The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-01-13
a NOBLE FEsE Eg sRGY.

The 9th of October, 1857, will long be
remembered among the Labrador fisher
men. On that day an awful hurricane
ragged along the coast.
One of the fishing vessels, with large
number Of men, women and children on
board, was caught in the storm, and tried
hard to ride out the hurricane, After
few hours Of fearful suspense, she dragged
her anchors and was driven on shore
With great difficulty all on board were
safely landed. Drenched with rain,
blinded by the snow drifts, shivering in
;he cutting blasts, they found themselves
on an uninhabited part OF the coast, the
nearest huts being five miles distant.
The gloomy night closed in as the last
of them was drsgged ashore from the
wreck. Their only hope lay in endeav,
oring to reach the distant huts, and in the
darkness and storm they staggered on
through the trscklcss wilderness. Who
can picture the horrors of that night of
suffering TO this forlorn band
When the morning sun shone out, nine-
teen of them lay dead along the shore.
\ group of three women and two children,
ctasped in Que another's arms, and half
buried in the mud, was found all stiff and
stark in the icy embrace of death.
During the darkness and confusion OF
landing, family of four young children
were separated from their parents, who
sought for them in 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 &c
what be could to save their lives. Tc
reach the huts with them being impossi-
| bic, he made the shivering children lie
! down, locked in each others arms ther
lie set to work resoutely collecting moss,
of which, fortunately, there was a large
quantity about, and piling this around
them, layer upon layer, he at length sue
ceeded in excluding partially the piercing
cold.
Fortunately, too, he found on the beact
| the fragment of an old sail, which ht
spread over all, and collecting more moss
| he increased the rude covering until thu
poor little sufferers ceased to cry with th'
bitter cold, and declared themselves NOR,
comfortable.
Through all the weary hours of tha
awful night, that heroic boy stood alon
by these children, replacing their cover
ing when the wind scattered it, and cheer
ing them with words of hope II nigh
have tried to escape with the others, bu
he weuld not leave his helpless charge.
AT length the day dawnsd, and then b
turned his tottering stops toward the set
Element to seek for aid When abou
half way, be met the parents of the los
children wild with grief, coming to searcl
for their dead bodies, as they had no ex
pectaiion of finding them alive.
The young hero quietly told them wha
be had done to save them, aud by his di
rections they soon found the spct wher
they lay. On removing the covering 0
moss they found the little creatures snu
and warm, and in refreshing sleep.
What words could picture the wild jo
Of father and mother at that sight? But
alas on their way back, near the spo
where they had parted with him, the.
found the noble boy who had saved thei
children's livss st the expense of his own
living dead. Nature was exhausted afto
the fatigue and exposure of the night, and
unable to reach the friendly shelter, b
sank dows and expired.