New-York tribune., 1874-05-25
,,,, 20 anti they could let of tho other ono and


a. - .rd The right wing of our mill power began 10
make itself heard When rains fall IN TINS part OIL
the country n good many mountains iehd thef
sloping shoulders TO tho work OF inunda-
ton, and streams arise. The 1acts which
have rooted were familiar To the
remaining residents of the village. and they knew
by a practical demonstration what water can DO
when it bursts its chains. so you can readily see
that do not exceed the bounds of belief when say
that we had rather anxious night of 1t. iou VIII
understand how women. sick on their backs IRON
tho nervous excitement of tho last few
days. and knowing that they were unable to
make a run for it if running became neces-
sary tossed on uneasy pillows and moaned
to equally alarmed husbands-thouph they dared
not confess alarm for their wives sake--a wish that
the rain would For the swash, swash. swash,
became monotOnous after awhile And all women
not sufficiently trusting to believe there Is no
danger simply because men assure them there Is
not if they happen to know that loaded blunder-
bus, with more blunder about it than bus is pointed
directly at their heads, and cooked and prmed for
quick work of it.
Teams were busy long into tho night getting goods
out of the stores and hauling them to places of
safety by lantem-lght A prudent man forcseeth
the evil and gets out of the way bu the simple stay
where they are and get swamped! did my part of
the good work, and lied to the ladies with the
ease which comes of long experience, telling them
that the men across the way were simply
getting in the supplies for the destitute that had
Just arrived from charitable towns by the evening
train-which they knew would not DO due for an
hour. This. of course relieved their fears and
made them feel quite certain that any other state
ment or assurance of safety that ventured to give
might be relied on with equal confidence.
WATCHING THE wATER-C0LuMBiiDs.
No precauticn was neglected Double guards
wore mt On dutv nj the water-columbads above,
70 watch the unstable cObble-stones about the
muzzles and give timely notice OF the first
wiggle of the treachcrous triggers, and
men with relays of rcady-bridled horses
were stationed along the road leading
down to the village at intervals OF half mile or
so, that they might mount at the first alarm and
pass the warning signal on from one to another.
Torches and lanterns were made ready and placed
where they could be had and lighted at a
moments notice; no precauton neglected
which the ndefatigable Jamescs could devise,
and then there was nothing else to do
but sit up or lie down and wait for tho next
thing to turn up-at least that was what we did at
the Hotel de James. The people of the two other
hotels aud occupants of tho houses lower down eff
fected a very general change of base, am told,
leaving their own quarters and seeking shelter III
houses on the hills, some camping out i'll the
rain This latter is an innovation in h0usekeeping
to which | could not bring myself under any
stress of circumstances, and especially do
consider it the part of prudence, if flood is ex-
pected, to avoid wetting ones clothes before the
water comes. You will pardon me if remark right
here that never did like water anyway, and fear
that my preJudices against it in the future VIII be
greater than ever before.
BY way of putting in my time proitably and
pleasantly, sat down the moment i determined to
sit up and wrote long and interesting narrative of
my observations and impressions during the day
and the day before for TIE TRIBUNE, while my host
lay down on the sofa withs boots on to think over
little business that lay on his mind, and, fltgucd
by the inccssant work of the week, he was soon
boring pump logs at an excellent rate OF speed 1t
was not his wish to alarm anybody by seeming to sit
up premeditatcdly. but 1 think Mrs. Truthful re-
marked incidentally, that she had always observed
that men could think about business better by lying
down with their boots on. / did not take off my
shoes for the simple reason that did not happen
to bring a button hook along with me. and any
with any experience will bear ont in the
serton that il is extremely incOnyenent to button
up ones CATERS with his fingers, or even with
har-pin And who would want to wade over rocky
bottoms barefoot When finally laid down it was
OH the outside of the bed. and with my clothes on,
for never did like to have to dress in a hurry.
But when turned ont at my usual hour of five
next morning. for sniff Of morning air and to see
how things were working, the morning had broken
fair and beautiful and the dam had Mt; the swash,
swash swash of the rain had ceased at last and not
drop was falling though the river was; the gori-
ous sun looked down on the post-ofiice over the
way. which in its turn looked up fair and white in
its integrity and seemed rather glad to be around
certainly
Asking a man. who was going early 90 market with
basket his if he felt at all apprehensve last
night, he said he didn't know exactly what that
meant, but that he did certainly feel a little
.'skeery" then asked him if he took off his boots
before going to bed, to which he made prompt and
graceful answer that he'd be darned if he did, or his
hat either SO guess there were others beside my
self and the Truthful who had business to think
about and didn't bring their button-hoolls along
1t may do to treat this thing lightly now that
morning has come and the rain has gone, that the
sun is up and the river down. Bat there was GER
tainly good enough ground for apprehension last
night especially in the light of the fearful prece-
dent so lately furnished and when to this You add
the anxiety naturally feels when there are seve-
raj sick women and many little children among
his friends, and he does not know exactly how
many sick women and little children he can take on
his back and swim gracefully and vigorously across
stream Withdrawing never counted the number
that he had oiShis back at any one tne-I think
none will misnterpret me when frankly confess
that frequently before in my varied experience
have sat up all night and felt jollier while doing it,
but never felt better the next morning
HOW MATTERS LOOK TO A NATIVE OF GOwANUs
= III,
when one thinks that danger exists is criminal |
would any time of the day or the night much rather
be put up for fool than for villain. And here is
bou, ~ lool-e Ona reservoir bno b,rs. $500,