The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-01
A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
An Exciting Incident During a Fresh
ct in the James River.

the Shenandoah, and other Virginia rivers,
recall to my memory an exciting incident
which l witnessed at Richmond more than
twenty years ago.
1t occurred at ''the falls''-opposite
which the city stands-a point at which
the river, rushing over a bed of rocks more
or less elevated above the surface, forms
variety of rapid streams, in which it
was at that time the habit of boys to
swim. When the river is low, these
streams are comparatively safe to the
bather, if he is a good swimmer; but,
when the current is swollen by rains, they
become very violent and dangerous-so
dangerous, indeed, that the best swim>
mers make haste to get ashore.
At the time mentioned l was bathing
in the falls, when the sudden rising of the
stream warned me of the coming danger,
and | hurried from the water In an in
conceivably brief space the river rose sew
eral feet; and half an hour afterward,
the whole breadth of the falls was roar
ing, raging, foaming mass of waves, dash.
ed against the Jagged rocks, to fall back
in clouds of foam. The spectacle was at
once beautiful and terrible. The citizens
had FASTENED down to witness the sight
crowds lined the bank and all eyes were
directed toward Mayo's Bridge, against
which the waves were beating With ever
increasing force-when suddenly intelli-
gence ran through the crowd that a boy,
who han been swimming, was caught on
a mass of rock, in mid current, in the
falls above.
With the rest hurried to the point of
interest, and reached the banks opposite
the rocks upon which the boy had taken
refuge. 1t rose about fifty yards from
the shore, and was already environed by
the raging current which boiled around
it, throwing up clouds of foam. The boy
was about sixteen, slender, entirely naked,
for his clothes had been washed away,
and we could see that he was white with
the anticipatatiou of swiftly>coming des
truction. He clung to mass of shrubs
growing out of the rock, and his eyes
were alternately turned to the furious tor
rent around him and upon the crowd on
shore.
Many hundred persons had quickly as
sembled, and each one hurriedly suggested
some means of rescue. None seemed
possible. No boat could live for mo-
ment in such torrent-the waves would
have dashed it to pieces against the rocks.
The only possible means of saving The
BOYS life seemed TO be for some one to
swim to him with rope but to attempt
that appeared 10 be going 10 certain death,
and, intense as the pity and sympathy of
the crowd had become, no one seemed
willing to essay the desperate enterprise.
Meanwhile the water steadily rose higher
and grew ever more threatening. Rocks
in the current-one large one especially
which a moment before had been visable
just above the surface, now entirely dis
appeared; the roaring waters steadily
crawled up the sides of the mass upon
which the boy stood, and at last the angry
waves washed his very feet as he clung
desparingly to the swaying shrubs. A
few moments now, all saw plainly, would
end the tragedy. The unhappy boy
would be quickly washed away or SUBJ
merged. In either event he would be
swept to the jagged lodges below and his
frail form dashed to pieces.
The excitement of the crowd had be-
came intense. Every one held his breath,
paralysed by this spectacle of a human
being about to be swept TO destruction.-
All at once, however, loud shout arose
Every one hastened to the spot where
man was throwing of, his clothes. A
brave spirit had resolved to attempt the
rescue of the boy, and hurried with the
rest to look at him. AS l reached him
he had stripped naked for the desperate
wrestIe. He was a tall, powerfully-forrn
ed young man, of twenty-five or three ap-
parently, an employee, it was said, in enc
of the great manufactures on the river,
aud his clear, brave eyes gave no signs of
fear. Without word he addressed HIM
self to his perilous work. Going up the
river bank one or two hundred yards
above, he tied the end of ball of twine
to his body, mounted upon ledge, made
a vigorous dive to reach the open current,
and rising struck out vigorously amid the
huge waves. The crowd shouted and
then held their breath, gazing at the fig
ure of the swimmer, who seemed like a
mere leaf upon the furious torrent. He
was swept along like lightning. dashed
over the huge hidden rock l have mention
ed, and through the great mass of foam
which marked it; moment afterward
another shout ascended, like roar, from
the crowd-the swimmer had reached the
rock whereon the boy stood, and had
clutched a hanging shrub which enabled
him to draw himself up out of the chal-
dron
We could then follow all his move.
ments They were rapid, decisive, and
self-possessed. Indeed, not an instap'
was to be lost. The water boiled ALREADY
over the fsumnit of the mass cf rock
above which the bending Shrubs wer,
now seen. The young man hastily drew
toward him the twine, to which those OF