The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-22
An Exhibitors S0mBambulistie Diver
sion ON an Ohio River Steamer.

The Pittsburgh Commercial OF June
) saws: As the steamer Carrie Brooks
was passing up the Ohio River at VIII
low Island, at midnight Friday I'd lnst-'
Pilot VIM. Gordon, at the wheel was
started by splash rs of the fall OF some
heavy body overheard on the port side.
Looking back he saw u mans head
coming to the surface in the brilliant
moonlight. Giving the alarm OF I" q
man overheard" he stopped the boat
and backed her Immediately. The
second mate QIubbard) on watch Or
dered the yawl lowered, and the whole
forward watch on deck ran back as
soon as possible, and got the yawl into
the water. Owing to its being some
what hampered it occupied minute or
more, but as soon as lowered Stevedore
John Iissom and Clerk Ferd Stultz
sprang into it, showed off and made for
the floating man, who had by this time
drifted some distance from the steamer.
Pilot Mclaughlin and others, who had
been awakened from their sleep by the
alarm, stood on the roof calling to the
swimmer to keep cool and sustain him
self where he was until the yawl could
reach him. On getting near him the
yawl was turned round and backed up
to prevent any sudden effort on the part
of the endangered man to climb IN oy
the side and so oyerturn the boat. As
soon as he came within reach an oar
was handed him by Stultz, who drew
him up to the stern of the yawl and
there secured him by passing the stern
fall around his chest, under the arms,
until the yawl again made the steamer,
where the whole party was holsted
aboard, and the steamer proceeded on
her way.
As she drew him up to the boat, the
clerk was surprised to find the hero OF
the adventure was a fellOw-tOwnsman,
Mr.. w. w. Pyle, late editor of the Lou
isvile Sunday Times, who had taken
passage on the Brooks for New Cum
berland, and who was supposed TO be,
at that moment, enjoying the sweet re-
pose of the virtuOus and laborious hter-
ary man in room II.
Mr.. PYLE explains that he had a very
vivid dream, supposed to have been IN
duced by the ample justice ne did to
the boats supper; that he saw MS
little boy in the water, and beng IN
somnambulistic state, and clothed only
in his night dress, he incOntiaently leap
ed from the upper guard to the rescue
of his child, only to find himself in need
of rescue. On finding himself in the
water he suddenly realized where he
was, and seeing the steamer move on
up stream, struck out for shore, but
hearing the alarm given and finding
that his critical position was discovered
he ceased to make any effort further
than to sustain himself in the water un-
til the yawl should come up. Mr.. Pyle
is to be congratulated for his coolness
and presence of mind under the start
ling and sudden realization Of deadly
peril in which he found himself waken-
ed up from supposed security to find
himself in the middle OF a great river
at midnight, his friends and all possi-
bility of outside help swiftly passing
out of sight. 1t is safe to say that nine
men out of ten, good swimmers though
they might be, would have been over
come by the shock, lost all control over
themselves, and sunk before help could
have reached them.