The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-08-07
An Incident of the Floods,

| '"t'3 VI iOIciRH IuGllul0CturC-- tflIfCtt
| StutcS EcDuoniSt.
An Incident of the Floods.
Writing Of the disasters of tho in
undations III France, Il correspondent
says AZ st. Gypricn, tho suburb of
Toulouse, which suffered SO severely, NJ,
Nlaurctte, Il wcll-known sculptor who ro-
sided there, bu; who had his atelier in
the town, was ut work III the latter,
when he was informed of tho risk TO
| which hl2 family, whom he had left III
| Tie faubourg, were exposed. He i'm
meniHtrlv FASTENED home, aud began to
| pack up his vaiuablrs and prepare TO
retrcis" with his wife, two girls, eight
and nine years old, and IL little boy in
| his mothers arms. Bat the flood had
| been too qnicl for them. In less than
a quarter of an hour it had risen more
| than four feet, aad their house was sur
rounded before they were aware of il.
AS 'ho water rose higher and higher
they moved from stage to stage, until
they reached tho roof along with other
iamlilcs who had taken refuge there.
LiluS they stood. the father holding his
two little girls by tho hand the mother
carrying her boy, till darkness set in,
the Hood still rising, and the houses
around them giving away before it one
after the other with fearful crash. At
lnEt their own house began to totter
and crack, and give other signs that it
was 10 longer safe place Of refuge.
Another house aG some little distance
Oil seemed to o1ler a stoutcr resistance,
ana one OF their party, who was Il good
swimmer, threw himself into tho water,
and by great effort succeeded in climb.
ing Oh to the other roof Unfortunately.
III taking his spring from TINT on which
down NIm%e. % 5i,,iroile ,il e'@iIIl @iII l,,s.,..s, - % il,
her arms, and although tho former was
lalt hold of ana rescued, the child was
carried away b. tho flood, and persisted
before the eyes of its father, who could
only Just save his fainting wife. By
Sood luck, in the house to which the ir
compnnion had escaped roll OF calico
Twenty-Five yards long was found. On
one end OF this an iron was tied, and,
after many attempts, swung across, and
communication TINS opened with the
other house. The two little girls were
successfully made fast to the end of the
roll and dragged through the water.
Mmc. Maurcttc 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 Il moment she
seemed lost, bnt her husband, throw
ing hiusclf i'll, in his turn, ana swim
ming to her, supported her until fresh
effort could be made above, when both
were eventually hoistcd up Tie night
was passed IN colo and wc', 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 4 Tough Snake Figat, but !,
Good Story.
y few days since, While Young man
of the vicinity Of Middle Grove, whom
wc shnil designate as Jcomcs, was
shrnbbini III the field he ran upon q
black snake IL cluster Of bushes, and,
calling his dog Zip, set him after the
snake. While he was intcntIy watching
the progress Of the fight hetwccn his
snakcshIp and his fnvoritc canine, some
thing behind took him "whack' uron
the seat Of his trousers, aud turning
quickly, he discovered to his horror Il
tremendous horse. racer, full six fee. in
length, with jtald erect, kissing tOnguc
ami glnring eyes, curling himself in the
fullest attitude Tor in,tii,', and before
Jcemcs cOulH comprehend tie terrible
character OF the situation. "whark" the
snako took him again. He thCn looked
for tree, but there was none to climb
for Il stick, but there was mono ut hand
He then drew his jack knife, with tho
determination Of selling his life rs
dearly i,s possible, and Tho most terrible
baltic between man and snake then oc
CARED that has ever irNnspircdi in the his
tory OF Monroe county Tho snake was
very strong alid active, ana, curling
himself around one Of his victims lcgs,
ne stuck his terrible fGngs into BIN
with marvellous rapidity, tiGbtcuiDg his
hold and crawling up MI The time, while
; Jcemcs piled his jack-kni with 4
rnpdity never equaled by tho savage
Nodoc. The snake was getting The
best Of it, ard had twisted himself mp
nearly to Jcemes' face, and was about
to coil his shiny length about his sue
oumbing antagonistR awan-ljke throat,
when Zip, tho faithful servant. having
finished snake NO. |, camo yelping to
the rescue, and, taking in nj II glance
| the hazardous position of tho master,
10 alJraDS and grnpploI lie monster hJ
the neck, and held on with q vice-like
grin until Jecmes, by tho use of his
kniie, cxtricetcd himsrif from his ter
riblc prrdicamcnt, ard from an untimeiy
ana premature grave. Tie snake was
Killed, Gud In ;riia'Y dog Was Tho life
pr-servrr oi his master. - hrrn. the
10 ! H.