Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-06-28

The following extract from letter
from Mrs. II. c. Bates, who, In COM
pany with her children and sister Car
RE Foster, is now on visit to her
mother in western Iowa, may not be
unlnterest:ng to our readers partic-
ularly to the portion who may contem-
plate emigrating toward the setting
SUM-
"OUT WEST" June 10th, 1873.
In going from
Onawa, the last railroad station, to
our destination at Smithland, we were
obliged to cross the little Sioux river,
tributary of the Missouri, which it
joins but few miles from the place of
our crossing, the distance from Onawa
to SmithlaAd, being about twenty
miles, there have been heavy and
frequent rains in this country for the
past six weeks, and the bottom land
is so overlooked as to render it neces.
sary to make some ten miles of the
distance in II boat. When about nalf
the distance had been accomplished
the sky suddenly grew very dark and
the wind began to blow furiously the
men who were with us knew only too
well what danger we were in, and that
there was no time to be lost. A short
distance from us there was place
built up, which they called the prairie
bridge; this was out Of water and it
seemed our only hope, our lives de-
pending upon reaching it before the
fury OF the gale overlook us. This
after much difficulty and hard labor
was accomplished, not however unit
the wind had so increased in fury as
to dash the waves high over us drench-
ing our clothing and nearly filling and
sinking the boat. The nurse lamp [
had with. me was all the dish they had
to dip water with, and | think a lamp
never was more useful, as but for it,
the boat must have been filled and
sunk, and we all been drowned.
When we reached the thing they call
ed bridge, only the highest part of
which was out Of water, the men took
us on their shoulders and carried us
through the water to it, having first
fixed place for us to cling to, that
we might withstand the wind which
was the fiercest / ever saw. Baby
and Dick were both as wet as were
Carrie and I, and l think there was
not q dry thread Of clothing on either
ofus. Here we were obliged to stand
Tor about halfan hour, by which time
the wind had somewhat abated. We
again started having some six miles,
more to 60 and being at that time out
of sight of land. When we Lad got
about half way from the bridge to the
shore we were all again terribly start
led by signs of another hurricane, but
alas there was now no bridge to flee
too, and the water was some forty
feet deep The men then told us that
unless we could reach shallow water
before the storm overlook us we must
surely be lost in spite of every effort
they could make. The wind had now
so increased as to dash the waves
over the top of the boat and the men
were obliged to lay down their ours.
as they could do no good with them,
and dip water as fast as they could
with the small dish that they had, the
boat drifting at the mercy of the wind
We were all terribly frightened, the
rain now began to pour down inJtor.
rents, but the wind had carried the
boat to shallow water, and the mer
getting out, where the water was NJ
to their necks, chung to the boat, ant
kept it afoat till the wind had some
what abated. The gale was quite
fierce with us, but the worst did MOI
reach us, or we must surely have beer
drowned; as it was we had very
narrow escape. When the wind haC
quieted down so we dared to star
again, we did so, but the rain still
came down as fast as ever. 1t wa.
very hard work for the men as there
was but two besides our brother Mar
tin, and the wind was against them
When we came in sight Of our landing
place, we saw man with q pair o
mules awaiting us on the shore, h,
swung his hat and shouted to us t.
cheer us on, and driving his mule
which were harnessed to four Wagon
wheels into the water nearly owe
their heads, he met us, and fastening
the boat to the wagon with chain
thus drew us to the shore, he haC
learned that mother was expecting u.
that way and had harnessed up hi
mules and come about eight miles Il
meet us, and for about two hours hac
awaited our coming in the wind ant
rain. The boat was then taken from
the water and placed upon the Wagon
ard we again re-embarked, not for ;
good wagon ride on dry land, al
there was none, the mud being fully
knee deep. In this manner we rode t.
The house of the man who had met MS
getting there at dark, where we were