The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-05
SAVED By sT0TE-PIPE.

1t was my lot once to reside in a
country village some six miles from
the village of -. 1t was before
/ the days of railroads, and we were
accustomed to reach the place by the
Providence coach, which passed thro'
the village daily going 10 the city in
the morning and returning in the even
ing, SO as to make it very convenient
for our villagers to go to the city and
transact their business and return by
the stage in the afternoon with their
purchases.
Between the city and our village
ran small creek, in which the tide
water flowed. This was crossed by a
bridge with a draw, the latter for the
accommodation of the small craft
which belonged to town further up
the stream. Below the bridge was
the steam boat landing for the adjacent
city, and deep water.
At the time of my story it was late
in October A spell of frosty weather
had reminded us that winter was com
ing on, and that our stoves must be
set up and our arrangements for warm
ing the house put i'll order, So | was
instructed by my spouse to procure
the necessary pipe for our parlor stove,
and be sure to have the joints perfect
ly tight, for the green wood sometimes
distilled pyroligeOus acid, which drip
ping through leaky pipe spoiled our
carpet. The necessary pipe included
an elbow with one straight joint fitted
to one end and two to the other. |
am necessarily particular on this point,
because as the reader Will perceive, on
the same stove-pipe the whole interest
of my story turns.
As usual at this season of the year
the tinman was greatly pressed with
business and my job was only com
pleted at the last moment. Selling
my irOnware and some other purchas-
es, | hurried to the stage Office, just
in time to find the coach all filled and
only room for me on top. Here |
seated myselfwith my purchase around
me, and soon, Tor convenience sake, l
began to arrange my commodities in
the most compact manner. The stove
pipe held bolt upright by my side,
! and some rolls of batting which had
!
! comfortable, | stuffed into the short
er joint of the pipe for convenience
sake. | had all my traps snugly ar
ranged just as the stage reached the
draw bridge but there misfortune
overlook me.
A schOOnerhad just passed through
the draw, and by Carelessness of the
! bridge tender, the gate was left a little
ajar The driver was making good
time, was in excellent spirits (having
met several friends in the city of con
viyial habits, cracked his whip just
as he struck the bridge, the team
sprang forward, the wheels Of the
coach struck suddenly into the gap left
| between the two arms of the draw,
came out with bound, tilted the coach
on one side for a moment, just long
enough to slide me and the luggage Oh
top off into the water, and passed on.
The driver was just drunk enough
to see that by great luck he had escaped
an upset, and too careless to see if any
real damage was done. The passen-
| gers inside had the curtains down to
| keep the cold out, and saw nothing.
! u > lOI ululStIl, L W ~ III lIlC hAbCl Oti
! tho lounr, si,le ef tl.e L-iIee, entirely
! beyond my depth, the tide running
out like a mill-race, clinging for dear
life to my stOve-pipe, and shouting at
the top of nv voice to the stage-driver
to hold on and not leave me to drown.
All in vain. The team was on a fast
trot, and soon hurried the coach dri-
yer and all, beyond the sound of my
voice, and l was left alone in the
water
1t was time to look around me and
learn my present position. As L
slipped from the stage | unconscious
ly clung to the stove-pipe by my side,
and it went overheard into the water
with me. Now, under ordinary cir
cumstances a stoVe-pipe is not remark
ably buoyant nor well adapted to a life
preserver, but by the merest accident
| had fitted it most admirably for the
latter purpose The batting l had
stuffed into the shorter joint not only
rendered it buoyant but impervious to
the water. A happy thought struck
mel strided the pipe, sitting upon
the shorter joint, and clasping my
arms around the longer part, which
passed foot above my head. If the
Humanitarian Society had set them
selves to work to devise a live-preserv-
er, they could not have done better.
There was |, riding the waves like a
duck, buOyant as an albatross, no dan
ger of drowning 50 long as | could
keep myself upright, and my life-pre
server clear OF the water But on the
other hand night was approaching,
my limbs would soon be numbed with
cold, and the tide was sweeping me
down rapidly toward the Sound 1
had not passed the steamboat, and as
[ neared her | shouted with all my
might for help.
Happily for me my cry was heard
A crv of IMAM overheard was raised,
81 90 d,iffed swiftly mast the steam