Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-01-27
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p6TlSt1 lldu SpOculIy doCcttaluou. vi
rescue from the shore there could be
no reasonable prospect. The danger
had increased tenfold since first / set
off on my venturous voyage, and no
one was likely to launch boat in the
face of almost certain destruction.
So far ss could see, there but two
courses open to US. We might remain
in the upper stories of the Iarm house,
or, if hard pressed by the mounting
water, take refuge on the roof, strust-
ing that the strong wooden framework
would hold together till the flood
should abate. But the manner in
which the walls trembled beneath the
shock of the On-cOming ice, was not re-
assuring, while the Irightful rapidity
with which the water lose threatened
absolute ruin. The other alternative
was to construct raft capable of bat
tlins with current and pack-drift; and
to this L at once addressed myself.
Luckily, number of empty -four
casks, set on end, and some sheep
hurdles, which espied floating about
in theyard, now transformed into a la
COON, in the midst of which the af-
frighted poultry screamed and Hutter-
ed, supplied the Deedful materials,
while my professional handipess stood
me in good stead; but the peril Was
pressing aud imminent, for now the
blows dealt by the ice-blOeks without
made the house reel as though beneath
the strokS OF u battering ram.
Never before had L toiled as / did
then, well knowing that life and death
depended on my promptitude, and
that the breaking up of another JAM
or temporary ice-dam. would probably
render the river unnavigable, SO that,
should the house be swept away, our
last poor chance of safety would be
gone. So l worked ON with fierce
eagerness, until the empty casks and
the OSier hurdles were rs tightly secu-
red with witheS and cords as could be
effected by one pair of hands; and then
the precious raft was launched, Mrs.
Parnell lending her slight strength to
the task As, slowly and painfully, it
WAS dragged through the shallow wa
ter in search of a place where there
should be sufficient depth to set j.
af1oat. There was moment of agoni-
zing suspense as / strained every mus
Gle and sinew in the attempts to drag
the light structure clear of some up
perceptibly beneath the thnndering
blows of the piled-up ice, which now
rose many feet high at the back of the
islet. Then the raft fioated; and bid
ding those under my charge to sit still
and leave the rest to me, seized fir
pole and thrust it off from the bank in
to the whirling water.
Once, twice, and yet a third time 1
touched the bottom with the pole with
which L tried to steer the rude CT aft,
and then we were in deep water, and
driving along at the mercy of the cur
rent. A shrek from Mrs. Parnell
made me look back, and / saw the
whole side of the dwelling we had
just let collapse like child's house of
cards, while with roar like that of ar
tillery the ice-barrier broke up, and in
pell nell confusion the shining hillocks
and glittering slabs began to hurry To-
ward us, the horrible grinding sound
of the blocks as they dashed against
one another being loud enough to deaf
en- the ear that heard it. For a mo-
ment, but only for a moment, despair
took possession of my heart; but then,
AS an eddy swept US in shOreward,
ringing cheer from the men clustered
on the bank, and then another, attrsc-
ted my attention. The ice was very
near, but the shore, thank heaven, was
nearer still, and a long rope was
thrown to US. / caught it, and we
were dragged to the bank. where
amidst the drifting ice the raft was up
set, and it was not without some trOu-
BILE and peril that, bruised, wet, and
we gained the solid earth.
Half an hour later Mrs. Parnell and
little Louis, chilled and exhausted, but
were safe under the hospi-
table care of the kindly folks in whose
house l lived, while before night her
husband arrived to clasp the rescued
DneS to his heart.
Under Gods mercy said the honest
fellow to me, with quivering lip, as
he took my hand and wrung it for the
tenth time, Il owe the preservation of
all love to you. We're friends for
life, / gness.'
And stauneh and fast friends haye
we been till now, though years have
rolled by since that day, and both of
is have prOspered in the world and
have homes and a fair sufficiency of
good things of life. But we have nei-
her of us ever forgotten the events of
hat terrible winter, or let slip from our
the ice-gOrge and what came
Of it.