Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-05-17
mho. aoene il Was ami how honelesa Il

but this looked worse: the snow-distended
river, hemmed in between precipices thirty
feet high, and still further INSTRUCTED by
the huge mass of timber piled up level with
the banks was boiling with impetuous rage.
The timber itself was matted and lnterlaced
in every conceivable manner; some pieces
reared right on end, and the whole forming
a mass fully thirty feet above the ordinary
level of the water, but which was now pour
ing over it. To make the matter worse,
found that only about ten men had arrived
the rest, having lost their way, did not
make their appearance until evening.
After careful examination, | found that
the mischief was caused by one stick lying
across the channel, and | thought if that
could be cut, the jam would break; but this
was an operation of such extreme danger,
that all the men lung back, and refused to
attempt it. The only portion of the stick
visible was in the centra of the stream, for
the water, though pouring in masses over
the sides of the jam, did not overtop the
middle. NV idea was to fasten rope to
the stick, and then cut it nearly through /;
then, by means Of the rope, all hands could
break it, and all might be well.
1t length one of the men agreed to 60
down with me; but after working short
time, he became frightened, and went on
shore. All at once, the stick broke, and
the jam began slowly to move. My first
feeling was hat of joy, for / remember
thinking / had made one thousand pounds
by that operation and even after | had
attained the summit of the jam, did not
apprehend any great danger.
[ had noticed one place above the rapid
where the water eddied into shore, and l
felt sure that by jumping in there, | should
be able to catch some overhanging branches,
and be all tight; but when | reached the
spot, it was changed, and the water on both
sides was running like mill-rate. sill
ran on, now thoroughly alarmed, jumping
from stick to stick, hoping to find some
chance to get ashore. But | soon saw that
though l was going very fast up the timber,
[ was also going fast into the rapid. i'm
mediately turned, and ran down, hoping
that perhaps the timber might go through
without breaking up but before me, as l
opened the rapid, saw sight that at once
took away from me all hope of going
through alive.
The banks, as I have said before, were
about thirty feet high, and in the stream
were here and there hugh rocks, which
broke the straight line of the channel: the
whole ravine, on which now gazed, elevated
above. and about to make the fatal pludge
into it, was one tumultuous heaving mass
of timber hardly any water could be seen;
but the huge sticks were thrown in all
directions, many of them turning end over
end. | knew no man could 60 through that
and live.
Hoping that at least should be killed at
once, [ sat down on stick, and | distinctly
remember seeing one of the men who had
run down the the rapid as soon as the jam
broke, and managed to Chamber down the
rocks, making motions for me to seize his
pole I shouted to him: cit is no use"
for | knew | should have pulled him in.
An instant afterwards, | was struck in the
back with piece of timber, and this, which
was the danger most dreaded, proved the
means of saving my life.
was thrown forward, and where I fell,
the timber opened little, and | slipped
through. This was an extraordinary es-
cape for perhaps-so tightly was the tim
Der packed-in no other part of the jam
could have done so, and it is to this | owe
my life. From boyhood, had been accus-
toned to diving, and it at once occurred to
me, that though | must be killed on the
surface, might perhaps live through, if |
could keep below the timber; and found l
had just hit the channel, which formed
sort of canal perhaps six feet deeper than
the main floor of the rapid.
The timber not being able to fill this up,
the water was rushing along in an unbrok
en- mass; but l question whether | should
have been able to keep down, if had not
fallen in with small stick of red pine,
which, from its weight, had sunk below the
main body of timber. 1 grasped this,
placing my arm round it, but even in the
fearful position was in, was cool enough
to remember, that probably as we passed
along my arm would be broken by contact
with the rocks, so changed the arm, mere
ly putting my elbow on it.
How anxiously l. looked for light over
head the noise was deafening, but all
was dark l have since calculated, by
watching timber going through, that / was
about one and quarter minutes under
water, but to me it seemed never-ending.
had at last made up my mind that though
it was certain death, up must go, when |
saw daylight overhead. and knew that we
were through; let GO my stick, and struck
out Tor the surface.
don't know how, in my disabled state,
managed to do it, but l soon found myself
lying on stick # timber, and whirling
round in an eddy at the foot of the rapid.
My situation was still full of danger, for |
now found l could not move; felt paralys
ed with the blow J. had received when
knocked into the water; | was also fear
fully bruised by scraping against the rocks
under water.
The same man who had offered me his
pole as l went into the rapid, and, indeed,
the only one who saw me go down--for the
rest seeing me run up the jam, had gone up
10 help me-here nobly came to my assis-
lance, and at the imminant risk of his life,
succeeded in gaining the stick l was on
lie said: 81 need not ask you if you are
hurt, for you would not lie there if you
were not; can l help you" l said: "No;
but if fall off, you must jump in on the
other side of the stick, and hold me up"
told him he would likely be hurt, but he
said he would stay by me until the men
came up. We went spinning round for
some, for the men, when they did come,
seemed afraid; but at length they succeed
ed in catching hold of the stick I was on,
and | was saved.
For three days, lay on the bank, unable
to be moved; but thanks to a constitution
that seems to defy bodily injury, lam now
all right. excepting that my knee-cap was
broken under water, and still pains me now
and then and this winter again sees me in
the woods, again to drive timber, | hope
with better result, through the same
rapid.