Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-03-25
PLOTTING DOWN STREAM.
Wonderful Experience of "a
Colored Urchin on the
Wide Waste of Waters.

A curious story is told Of the wonder,
full experience Of a celcred boy, aged G
years, who, with his father aud mother
and home, we're, Sunday night, suddenly
swept out upon the broad bosom of the
raging Tennessee. Their log cabin hap
pened t. be located near the mouth Of p
small stream which had never been
known in any previous freshet to reach
the height of its site. The family, there.
fore, went to bed feeling the utmost So.
curity and soon fell into peaceful slum>
bers. About midnight they were sud-
denly awakened and greatly startled by
a loud noise, aud blythe time they had
fairly gotten their eyes open the whole
building was swept of into the food and
commenced to rapidly float ds~n stream.
Az it shot out Of the msath Of the stream
into the Tennessee it wont to pieces
against come logs, which were floating
down the river, leaving the frightened
trio on the floor portion Of the cabin,
holding fast to a central post which had
supported a thin, loose roof, the boards
Of which fell thickly all around them.
The husband fearing the remaining por-
ton might separate, made two RATS out
of the fallen logs, which had continued
to float down alongside the remains OF
the house. These were composed of four
logs and OF two logs tied togetl er with
strips torn from blankets. lie place
aud tied bis siI-year old boy on the
latter, while himself and wife took the
former. Determined to reach the shore,
If pos ible, he drew the'two RATS together
and started out from the house, padding
as best he could with q board.
his wife in the meantime attempting to
hold the RATS 10 position. but 10 this her
strength failed her, and being already
benumed with cold, she belplessly per-
mitted the boy to swing loose and to
drift Immediately out of her reach. TIE
husband attempted to paddle toward the
boy, but to no purpose. Giving up all
hope of ever again seeing him. he worked
most laboriously, finally getting out OF
the current and into the backwaters and
thence to land. He discovered the next
morning that he had within the short
space Of about two and half hours drlfted
down about twenty miles from the site
Of his home. The boy was found floating
down amid the drift by two white mel,
who were crossing the river about twenty
five miles above Jacksonville in a dug.
out" When they discovered him he was
lying at full length on bis little raft with
one foot in the water, in an iuseusible
condition. 1t was found that the water
had washed upon HIM constantly, aud
had he not have been tied on the logs he
would have sunk into a watery grave
they took him off and to the shore. strip
ped him, rubbed him, administered whis-
Ky to him freely, and did everything else
calculated to restore him to consciousness
in which work they finally succeeded, but
the lad was 81 weak aud exhausted that
he could scarcely raise a limb. The
father having obtained a canoe cam,
down the river that afternoon, making
inquiries as to wether his son had been
seen by any one, and wept freely wher
he saw bis child restored to him once
more.-NaShuHe Banner.