Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-02
Robert Connolly and that Wreck.

To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
There sprobably no living person. be-
sides Nlr. Connolly. who sustains so init
mate relation to. and feels 80 vital and
personal an interest in, that sad disaster
many years ago on Lake Champlain, of
which We have of late had graphic &C
count in the columns of your paper, as my
self. | was, at the time, not far from ten
years of age. residing on Dorset street.
Youth of my age, in those days, were usu-
ally permitted to have holiday and 60 to
" the village" about three times year.
on the q" Fourth of July" Commence
ment' and cattle show day" This was on
- cattle-show" day, if my memory serves
me, and hence it seems to me could hardly
have been as late in the season as Novem-
Der, as was intimated in the FREE Press.
Having visited other points of interest.
was sauntering about the middle of the
sunny afternoon, in the vicinity of the docks.
Having no special fancy for gingerbread or
mOlasses- candy, | had not yet parted
with my twenty-five cents allotted me as
spending money, and hence was casting
about Tor some novel and exciting means of
amusement. While thus occupied. three
young men approached, seemingly bent in
like manner upon having a good time
remember the personal characteristics oi
those three young men a. distinctly to-day
a. though tho occurrences to which | refer
happened only yesterday, instead OF thirty
years ago. One of them was tall. plain,
yet very intelligent and energetic looking,
and did most OF the talking. bits Of wit
and wisdom constantly dropping from his
This young mans name was Thompson and
not Chamberlin, as s:ateG in the FREE Pass
He was the only son OF his mother and she
was widow. Young Thompson was con
>ldered person OF uncommon promise.
Next came his college friend Chaney--a
relative of the late PI0f CLANCY of the
University. CLANCY was little under the
medium height had Il fair complexion,
round, open, smooth face. aud though he
said little, he smiled >weetly at the hard
hits and lively -allieS that weIe being ex-
changed between his two more talkative
companions Mr.. Connolly. then attend
iug the academy. remember a. having
decidedly Hibernian, Yet a very serious, in-
trlligent and interesting cast OF counte
nance. Such was the psrsOHei of these
three interesting and promising Young men.
At length one OF them sad - BOYS let Us
has sail - - Agreei \ boat was ac-
cIrdingly engaged, and arrangements made
for speedy departure. Having been asso-
eiated with them in the capacity of juve-
nile listener. for some little time. | yentured
though without any personal invitation 10
spring into the boat with them. Something
was jocosely said, doubtless for my benefit,
about the expense of the ride, and one OF
the company observed that it would not be
it>s than fifty cents apiece. | readily saw
rt,, Z I,N ks,.
invest and not caring To assume liabilities
which saw no probability of being able to
meet just a they were preparing to launch
away, | leaped on shore. The lack Of that
twenty-five cents probably saved my life.
Our Young friends now unturled their can
ya>s ard bore out into the hly--twO of
them - return to their friends no more.
Not, however, to be altogether disappointed
in my anticipated sail. two or three of US
youngsters put our quarters together and
engaged a French boy 10 take US out in the
iItde -hallOp OF which he had been sp-
pointed master for the day. We at once
saVe the other and much larger vessel
chase. and bad nearly OTerhauled her,
about mile and hall beyond the break
water, when our alert. astute and expert
enced little salling-master, into whose
hands We had 50 thOughtlessly ventured our
lives. exclaimed 4" Do YOU see that black
line along the water on the horizon yon-
der2" - Yes" - We'll, that means q
squall---a storm" Accordingly down went
tae helm. and about came the vessel, and,
with all possible speed. We made for the
shore. The other vessel wanting the coun-
sci. OF our practiced little seaman. con-
tiuued standing directly out into the broad
,ake. At last | saw it encompassed in the
approaching tempest. 1t disappeared from
III
view forever The gale struck our boat,
ard before could succeed in unhitching
the mail sail boom. came near capsizing Us
not more than two rods from the end OF the
I'd south wharf fhe little shallOp fairly
leaped from the wa,ers, and We came into
port, a It were With bound. Ram soon
came on all that night it poured. The
winds blew tempest, while the weather
had suddenly become very cold and dreary.
How bleak and cherries. indeed, things
looked the next morning cut on that old
farm But not more bleak and cheerless.
than the writer of this must have seemed
startled. not to say terrified, when the ap
pulling tIiingS reached our ears that that
hapless vessel in which | had the day before
come 80 near sailing, had been eapsized.
wrecked lost in that fearful storm, and.
that only young Connolly, after almost in
credible suferngs, had survived the disss-
ter, having, with his disnantled wreck, and
his two GyIng companions, whose bodies he
had heroicaiiy la>hed to his rudderless hulk.
drIfted, until about midnight. he was cast
upon the rocks OF Shelburne Point Walk
ing upon his hands and knees. through the
darkness and driving tempest, to a neigh
boring barn, he finally found shelter. and
there exhausted he sank into sleep and
there. the next morning was found, when
he made haste though IN great weakness to
tell his melancholy tale.
rejoice in MIR. G. : prosperity. Though
he probably remembers nothing about me.
have yet always remembered him with
feelings OF the deepest interest. as associa-
ted intimately with one Of the most critical
occasions Ofmy life. K II. ii.