The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-10-06

AN Incident IN THE FREsHET OF lS47.-
During the great flood of lS47 the Ohio river
so far overleaped the bounds of prOpriety as to
come up to Pearl street without any invita-
tion, great many dwellings located on the
river banks were swept away and came float
ing down on the pitiless tide. Loss of life not
unfrequently attended these disasters, as when
a family, unconscious of their danger, were
asleep in their beds when the waters rose about
their house and lifting it from its foundations
bore it away amid the darkness and the tur-
bulent flood.
On the west bank of the Ohio at that time,
between Marietta and Pomeroy stood an hum
Bile dwelling occupied by a small farmer and
his wife, together with FIVE children, the youn-
gest an infant girl little over year old .
The river rose during the night, while the fam
lily were in bed. The rocking of the house as
the surging waves claimed it, awoke the in
mates, and through great and hasty exertions
the farmer was enabled to get all his family,
as he supposed, to place of safety, though he
lost everything else. Standing on a little emf
nence near by he saw, through the gloom of
that dreadful night, his house with all its con-
tents yield itself to the grasping and avaricious
flood and float down the river, where it was
soon lost in darkness. He supposed that all
that their infant girl was missing.
In the confusion and excitement of the move
ment the baby was left asleep on its bed, and
had been swept away to destruction with the
house. Great was the grief of the parents at
the loss of their youngest born, and although
due efforts were made to learn whether or not
she had been rescued, nothing was heard of
her, and it was very naturally supposed she
was drowned in the river.
Such, however, was not her fate. A hun
dred miles below where his dwelling was swept
away, some people on the river bank the next
morning saw something peculiar floating down
on the current. They thought it was the form
of an infant. A boat was procured and the OBJ
ject indeed was found to be an infant girl
sleeping calmly and profoundly upon bed.
She was taken in charge by family in the
vicinity, who took such means as they knew to
ascertain to whom the child belonged, but
there was no clue to guide them, and soon
the little waif that had foated down to them
came to be considered as their own child
They adopted her the more readily perhaps,
on account of being themselves childlesss, and
because of their sympathies being greatly
excited by the peculiar circumstances of the
case-an infant floating all that night of ter
rible storm, amid wrecks of bridges and dwell
lings, protected from danger by an unseen
power, Iual secluGu " ulItCl HcE " tHtH lONc
and care. 1t may seem strange to the reader
that the parents were not found for the child,
or the whereabouts of the child made known
to them but it must be remembered that news
papers were not so numerous or accessible
twenty years or so ago, as now, and that peo-
pie didn't advertise the lost as they do now.
Besides, all the parties were in humble life,
and their circle of acquaintance, as well as
their means, were very limited.
Meanwhile the waif grew into a beautiful
girl, and became as dear to her adopted pa
rents as though she was their own. She had
mourned for mamma" a little time, but ere
long all recollections of her early surroundings
were but dim and shadowy, and her new pa
rents and her new home became all-in-all to
her. few years and the family moved into
Illinois, settling on farm near Chicago. The
man prospered there, and was enabled TO give
his beautiful Ohio river founding an education
fitting her graces of person, her amiabilty and
her virtues. A short time ago her hand was
sought in marriage by worthy young farmer
in the vicinity of where she lived consent OBJ
tanned and the happy day appointed. One day
the family were in Chicago purchasing her
wedding outfit. At dry goods store a clerk
who was waiting on them observed our heroine
intently, and seemed singularly affected-so
much so as to attract attention.
4" Excuse me, ne SAID, IN some CONFUSION,
addressing the young lady, don't be offended
at my staring at you, but the truth is you are
the perfect picture of sister Of mine at home,
and couldn' help thinking you looked just as
another sister of mine would have looked, who
was swept down the Ohio in a great freshet
and lost.
The words attracted the attention Of the
young lady's adopted parents. The resem-
blance spoken of, and the incident Of the fresh
ct in conjunction, could hardly have failed to
do that Explanations followed, and it was
pretty satisfactorily concluded that the clerk
and the young lady were brother and sister, as
indeed, was afterwards proved to be the case.
Her parents, too, had emigrated to Illinois,
and lived not far from her own home. The
families were brought together, and what was
before believed to be true, was established be-
yond question, when the bed ON which the
child was found was produced, and the gar
ments she wore for what frugal housewife
wouln't recognize one of her own beds, and
what IN other would not remember the garments
worn by her favorite babe?
There is little more to tell. Our heroine was
married to the husband of her choice last week,
and had the satisfaction of having her own as
well as her adopted parents at the wedding.
We don't consider it necessary to give the
names of the parties. but the story is a true
one, and we had the facts from one who is
Thoroughly conversant with them.-CineiRnati
Times, August 12th.