself in water a foot deep! t'We are
inundated" ] exclaimed, as / dashed about
the room frantically; and then begans shaking
my wife furiously TO awaken her.
"What IS the matter2'' asked my Sleep
ing partner, laying hold Of me in alright
us the house on fire, or what?'' i'
tWe are drowning!' Iexclaimed. ''Don't
you hear the gong?' The tide has risen, and
Cooper's is floating off at this moment; we
shall soon be out at sea, and there will be
no help for us. t
/ hereupon seized my wife and began to
make towards the door; and | must here
remark that she is not light load to carry;
even for strong man; which | am not. The
waves seemed to roar louder and louder; the
gong sounded more terrified than ever the
house seemed to be loosened from its toun-
dations; and rolled about in harmony with
the waters, while carried away!;' was the
distant but increasing cry Of the COOLED
waiter. .'.
"On horrors head horrors accumulate"
Shakespeare says; you know, l7ielt as
though swimming was my only chance, and
| resolved if | could get out, to do my best
in that line, trusting to the buoyancy Of my
wife to keep her afloat while | propelled, =
The door was locked and ] had forgot
ten where | had laid or hung the key.
Burst it open!" suggested my wife.
Just So" responded |.
And receded step or two to get head
way for a big kick at the door, which, in
my opinion would have shattered to atoms,
when we stumbled backwards over our large
travelling trunk, and then there We lay
sprawling ON the foor--or rather | did
The sun was shining bright in the room,
and the gong was sounding for breakfast -
My wife stood over me in her new night
cap, smiling benignly on my PROSTATE con
dition, and quietly remarking: You have
made horrible muss here old man-upset
the slop-pail, and knocked things about gen
orally. Had bad dreams, | reckon. | told
you it was not good to cat crabs for supper"