Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-20
yEMPHES APPEAL.
THE BARGE-NAN OF THELOIRE
TRANSLATED FOR THE APPEAL
FROM THE
FRENCH OF SOUVESTRE.


Ine news na0 spread as last - q COIL
fiagration. The crews of the vessels an
chOred near the FbSse had started up out
OF their sleep, the barge-men had run
in an instant the two banks were bor-
dered by q multitude in motion, the
bridges crowned with q garland OF agita-
ted heads. Torches flashed, orders and
calls were heard intermingled. All that
could break the first shock OF the ice was
thrown into the Loire. Already the water
more violently driven back, showed the
approach Of danger. Finally the van
guard appeared; it barred the river in
all its width, and advanced like an army
of white phantoms, shaking in the night
breeze their snowy msntles.
Those who live on the banks of the
great rivers alone know the frightful
power Of these avalanches Of ice coming
from the source, growing on the way
and arriving towards the mouth with
calm aud implacable force which carries
everything unresisting away. They alone
know the shudder that the announce
nent Of the scOurge sends through
every heart; the strange anguish of those
who rush toward the river, the horror OF
the thousand struggles between man and
1 the mountains Of ice which descend from
the upper stream, burying all under their
ruins.
Entine, awakened by the noise and the
cries that announced the breakup, had
hastened to rejoin her aunt. Both then
ssw with alright an accumulation Of ice
forming above the mill; but they soon
perceived that strongly attached to the
bank and to the nearest abutment Of the
1 bridge it shielded them like dixie and
/ served 10 force back the other ice in the
direction of the distant arches, Meru
and Francois, whose futreau was also in
| the same circle and thus defended, en-
! conraged them from afar. The break up
4 seemed, in effect, to pass down the
other branches of the river; the boats
/ there were in greater number, the efforts
| to save more clamOrous, and the arm 10
which the mill flOated rested, relatively,
plunged in a kind Of silence and OBJ
! scurity.
/ The two women, somewhat reassured,
! looked around on the strange spectacle
| developing at their feet.
In front and as far as they could dis
/ tinguish, they perceived only q multitude
of forms, pale and glittering, which
! succeeding each other more and more
/ hurriedly, passed with a Tumblingi
mingled with clanking. At their right
I the houses which lined the bank were
| successfully awakened; at each window
q light was burning, on each sill echoed
music; to the left, on the contrary, spread
meadows gloomy, desert and silent. AT
| their extreAity they perceived the iso'
lated ruins Of the S5lUsr AHchOr, in which |
no light was burning, and which seemed |
/ a still blackeT spOtin the night. The eye /
Of the miller's wife was arrested there |
when she saw a shadow come out slowly |
descend the steps which led to the river |
and advance towards the dam Of ice in /
nd fgffgsrcT1F nf AfaFn
enclosed. She soon distinguished s. spare /
man. very tall, who carried haud-spike Z
on his shoulder. Having arrived at the |
barrier formed by the breakup, he 6m- |
barked in il as resolutely as on the deck |
Of a vessel, and hsstened to gain the |
center. The miller's wife, much fright /
ened. pointed him out to her niece.
Look. look, Fntiue she cried; where /
has that miserable one come from, and /
what does he look for? Has he lost bis /
senses, or is he tired Of living?
He walks straightforward without .
looking at anything, observed the young .
girl.
turns
Entire started. By the light Of the
stars which whitened the iceberg, she |
had lust distinguished the fixed eyes and |
contracted features Of Master Jacques.
MeTu, who, during the past moment, /
observed him from his barge, also recog-
nized him.
1t is the drotgner! he cried: ali /
God is justI He sends him to his punish |
ment.
The night tUalEeT continued, il effect, /
TO follow the field of ice, at the end OF |
which he would fiud the abyss but he |
stopped before arriving there, and raising |
his hand spike he set Rbout striking the |
water with confused eXclamatiOns, as he |
had done the night before; His blows /
saou reached the border of the ice field, |
which was heard to break; then, shaken /
nv the violence of the disturbance, Il /
cracked in its whole length. Meru en- |
deavOred in vain 70 stop him by mena-
cas Given over TO his habtual halluciA |
nations. the 7liQht-lUdikeT continued his I
furious work. Francois uttered cry Of /
terror. 90,
A curse upon thee, brigand said the |
captaiD furiously; il the ice should start, /
ali is ended. To the drOlgHer, Francois |
push out towards the droWner! l will /
force him to keep quiet, dead or alive!
The bark glided cd the open water over /
and arrived near Jacques and Meru raised /
his pole to strike him, but It was TOO late.
The severed ice-dam gave way all at once 4
which Il had until then stopped was |
precipitated all together, one mass piled 1
on the other, and the mountain, falling its 4
entire height buried under its ruins both /
the barge and the night.gcdtber.
The cries which arose from the i1Oaung /
mill were so piercing that the crowd /
heard them afar off and ran to the bridgei |
but the place, open but few moments /
before was already invaded by an ava |
Iauche Of ice that threatened the mill 4
with hOarse warning.
BY an instructive impulse OF selI-pres-
ervation the two women had rushed |
into the interior. Entine, crazy /
with fright, ascendsd up to the room /
where she had passed the night, and fell /
pewerless there. During this time, the /
fragments Of the iceberg, increased with 1
ali that the breakup had carried OF, 1
had massed themselves against the mill, |
and struck with fury against the iron /
cables which kept it tied to the bottom 1
Of the river. At each assault, the grind
ing OF the clasLing chains was heard, the /
building was lifted up for so instant, then /
sunk totteringly, and was carried of |
floating on the water.
A clamor of alright had arisen in the 1
crowd which encountered the bridge. /
The mill advanced by shocks, overlook
ing darkly the petrified waves. At inter
vais the large wheels put in motion by |
the blow of a block Of ice, turned with |
rapidity, then were suddenly arrested by |
the blow OF another block Of ice. The /
vacillating and black tower reached one
of the arches, inclined itself 10 be en-
quilted, then stopped one moment.
This supreme pause seemed 10 awaken
Entine; she understood her position, and
the excess of terror gave back the force
of which terror had deprived her. She
ran to the window with extended arms,
calling for help.
Atsight Of her the spectators rushed
upon the parspet. All heads bent down,
all arms were extended. Vain attempt |
the window was too far. A murmur OF
pity and horror ran from place to place
The ice continued to accumulate against
the mill, and the gloomy mass sank
lower and lower. Clinging to the win
dow, tie young girl had lost all other
feeling but the desire to live She called
for help with sobs aud clAsped hands; |
but the mill still sunk Already its /
roof reached the level OF the vault,
when a man appeared on the paTapet.
IL was Andre, who, barely at Nantes,
where he had come to announce the
breakup, had thought Of the peril
the young girl might run in the mill Of
her aunt, and who came up at the very
moment that it was about to be en-
quilted. he understood all at a glance.
At two leaps he was above the arch
before which the will foated he let
himself slip the length of the arris Of the
buiress, reached one Of the large iron
rings, fastened in the stone, and holding
there with one hand reached the window.
As he extended his hand, the black
building heaved on the waters; he
prOfited by this movement, to seize the
young girl, whom he lifted out. Both
remained moment suspended over the
abyss but supreme effort carried Andri
to the relay of the butress with his bur
den. He had just laid her there when a
terrible roaring resounded at his feet,