Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-03-16
WILLIAMS MILL, !
Near MOrristown, :
March Sd, 1875.

WILLIAMS MILL,
Near MOrristown,
March Sd, 1875.
ED. OF THE NEWS:
Believing it would be an item of in
terest to The readers of the News l
have taken the present opportunity to
write you short account of our thrill
ling adventures and hair breadth es-
capes on the high tide OH the Holston
river. We left RogersviIle Bridge
after the first day and nights rain, on
what is called by boatmen high
boating tide and passed safely through
Clouds and Poor Valley shoals. But
in the evening it began to rain very
hard and the river commenced rising
rapidly, and hence we thought it ex-
pedieDt to land at the first good land
ing place, which was some distance
down the river. Night was rapidly
approaching and the rain was pouring
down in torrents, SO we found it un-
safe to make for the landing we first
had in view. the diff wood coming
down rapidly and the river overflow
ing its banks.
Before go farther your readers will
bear in mind that a fat sixty-five
feet long and eighteen feet wide, that
will carry about thirty-iive tons
weight, and OIL swift water running at
the rate of seven or eight miles an
hour, is hard to manage and of course
difficult to stop. And such was our
condition. We commenced landing,
and the reader can imagine lis making
the most desperate efforts to hold on
to bushes and willow trees as the boat
moves with increased velOcity-noW
trying to throw cable around q tree
as the surginG waters take us rapidly
past. Again in the confusion trying
to hold tie boat to the bank, striking
sideways against half grown willow
and nearly breaking the boats gum
nels and, | might aGd, half way sink
ing the boat. At this critical point all
was confusion. We had lost at this will
low tree several bags of corn which
were dragged overheard by the limbs
on the trees, but we still persevered,
every man, five of us in all was at
his post With terror, as it were, written
OH each of dut counienanccs, and with
that grim and firm determination to
either sink the boat against the trees
to this point all our human efforts had
failed and we had been doing our ut
most for an hour. But at last fortune
seemed To favor us and we landed by a
large Sycamore tree about twenty feet
from the bank and underneath an al
most perpendicular cliff four or five
hundred feet hight with cataract
pouring down its sides
We all rejoited like the children of
Israel ut our success, but our bright
hopes soon vans shed. 1t seems one
trouble never comes alone and We soon
found this to be our case. II was HOW
nearly dark-incessant Iain-the river
rising as fast dSpOssibl", the bank TWEEN
ty or thirty feet from us almost in the
centre Of the cttrrent--it WaS yer, app
rent that something must quickly be
done. The men'S fedL0h seemed 10
he almost destroyed by excitement and
fear and they stood talking about the
best way OF getting TO the bank with
the boat. Said /, "men thf5 is 10
time for talking but acting" We
must act ana that quickly, or oiir-
selves as we'll as the boat will he list
My Steersman, Mr.. Howell Hodgb; of
Union, said | was correct. There was
but one alternative left us and that
was to try and swing to the bank and
tie the stem end of the boat to trees on
the bank, and then cut about twenty
small trees. that is as we could reach
them, and by that means get to the
cliff, which was hundred yards ON
US, and save our lives and the boat -
By the time We got able to reach the
bank and get away from the first Syc-
amOre, and by that means cut the
trees, the river had rose about fifteen
feet and the night was as dark as an
Egyptian night. Everything now
looked fearful the thunder pea!ed, the
lightning flashed, and the rain poured
down in such force as if the elements
were trying to exhaust themselves
and the roaring of the water and the
fearful and terrible crash made by
drift wood, as It struck the trees close
by us-all seemed hot only to make
our condition critical but fearful.-
With me it was self-interest on the one
hand and self-preservation on the
other. A dead man can float down
the stream out it takes live one TO
stem the torrent and face the terrors of
the storm. Amid the awful terrors of
the night every min worked like a
beaver to save the boat, and when the
heavy STORM came on. about twelve
O'Clock at night, l told the men if
they found the boat was about to sink
to climb up the trees close by us and
save their lives. But after waring
against angry and turbulent waters
all night we succeeded by daylight in
floating over the tops of trees thirty
and thirty-five in height and reaching
the cliff.
It was all we could possibly do that
terrible night to Keep the boat from
sinking with water. At daylight Mr..
Frank Cain, who has fine farm on
the river, came to orr assistance with
his hands and enabled us to unload
our boat in three hours and put it safe
Iy on tho side of the cliff This gen.
tleman's kindness will never be for
gotten by me. After we got every
thing safe he took US to his house and
did not spare any pains to make us
feel comfortable. KiHduess and hos
pitality are his predominating charac-
teristics. and his genial countenance is
an index TO the same. In word he
is young man who, when he reaches
you his hand, his heart gbes with it,
He would not receive even a cent as a
compensation for his labor and trou-
BILE. When the water fell we went up
through his orchard with our boat aud
floated out over some OF his apple trees
into the channel of the river as the
waters went down. l will also add
W without fear of contradiction that there
cannot be found five other men in a
hundred that could have saved boat
under such extraordinary circumstan-
ces-our case was one that tries mems
souls.
Mr.. Howell Hoge and his two sons.
together with Mr.. Thomas. Willis, of
n. c., certainly deserve credit for the
GOODNESS and presence Of mind they ex-
hibited in the midst of danger. As
write the river is again rising after
last nights hard rain; intact it ha al
ready risen eight or nine feet There
are four other boats besides our own
svoifinu Of fbasa M lie for tho wafar 10