The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-04-02

at this obstacle In Is career, the swollen
river dashed right and left along the river
street, flooding houses, running into eel
lara and doing incalculable mischief in q
few minutes.
aShe's risen foot an hour since ten
o'clock" man said close by my elbow /;
1 and as started and changed color, Harris
| caught my arm, and whispered eagerly"
f" Will all be safe at home ?"
"Come on" said, huskily; for it now
struck me that mad treated the flood in
too cavalier manner, and that, after al,
the Mill, if not in danger, would be 80 far
flooded as to drive its inmates up stairs,
and frighten them almost to death. Bat l
had no occasion to hurry my friend, for
he was in the hotel yard before was, and
heard him order horse to be saddled as
well AZ mine. &
"Where to, sir ?" said the head hostler.
"Pikehurst Mill" said my friend, hur-
riedly.
did not speak, but I was 80 glad of the
friendly act that gave Harris hand q
warm squeeze, one which he returned in
way which showed how thoroughly we
understood one another.
For Heavens sake, be smart, men p l
said, as the second hostler brought out one
horse saddled, the other man having dis
appeared into the house; but he now re-
turned with the landlord, who said to Har-
ris in quiet, respectful way: "1mpos-
sible to get to the mill this afternoon, sir
| Can't, with Justice to myself, let horse of
mine go, sir.''
! What 81 shouted Harris, fercely.
Why, sir, the beast -cnid be drowned,
certain sure, if you attempted 1t. But
you don't mean the Mill, itself, do you,
sirY"
"Never mind. Harris" sale, for 1 was
mounted -"I I'll 60 on"
shouted. Here, MI. Ellis, what is your
Thirty pounds, to me, sir" said the
msn.
"l1l pay you that if injure the beast"
said Harris, eagerly. "Now, saddle it
quickly" ~.-.----
"And suppose You den't-don't get
back, sir?" said the msn, ominously. If
you'll take my advice, you'll both of you
stop here, or else &c in boat"
Harris reply was to run into the bar,
seize the pen, ink and paper, and write a
promissOry note for the amount named,
which he thrust into the landlords hands
and the next minute we were Gathering
down the street toward the old stone
bridge. which we crossed just in time, for,
half sT isour after, pier gave way from
the fearful pressure, and a side arch crum-
bled into the running food.
ALI the lower parts of the town were
| under water, and the cold sweat rose upon
my forehead as saw that two or three
| houses had regularly sunk down into the
cur ale in dozens of places, people
W taken out of the upper VIM
= : Ito carts and coats for thought
u the Mill and ths mighty stream beating
upon the great pile at the island head
while remembering the fate of the iron
bridge, and wondered whether, if it were
, swept away, the horses would swim the
current, for now in our slow progress, with
the water, in some places, above their
girths, they snorted and shivered, and
more than once stood trembling and afraid
to proceed. But there was no mercy for
them. Whip and spur forced them on till
We we're on terra firma once more, and
side by side, GONG up the hill at a brisk
galiop, Harris pale, with his teeth set, an
swering my every remark with monOsyl-
liable, as he pressed on till we were
high above the watery waste, and could
now see the ruin and devastation around.
Everywhere water-rushing water-ed-
dying Whitewater covered with ruins
portions of haystacks, heaps of straw, here
floating slowly down the mighty stream,
there grounding, and then turning as if
upon an axis, till foated off once mere,
and continuing their course. Now and
then we could make out swimming ami
mails, and more than once carcasses; while
In several places cattle stood on ever less
ening islands, lowing diSmally. Carts,
FACETS, planks, thatch from cottages, fences,
and now and then huge trees, torn out of
the banks, foated down the stream; while
the height to which the water had risen
since left home, made my heart sink as
we pressed on.
"Don't spare him." shouted to Harrie,
as his horse refused to cross lane along
which the water rushed fercely and deeply
for minute; but he swan boldly till he
touched bottom again. But my words
were unnecessary, for ut the same moment
the frightened beast leaped into the yellow
stream and dashed across
We were now in the lower ground again
but the road once more 2scended, till We
reached the toll gate, where the man shook
his head ominously as he saw me, and said
something; but without studying the pay
ment of toll, we had galloped through.
Another mile brought US in sight of the
ing, and even at that distance, to my hor-
ror, could see that the sitting.room win
dows were nearly covered. Harris must
have seen it ct the same moment for he
whipped his horse smartly, and we gal
loped hard down the long hill, till reach
ing the valley through which the river
ran, we were stopped by the water, and
stood looking for q favorable place to try
and reach the bridge.
"Better come little lower down here"
I said.
What for :" said Harris, huskily.
"To reach the bridge"
"Where is it ?" he said despairingly.
started, for as I looked along the track
of the rushing water, there was no bridge
visible, and my worst fears were realized
Some here" said Harris, dashing
through the water to turn in the road
where the Mill could easily be seen and
| on reaching this spot. we could see, about
| five hundred yards lower down, the place
we sought to reach, with the waters just
covering the sitting-room windows, and
| figures in the bedroom making signs for
help / suppose they saw Us then; but all
seems so mixed up in one strange whirl,
that hardly know how the occurrences of
the next few hours took place.
Moved as it were by one impulse, Har-
ris and forced our horses into the water
with the full intention of trying to swim
them till we could float down to the win
dows, and then try and bring off two of
the endangered lives but the snorting,
| terrified beasts dashed back in spite of all
| orr efforts Harvias borco n1uprino O., Fl, RI