The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-01-21
TIE NOBLE FLS Her BOY.


The 9th Of October, 1857, will long be re-
membered among the Labrador fishermen.
On that day an awful hurric me ragged along
the coast. The sea rose IN many places fifty
feet higher than it had ever been known 10
rise before. Gifts tina, had stood the buffet
Ing OF the waves without pereeptible change
Tor half century, gave way before the furious
rush oil the watery batiaons. Huge pou-
GERS that dozen men could not move, We're
hurled from their beds. and carried lar inland.
by the mighty swing Of ocean. Binding
snowdrifts and showers OF hail and rain &C
compenied the tempest. La a few hours thir-
" b hing vessels were driven ashore or swan
loved up in the boiling surees. Fifteen nun,
drpd hunan beings were sh'pWrecKto, ana
about forty OF these met Watery grave, or
persisted by cold and hunger on the lhnospit-
allie coast The product of months of ard
toll was swept away, and the poor fishermen
found themselves flung out sheteIless upon
the rocks, hundreds of miles from homa
One OF the fishing vessels, with large num-
Der OF men, women and children on board,
was caught in the stofm, and tried hard to
ride out the hurricane. After few hours of
fearful suspense she dragged her anchors and
was driven ashore. With great difficulty all
Oh board We're safely landed. Drenched with
rain, blinded by the snow drifts shivern5 in
49, SAt''ho poSt's thcy to'ti'u euSihoS'S~ VA
IN unnhabited part OF the coast, the nearest
liuts being nearly five miles distant. The
gloomy night closed in as the last OF them
was dragged ashore from the wreck. Their
Ouly hope lay in endeayoring to reach the dis
rant huts; and in the darkness and storm
they staggered on through the trackiess. VIII
derness. Who can picture the horrors OF that
night OF suffering to this forlorn band! When
the morning sun shone out nineteen of them
lay dead along the shore. A group of three
women aud two children clasped in one
apothei's arms and half buried in mud was
t"'1"d, all stiff aud stark in the icy embrace of
death.
During the darkness and confusion of land
ing, family of four young children were sep
arated from their parents, who sought for
them III vain, and at length gave them up for
lost. A boy Of fourteen, hearing the cries of
these poor little ones and finding they had
no guide or protector, resolved to do what he
could 10 save their lives. To reach the huts
with them being impossible, he made tie sbiv-
ering childrfn to lie down, locked in one
srlOher's arms; then he set to work resoute-
~, collecting moss, of which fortunately there
was a large quantity about, and pirg this
around them, layer upon layer, he at length
succeeded in excluding partially the piercing
cod. Fortunately, too, he found on the beach
the fragment OF an old sail which be spread
over all; and collecting more moss he increas
ed the rude covering until the poor little suf-
ferers ceased TO cry with the bitter cold, and
declared themselves more comfortable.
Through all the dreary hours of that awful
nieht that heroic boy stood alone by these
children, replacing their covering when the
wind scattered it, and cheering them with
words OF hope. He might have tried to es,
cape with the others, but he would not leave
his helpless charge. At length day dawned
btf I'm. I'd 10 tot II
the settlement 10 seek for aid. When about
half way he met the parents of the lost chill
dren, wild with grief, coming to search toI
their dead bodies, as tbev had no expectation
of finding them alive. The young hero quiet
ly told them what he had done to save them
and by bis directions they soon found the spot
wnele they lay. On removing the covering
of moss, thew found the little creatures snug
ard warm and In a refreshing sleep. What
words could picture ii Q wild joy of father and
mv.ue' al TIA, SIGHT! But alas on their way
back, near the spot where they had parted
with him, they found the noble boy who had
saved their chdren's lives at the expense oil
his own, king dead. Nature was exhausted
after the fatigue and exposure of the night
and unable to reach the friendly shelter he
sank down and expired.
The fol orn survivors Of that sbpwreck Gus
common grave on the bleak coast, and witt
forms of wives and children, OF brothers ano
friends. No coffin enclosed the dear remains
NJ sheet or shroud enveloped any form. Rev
erently the faces of the dead were covered
and earth given to earth. Then rocks were
piled above, TO keep off The prowling beasts O
prev. This was the only memorial to mark
their resting place. The young Lero, whose
tale have told, Was laid with the others in
this lopely grave.
Close beside him, as meet companion ir
death, they laid another form-that of youns
mother who was found dead on the shore
With iv NC infant c'iDgnc to her bosom
and endeavoiing TO draw nourishment froh
her breast sight that wrung tears from
men who seldom wept. With love stronee
than death, The poor mother had stripped her
self OF most OF her clothing, wrapping it roun,
her babe, and aspiDe it to her bosom so as t,
shelter it from the blast, she sank into tn
death-stupor. In the morning the uncon
s"'o"s babe was found playing with The breas
Of Its dead mother, and looked up smiling int
the faces that were wet with tears at tn
slghl--Boston Traveller.