Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-04-05
n sTRUGGLE FOR LIFE.

Thirteen miles east of Cochecton, Sul-
livan county, n. Y, up among the pine
and hemlock hills of Sullivan county, in
the town of Bethel is Black Lake, one of
those small inland lakes for which the
country is noted, and named on account of
the very dark color of its waters. A tan
merry is erected here, and scattered here
and there in the forest and clearings are
the homes of the laborers at the tannery,
making quite a settlement about the lake.
There, in that quiet and solitary spot, was
witnessed within the past week a scene
that called forth the exhibition of those
qualities of courage and endurance, which
are the pride of the backwoodsman, TO a
degree that has no parallel in the annals of
courageous deeds. The children Of some
of the employees lat the tannery had gath
cred at the house OF one of them, where
they enjoyed themselves until nearly eve
ming, one day this week. Two little girls,
Helen Brooks, daughter of William C.
Brooks, foreman of the tannery, and Hat
tie Schoonmaker, proceeding home from
the party, took "short cut" across the
lake, which is frozen over, and was consid
cred safe. When they had reached almost
the other shore Hattie broke through the
ice, and in trying to help her out Helen
slipped in too. They both sank, and when
they came up, according to James Kilcain,
a lad fifteen years old, who was working
few rods from the shore, they were en-
twined in each others arms. Young Kill
cain at once started towards the hole in the
ice, with the intention of giving the girls
all the assistance in his power. When he
reached them they were struggling to grasp
the ice. Kilcan got hold of them, and had
them half way out of the water when the
ice gave way beneath him, and all three
were plunged beneath the chilling water.
When they camo up the lad began shout
ing for assistance. James Brooks, who
was in the woods near by, now came upon
the scene. 1t was his sister in the water
with the others, and he ran to help her. In
reaching out he slipped into the water.
Both girls had been clinging to young Kill
cain, and he was fast becoming exhausted
with his efforts to keep them and himself
above the surface. When the other boy
fell in his sister let go of Kilcan, and
twined herself around her brother. He
tempted TO reach one edge of the ice. 1t
would break away with the combined
weight of him and his sister, and tired him
so that he desisted, and the two boys be-
gan shouting for aid. Thomas Burt, an
other boy, was attracted by the cries, and
ran to the edge of the ice, and instantly
bro through. There were now five OF
them in the water, all struggling fearfully
for life. A man named Max Deseker, a
brawny wood chopper, hearing the shouts
of the children when he was working in
the woods, ran down to the lake shore, and
beheld the situation. lie had his little
five-year old son with him, and telling
him to remain quiet on the Shore rushed
TO the struggling little ones in the water
only TO share their fate. As soon as ht
plunged into the water both little girls
grasped hold of his coat, and he was keep
ing them afioat when his little son, terri
fed at seeing his father in the water jump
ed in and grasped him around the neck
The whole settlement had now been at
tracted to the shore of the lake and thu
widest excitement prevailed. Womer
fainting, crying and praying; men shout
ing, and the chilled, falling persons in thu
water battling with death, that stared then
IN the face. Men shouted to do this ant
do that, and between it all, nothing wa
done to aid them. When Deseker foun'
his little boy about his neck he seized hin
in his powerful arms, kissed him severa
times. and with d look Of despair threw
him far out upon the ice, where he wa