The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-11

The st. Adams Aduertiser, in a notice of
Robert Connolly, G. E., narrates once
more an event which happened some TWEEN
ty-three or twenty-four years ago, in our
lake, in which two young men lost their
lives, and Connolly only saved his by as
tonishing physical endurance, presence of
mind and fortitude The story has been
often told in our columns, but for all GER
tainly who knew the parties, it has not yet
lost its interest. The Adcertiser says
Robert Connolly, civil engineer of dis
tinguished talent, the constructor of all the
vast system of piers and docks at Chicago,
built by the Northwestern railroad, is now
visiting his friends in Burlington, of which
city he is a native. Mr.. Connolly, thirty
years ago, was poor Irish boy, working
hard for subsistence at any honest job he
could get. Determined TO be surveyor,
he studied night and day, siezed every op-
portunity for practical experience in the
field, and after course of study at the
high school started west with no money
and nothing to help him save his fine natti-
raj genius for mathematics and engineering,
and a character of most indomtable will
and determination. Before leaving Bur.
lington he had won the admiration of the
entire community by his remarkable cour.
age and endurance under the following cir.
cumstances of terrible trial. One bitter
cold day in November, in company with
two companions, young Connolly attempt.
ed to cross the lake, when a violent storm
came on, in which the boat was upset, and
all its occupants thrown into the ice cold
akar ct 1suta 8 Al
miles from land. Connolly, finding that his
companions that were with him chung to the
craft were fast failing in strength, lashed
them to the boat, and finally, after night
of dreadful suffering, made the shore in
the morning in a state of complete ex.
haustion. His companions, in spite of all
the help he could give, persisted with the
terrible cold, but he brought the boat with
their bodies to the shore, which nothing
but his wonderful courage and power Of
endurance had enabled him to reach. Co
Ing west. he, for several years, had hard
bitter struggle bat having been employed
by VIM. B. Ogden of the Northwestern
road, to build some docks at Escanaba,
Ogden recognized the natural genius of the
man and from that day to this, to use Og-
denis own words, he has never hesitated tc
"put his money IN any work where Con
molly will put his reputation" Mr.. Con,
molly has grown wealthy In his profession
which yields him very large income, and
is still, we believe, in the employ of the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad. He
has fine house at Racine and in his par
lor hangs painting of boat bottom-sidt
up with three men clinging to it in a win
ter storm on Lake Champlain, Mr.. Con
molly justly considering that the scene re-
presents the most terrible physical and
mental trial of his life.
Connolly's companies were young
CLANCY, a brother of Prof. CLANCY, ther
of the university, and young man nance
Chamberlain. The boat capslzed between
Burlington and Port Kent, in the broat
lake in the middle of the afternoon, an(
they drifted for eleven hours, striking til,
shore at last outside of Shelburn Point
| Free Press.