Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-06-14

the place where Abigail Becker and hel
children were sheltered on that fearful
night The vessels hull was entirely
submerged; the crew took to the rigging
Of the three masts, their only refuge. II
was about midni ght of fearful stormy
November night; the sky in murky
darkness all around them, the storm OF
waters dashing and roaring with fury
calling for their apparent victims to en-.
gulph them; no possible succor near
clinging to their frail support in the rig.
cling, just above the certain death that
inc their terrible forebodings of an i'm
minent horrid death: no relief apparent
no help to look up to but the Great Fa-
ther, who cares for all! How they pray
ed to him on that awful night to save
their precious lives, had from their own
lips at the time, more than twenty years
ago, and is as fresh to me now as then
Here they chung, waiting for the day
light, which would never seem to come
But come it did at last, that awful No.
vembcr morning, with no abatement Of
that terrible raging storm. 1t brought
no comfort with it, no greater hopes Of
succor; all they could see was the wild,
icy waves around them, making it really
more terrible than when hidden by the
pail Of night. Let us turn now to our
heroine.
Abigail rose after daylight and looked
out. She took her pail as was her Gus
tom, and went down to a point to get
some water to fill the tea-kcttlc. At her
feet on the beach she saw the Conductor s
yawl boat, wrecked and breaking to
pieces. Her beach experience taught her
that some disaster had occurred. She
looked around toward the lake, pcering
through the gloom and storm, and walk
ing up the beach, finally discovered the
masts and people clinging to them. She
went up opposite on the beach and saw
their terribly helpless condition. She
waved to them and they saw her. She re-
turned to her shanty, and, leaving the
children in charge Of her oldest girl of
ten or twelve years Of age, took her iron
! pot, some tea and matches, went up
again opposite the vessel, built a fire of
logs and driftwood, filled the pot with
water and boiled 1t, making the tea ready
to warm and refresh them if they could
reach the shore alive. Here she passed
the day. Every drop OF water that struck
the beach was particle of ice in mo-
ment. She frequently waded into the
water to encourage them, and let them
see that human being on the wished-for
shore was caring for them, with the OK
pcctation that they would be saved:
Meanwhile, the day was wearing on,
night was fast approaching, another of
those awful nights in prospect, and no
other hope of succor than the faithful
woman-watch on shore. Imagine the
terrors OF the scene-no abatement Of the
storm: it still ragged as fearful as ever.
Abigail knew that climax was fast APP
preaching; she knew that these exposed
men could no: survive another night, with
chilled, inactive blood, clinging in the
unsheItercd rigging where they had been
SO many hours. \ happy thought came
to her; Goa sent it, Alone on the dam
gerous beach, night rapidly coming On,
God inspired her with that happy thought
Of how to save them. Their prayers were
answered; God had heard them cry for
help and succor when man was powcrlcss,
and not there to save. Abigail waded
out toward them a short distance, to at
tract their attention toward her; she
beckoncd them to jump overheard and
swim to shore, explaining by pantomime
that she would catch and save them
These men we'll known their danger was
when they reached the shore. They could
not land in their exhausted state without
human assistance to aid them the under
tow and moving quicksand would wash
them back and drown them.
This was Capt. Hackett's fear when he
cried to the Mate in the other rigging.
Capt. Hackett, from the rigging cries to
his Mate Jeromc ''That is good idea;
1t is our only chance. will try it; if 1
am drowned, you can run your chances,
remaining here another night; or if am
saved, you can follow me one by one"
The Mate says: eff you go. will fol-
low Captain answers: Don't you try
it until you see that get ashore Capt.
Hackett came down the rigging to close
the water, stripping off his overcoat.
Looking for smooth chance, he jumped
and swan for the shore, watched by his
comrades with intense interest. He did
we'll until he reached the backwater of the
quicksand, which was the great point of
danger. The black wave overwhelmed
him his blood chilled by his long ex-
posure, he helplessly succumbed to his
apparent fate, and gave up, as far as his
own efforts went, to save himself. At
this critical moment Abigail dashed in
with impetuous spirit and speed. Grasp
ing the drowning man in her arms, she |
quickly bore him safely to the shore and
laid him by her great fire Of logs, giving
hot tea.
His young Scotch blood soon revived !
But there was no time to lose. The pass
ing minutes were too precious with those
lives yet imperilcd, the Mate preparing to
try it. The Captain says: II will assist
him when he gets to the bad place." as he
termed it. The Mate came with the same
result, when reaching the back rcacting
waves, doubling up as the Captain did.
Against the circumstances of Abigail,
Captain Hackett rushed in. attempting to
save him; the Mate grasped the Captain
with the desperate embrace of drown
ing man, pulling him down with him.
They were both exhausted and helpless,
locked together, powerless to save them
selves. At this pcrilous moment Abigail
again rushed in; woman as she was, she
did what not one man in thousand could
have done. She picked up these men
with the strength of giantess, and bore
them safely to the shore in her strong
arms. God gave her strength for the oc-
casion, and in like manner she saved each
one of that crew; before the light of day
had entirely passed, they were all borne
in safety to the shore by this heroic
woman.
Not mouthful of food had passed her
lips since the night before. So intent was
her desire to save them that all that day
she had passed on that beach, without
thought of herself; her heroic soul had
sustained her. She guided these men,
snatched from the jaws of death, by her
hands, to her humble shanty home; she
fed and cared for them for two or three
days, the continuous storm preventing
them from leaving the island. When they
crossed over to the mainland and to their
homes, they did it with hearts of graft
tude for their safety. A few days after 1
was at Port Rowan to visit a vessel that