The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-03-28
On the Floating lee.
MARVELLOUS ESCAPE OF THREE HUNDRED
MEN-A HORSE JUMPING FOR HIS LIFE.

MARVELLOUS ESCAPE OF THREE HUNDRED
MEN-A HORSE JUMPING FOR HIS LIFE.
BAY Cry, Feb. "a, 1874.-The drifting
ice affair has turned out not to be so dis
astrous as was at one time reported. The
ice field drifted in to the east shore on
Monday night, and all the men who had
not previously escaped did so during the.
night and yesterday morning. All who
were on the ice at the time it went out are
now reported safe. This is the third time
this winter that the ice has fioated out into
open water, the first time carrying Smith
and McEwan, and the second time six or
eight men who escaped the next day.
Some very remarkable escapes were
made over the broken ice. Among these
we may mention that of Arthur Stevenson
and seven comrades. Stevenson had horse
and sleigh, and with them the party at
tempted TO come ashore. The ice was so
badly broken, however, that it was deemed
safer to take the horse from the sleigh and
lead him, leaving the men to draw the Ve-
hicle. 1t was necessary to make the animal
jump from one ice cake to another in a
Journey of five miles over the broken ice.
1t seems almost Incredible. but the trip
was made without serious mishap, and
horse, sleigh, and men came safely ashore
at last. Mr.. Stevenson says that all the
men who were within sight of the point
where he landed got ashore.
We learn of two men who had no horse.
but were provided with hand-sled. When
the ice broke they wanted to go eastward
and northward in quest of some point OF
escape, and rugged up their hand-sled to
take a ride at the rate of forty miles an
hour in the gale which was sweeping over
the ice from the southwest. They sped
along at lightning-express speed for mile
after mile. To choose their course was inn
possible; ON went the sled, straight as an
arrow from bow and about as fast, dead
to leeward, skinming and singing along
over the ice. Suddenly the men saw right
ahead of them channel of open water.
On they rushed toward it. and what at first
looked like narrow strip of water opened
up wider and wider as they approached
| it on the wings of the wind. There was
no such thing as stopping or turning the
sled, and the strip of water was opening
out the wider every second. There was
nothing else to be done; the two men
rolled off the sled, one on each side, and
went spinning along the ice for rod or
two, while the sled the nextinstant plunged
into the open channel and disappeared.
The men picked themselves up, and finally
made their way ashore on foot, content to
90 slower but safer than on sled before
the gale.
We have heard numerous other narra-
tives of extreme hazard all going to in
crease the wonder that thus far not sim
gle life is reported lost. The belief last
night was that the ice would be closed up
by the wind before morning, so that the
men remaining near the west shore would
all come off. As they have shelter, foed
and fire, they will not suffer in the mean
time.
Mrs. JONES always believed her Freder
/ lex when he told her the s. club - was for
social intercourse and discussion of pro-
fessional topics until the other night, when
he came into the hall with rush and
evinced a desire to sleep on the front
stairs. g Mary" said he, his voice broken
i with emotion g Mary Won have been