The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-08-07


ducts}of foreign 1manufacturc- Unatcd
States Economist. -
An Incident of the Floods.
Writing of the disasters of the in
lndations in France, q correspondent
says - At st. Cyprien, the suburb of
Toulouse, which suffered SO severely, M,
Maurette, n woll-known sculptor who re-
sided there, but who had his ahelier III
the town, was Mt work in the latter,
when he was informed of the risk to
which his family, whom he had left in
the Fanbourg, were exposed. He i'm
mediately hastcned home, and began to
pack up Ills valuables and prepare to-
,retreat5 with Jlis wife, two girls, eight
and nine years old, and n little boy in
his mothers arms. But the flood had
been too! quick forsthem. In less than
a quarter of an hour, it had risen more
than four feet; and their house was sur
rounded before they were aware Of it.
AS lthe water rose higher and higher
they moved, from stage to stage, until
they reached tho roof along Will, other
families who had taken refuge there.
Thus they stood. the father holding his
two little girls by the hand, the mother
carrying her boy till darkness set in,
the flood still! rising; and the houses
around, them giving away before it one
after the other with fearful crash! at
last their own house began to totter
and crack, and. give, other signs that it
was no longer a safe place Of refuge.
Another House at some little distance
off seemed to offer o a,stouter resistance,
and one Of their party, who was q good
swimmer, threw himself into the water,
and by great effort,succeeded in sclimbl
ing On tp the other roof: Unfortunately,
IN taking his spring from that on which
down Mhe Sa.ii cite. Md s.1slssaa III
her arms, and although the former was
laid hold of and rescued, the child was
carried away by tho flood, and persisted
before, the eyes of its father, who could
only Just save hls fainting wife, BY
good luok,. in the house to which their
companion had escaped q roll of, calico
twenty-five yards long was found. On
one end OF this m iron was tied, and,
after many attempts, swung across, and
n communication thus opened with the
other house. The two little girls we're
successfully made fast to the end of the
roll and dragged, through the water
Nine. haurette was next tied to it and
had also nearly gained the other roof
when the strength of those who sup
ported her failed, and she fell back
into the water. For a nom ent she
seemed lost, but her husband, throw
ing himself in, in his turn, and swim
ming to her, supported her until fresh
effort could be made above, when both
were eventually hoisted up. The night
was passed in cold and wet, expecting.
death almost hourly. But the house re-
sisted, and by morning the water had
fallen sufficiently to enable the party to
wade ashore.
Rather a Tough Snake Fight, but a
Good Story.
A few days since, while young man
of the vicinity of Middle Grove, whom
wo shall designate as Jeemes, was
shrubbing in the field, he ran upon q
black snake in n cluster Of bushes, and,
calling his dog Zip, set him aftor the
snake. While he was intently watching
the progress of the fight between his
snakeship and his favorite canine, some
thing behind took him "whack'' upon
the seat of his trousers, and turning
quickly, ho discovered to his horror a
tremendous horse. racer, full six feet in
length, with hoad erect, Kissing tongue
and glaring eyes, curling himself in the
fullest attitude for battle, and before
Jcemes could comprehend the terrible
character of the situation. "whack" the
snake took him again. He then looked
for tree; but there was none to climb
for stick, but there was mono at hand.
He then drew his jack. knife, with the
determination of selling his life as
dearly ns possible, and the most terrible
battle between man and snake then ,oc.
Cured that has ever transpired in the his.
tory OF Monroe county. The snake was
very strong and active, and, curling
himself around one Of his victim legs,
he stuck his terrible f,lngs into BIN
with marvellous rapidity, tightening his
hold and crawling up all tho time, while
Jeemes piled his jack.knife with n
rapidity never equaled by tho savage
Modoc. The snake was getting the
best of it, and, had twisted himself up
nearly to Jeemes' face, and was about
to coil his sislimy. length about his sue
eumbing ,antagoniat's swan-like throat,
when Zip, the faithful servant. having
finished snake No. /, camo Iyelping to
the rescue, and, taking in ut a glance
the hazardous position of tho master,
|1hc ,slTaang ard grappled tho monster by
the neck, and Held on with vice-like
grip untilJ Jeemes, blythe use Of his
knife, ,extricated himself from, his ter
ri5le predicament, and from anuntime1y
and premature grave. The snake, was
killed, and thu trlsty dog, was sthe life
preserver OF his maSter.-.FrOnl the
Porjs Mn d,o,oenZ