The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-01-25

by ice and water. Their cries for helm.
which could not be rendered after dark,
were heard on the Shore Their cries
were heard also on the Hartford shore. and
soon the exciting news spread through
Havre de Grace. Too late to attempt a
rescue that night, the brave waterman who
are upon the river in the ducking and fish
ing season, made preparations for an ell
deavor the next morning to bring the fam
lilies to shore; and at day break nine brave
men set out to make the hazardous at
tempt. The correspondent of the Sun
gives the following graphic description of
the
RESCUE OF THE ISLANDERS
The rescue of the families imprisoned on
kerr's Island, above Port Deposit, whose
cries for help had enlisted such profound
sympathy on the main land. was the great
event of the day. In Port Deposit, Mr.. J.
J. Abrahams, of Baltimore, and Mr.. J.
Caveny, of Port Deposit, had offered
, 800 for the rescue of the islanders, but
there was no one to undertake the task.
In Havre de Grace, on Wednesday, how.
ever, rescue party, composed mainly of
!
went to Lapidum, and from that point ac-
complshed the difficult and honorable feat.
| The expedition was organized and headed
by John Leitheiser, who on Tuesday even
| ing last called for volunteers among his
| comrads. In few moments at least q
dozen brave and hardy men enrolled them
selves, and all the necessary preparations
| for the next day, when it was resolved to
attempt the rescue, were made.
The party met at 6 o'clock on Wednes-
day morning, when a two horse wagon was
loaded with the life-saving appurtenances.
These consisted of two good sized lifeboats,
covered with tin. Upon the bottom of
each boat were three wooden runners,
covered with iron plates in sled style, de-
| signed as means of passing the boats
over the ice during the winter season. A
number of boat hooks and coil of rope
| 800 feet in length were also provided. and
with these the party set out Owing to
the funeral of Mrs. Duke, no second wag-
on could be procured to convey the men:
but nothing daunted, they decided to start
on foot ard walk the distance necessary,
which they did, going around and over the
| hills-the river road being blocked up-a
distance of seven miles to the village of
Lapidum.
OUT ON THE ICE GORGE.
The party proceeded thence about mile
higher up, to Bells Ferry, at the site of
the old Susquehanna turnpike bridge.
which was washed away in the great flood
of 1857, being met on the way by persons,
men and women, who begged them not to
attempt SO foolhardy an undertaking, and
declaring that the ice gorge had moved on
ly twenty minutes previous. The "duck-
| Al.
island, and one of the number, a gray-hair-
ed old fellow of sixty years, replied,
"Never mind lis, we're all right; we'll
cross that ERE ice or go under it," and
cross it they did, as the sequel shows. The
boats were gotten out, placed on the ice
gorge. which was nineteen feet above ordi-
nary water level, and the following party
were assigned to manage them: John Lei
theser, John Mahan, Grafton Day, VIM.
Dobson, John KurtZ, John Cameron, John
Teppish, Albert Raisin and Chas. W. Hub
bar d.
The whole party stripped off their coats,
attached the rope to the first boat, and
thence to the second, leaving John and
Robert Mitchell and John T. Ives to handle
the ropes on shore. The start was then
made. at about A. NJ, and crowd of
perhaps fifty persons, who had assembled
on Shore watched with breathless anxiety
the slow and labored progress of the party.
At distance of one hundred yards from
shore John Cameron went through the ice,
but chung to the boats side, and was soon
up again. \ few feet further and the for
ward boat lurched and seemed to sink, when
John Mahan, another of the party, was
himself "gorged" in the ice, but was
quickly pulled out, dripping with the ice
cold waters.
OUT OF SIGHT.
When about three hundred feet from
shore crevice in the gorge was encounter
ed, so deep that when the boats descended
it they were entirely out of sight of those
on Shore and the men say that nothing
could be seen but "ice and sky" Those
on shore were disposed to pull in tile rope,
but in a few moments the boats reappear-
ed and were again mounted on the high
gorge.
Thus up and down, over the hummocks
they worked on. and in one hour reached
"Wood's Island,' which was almost en-
tirely submerged, having played out 450
feet of the rope. The rope was then tied
fast to tree Oh Woods Island for the re-
turn. A shout from shore was cheerily
answered by the brave duckers. Crossing
the water space of this island 100 yards,
they again mounted the gorge, and shouted
for an answer from the family on Kerr's
Island, about 200 yards away. Receiving
no answer, some of the party concluded
the unfortunates had persisted, but they
pushed on and reached the island, over
which the water was flooded five to eight
feet deep.
THE FLOODED FARMHOUSE.
II l. Nf g
Island. who were in boat padding from
the farmhouse to the stable, saw the rescue
party, and gave them hearty welcome
The farmhouse, which is plain two-story
dwelling, situated on rising ground, had
been submerged about two feet. but by the
fall in the river, there was but little water
in the dwelling at the time of the arrival of
the expedition.
The party was met at the doorway by the
women and children who shed tears of Joy
over the gallant men who had come to their
rescue, one of the ladies. Mrs. Charles Rob
erts, exclaiming "Thank God, our prayers
are answered; we prayed all night, with
the waters around us for help, and you've
come, you've come" 1t was with the ut
most difficulty that she could be quoted,
but her companion, the cooler of the two
ladies, came to the rescue and at once pre-
partitions were made to leave the house.
THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF HORROR.
From the elder of the Roberts brothers
is received a brief story of their experiences.
The last visit made to the main land was
on Wednesday of last week, when a stock
of groceries and provisions was laid in, and
from that time until Wednesday the whole
family had been, as it were, imprisoned
within the dwelling. The island flooded
badly on Friday and Saturday, and on
Sunday the water rose to the first floor of
the house On Monday the water was two
feet deep in the house, and the family were
driven to the second story, where fire was
started and they managed to cook food suf-
ficient for their wants.
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday the
hours, both day and night, seemed weeks
of suspense. The men communicated with
the barn, to feed their stock, in boats, and
whenever an opportunity offered they shout
ed for help from those on shore: but as time
wore on, and the water grew higher, hope
seemed to die out and death appeared a
certainty. Within the house were two
ladies and four children, crushed with des-
pair, who spent the greater part of the