Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-01-19
A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
pY JOHN EsTgS COOKE.

ny JOHN EsTgy COOKE.
The recent terrible freshets in tue
James. the Shenandoah.' and other vir-
ginia rivers, recall to my memory an ex-
citing Incl 'ent which witnessed in Rich
mond more than twenty years ago.
Il occurred at, .the falr'-oppcsi,e
which the river, rushing over bed Of
J ezssS II znnssAor ls~G1uN1 11amSw>ss sxrs
face, 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 70 the bath
er. if he is good swimmer; but, when
the current : swollen BY rains, they be-
come very violent and dangerous. indeed
that the best swimmers make haste TO ge,
to shore.
At the time mentioned | was bathing
in the falls, when the sudden rising Of the
stream warned me Of the coming danger,
and hurried from the water In m in
conceivably brief space, the river rose
several feet; and. half an hour af,crwarl,
the whole breadth Of the falls was roar
ing, raging, foaming mass of waves, dash
ed against the jagged rocks, 10 fill 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 hank and all eyes were
directed toward Mayo's Bridge, agains,
which tue waves We're beating with ever
increasing force-when suddenly intelli-
gerce ran through the crowd that boy
who had been a swimming, was caught
on mass of rock, in mid current, in the
fall above.
With the rest I hurried to the point OF
interest, and reached the banks opposite
the rock upon which the boy had taken
refuge. Ii rose about ffty- yard. from
the shore, and was already cnvironed by
the raging current which boiled around
it, throwing up clouds ot foam. The boy
was about sixteen. slender, entirely ma
ked, for his clothes had been washed
away: and we could see that he was white
vita the anticipation of swii,ly-coniing
destruction. He clung to small mass
Of shrubs growing out Of the rock, ami
his eyes were alternately turned upon the
furious current around him: and upon
the crowd on shore.
Many hundred persons had quickly as
sembled, and each one hurriedly suggcs-
ted some means Of rescue. None seemed
possible. No bost could live for n mo-
ment i'll such Z torrent-thc waves would
have dashed it to pieces against the rocks.
The only possible means OF saving tie
boys life seemed to be for some one 10
swim to Lin: with rope; hut to attempt
lhaJ appeared 10 bc going 20 certain death:
and, intense as the pity and sympathy OF
the crowd had become, no one seemed
willing to essay toe desperate enterprise.
Meanwhile ihe water steadily rose high
c., and grew ever more threatening. -
Rocks in tie current enc large ore espe-
ciGll which : moment before lad been
visible just beneath the surfacc, now en-
t;rcly disappeared: tic roaring waves
steadily crawlcd up the sides of The rlass
upon which the boy stood and 1T last
the angry waves washed his very feet as
he clung dcspairingly to the swaying
shrubs. \ fcw moments now, all saw
plainly, would end tie tragedy. The uu-
happy !ad would be quickly washed away
or submerged. In either event lie would
be swept to the jagged lelgcs below, and
his frail form dashed 10 pieces
The excitement of the crowd had now
become intense. Every one held hi.
breath, paralyzed BY this spectacle of u
human being about to be swept to des.ruc-
ton. All at once, however. loud shou!
arose. Every one hastencd to iho spot
where a man was throwing off his clothes.
A brave spirit had resolved to attempt the
rescue of the boy; aud / hurried with the
rest to look at him. AS | had reached
him he had stripped naked for the des.
peratc wrestle. lie was tall. powerful.
/ iy-iorned young man OF twenty-five OF
three apparently, an employee, it wa!
said, in one Of the great manufactures on
the river, and his clear. brave eyes CAV,
no sign Of fear. Without a word he ad.
dressed himself to his perilous work -
Going up the riyer-bank one or two hur,
drel yards above, lie tied the end of /:
bali of twine to his body, mounted upoT
4 ledge, made a vigorous dive to reaci
the open current, and rising struck ou
vigorously amid the huge waves. Th,
crowd shouted, aud then held their breath
gazing st the figure of the swimmer, wht
seemed mere leaf upon the furious tor
rent. He swept along like lightning
dashed over the huge hidden rock hay,
=,entioned. and through the great mass o
foam which marked it; a moment after
ward, another shout assembled. Ike roar
from the crowd-;he swimmer hal reach
ed the rock whereon the boy stood. an,
had clutchei a hanging shrub which en-
abled him to draw himself up out of th,
cauliron.
4 We could then follow all his move
ments. Indeed. not an instant was to b
lost. The water boiled already over tn
summit of the mass Of rock. above which
only the bending shrubs were now seen
The young man hastily drew toward him
the twiae, 10 which those on shore ha,
attached rope Of the size of garden
line. The rope at last reached him; b
clutched it slmos; fercely. tied il aroan
the boys waist, then in the same manner
secured j, around bis person-he in al
vanee-and then, just as the ''hell Of VI
tcrs" foaned up around him, surg.ng waist
high, he threw himself into the current
drawing The boy after him toward til
: shore. where hundred hands were dras
ging at the rope.
: That few moments struggle with ii
fury of tic food was one of the INST cS