Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-30
A NIGHT OF HORROR.

An Incident of the Recent Flood In
COnnecticut-A True Hero.
From the Waterbury Conn., American, April %
The rain on Monday was unusually Sc
we're further North, where it fell during
the entire day, melting the snow drifts
and swelling the streams and rivulets
to large size. The Naugatuck common
ced rising about noon, and after sunset
filed its banks and came pouring in tor
rents over the roads. As usual, it filed
the space between the iron bridge and the
Manhan, covering the road to the depth
OF several feet washing out the earth.
and rendering travel impossible. This
place was the scene of a tragedy during
the night, which resulted in the death of
one man and the hair-breadth escape of
another.
Andrew Gillian, the line repairer of the
Western Union Telegraph Company, left
this city on Monday neon for Newton, to
repair break in the line. He took with
him as an assistant a friend named John
Ray, poor man, somewhat advanced in
life, whom Gillian has furnished with
home for some time past After accom-
plishing their work at Newton, they
started TO return, about Z o'clock in the
evening, and came through without
trouble TO West Side hill While de-
scending the hill, Gillian saw through the
darkness the meadows all white before
them, and, not thinking of a freshet,
called the attention of his companion to
them, and both pronounced it a mist or
fog-a very natural inference. The
hrrso rr-nllya1 H.
reaching the eastern side started on a
brisk trot. He had hardly gone tworods,
however, before he plunged into the boil
ing waters of the flood, dragging the car
rage with him. The remainder of the
story we viii give in the words of the
survivor:
81 said, Immediately, Good God,
John, it's water; would give anything
if we were back on the bridge Its too
late, said he, pray for your soul, Andy.
Then the water commenced to swing the
carriage down stream, and as it swung
l turned the horses head up stream, as
the carriage kept swinging, hoping TO get
him headed for the bridge again, but it
was no use; the str am kept carrying us
further and further back, until horse and
all were carried over the side. Then
tried to say my prayers, and heard John
praying, Heard him say, God have
mercy of Mary Gillian CHATS my wife,
and her little children Then the carri-
age went over on its side and carried us
both under water. After some trouble, l
broke through the side curtain and got my
head out of water; then | reached in and
got hold of John, and pulled him up, too.
| told him not TO give up, that we had
one more chance, which was to catch
hold of a tree near by. We were carried
out of the carriage then and as we passed
tree ! caught for it, but missed the first
one. There was another one close by
and got my arm around il, and got hold
of John by the neck and drew him up to
me. Then the carriage floated down to
us, so that we stood on a part of it.
Just about this time the horse gave his
last struggle. Then | hallooed for help
and told John TO halloo. But he was
nearly used up and said he had not time
TO halloo. He told me to think of my
soul. / told him to halloo and we
might be saved yet. He said il would
do no good. that the cold water was
hLlAiAS nun. lH6u boiu ulll W udllOO
and it would warm him and make his
blood circulate, but he was too much ex-
hausted. About u o'clock, after we had
been In the water about half an hour, a
man came with a lantern from the Mahan,
and went, as supposed, for help. About
two hours after, as near as can Judge, |
heard voices near the Mahan calling to us,
but could not understand them. l called
to them if they could send any help to do
il soon, as we couldn't hold out much
longer. About this time John began to let
90 of the tree. | changed my hold, and
lifted him up, and held him by the col
lar of his coat until l found that he was
entirely dead; then, as | was nearly tuck
cred out, | did not try to hold him up
any longer, but fastened my finger through
button-hole to try to keep the body near
me. / held him this way until nearly
daylight, when l either tainted or slept
for minute, and woke with start which
loosened my hold, and he disappeared.
At daylight, Mr.. John Clark came from
West Side hill, and after seeing the con-
ditiOn of things brought another man
with some ropes, which they fioated down
TO me with rail, and after | got hold
pulled me ashore"
Gillian managed to drag himself to his
home, on Maple street. where his strength
failed him, and his friends relieved him
NOf his drenched garments, and put him to
bed, wnere he must remain for some days.
We have given his story nearly in full, as
he tells of such a night as few men ever
endure, and none ever forget. 1t also tells
of wonderful endurance, and of self-sa-
crificing effort to save the life Of friend.
Gillian has the stuff in him of which he
roes are made. When our reporter visited
him, yesterday, he was lying in bed, faint
and weak, but he seemed chiefly affected
at the fate of his friend Ray, and by the
fact that, when the danger was most i'm.
mincuf, the deceased found time to pray
for the wife and children of his friend.
As the water subsidized, the body of Ray
was found in a hole Gear the tree, along
side the horse and buggy.