The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-14


clinging to their frail supports in the
rigging just above the certain death that
seemed to await them. Who could i'm
agine their terrible forebodings of an i'm
minent, horrid death; no relief apparent,
no help to look up to, but the Great
Father who cares for all? How they
prayed to him on that awful night, to
save their precious lives, I had from their
own lips at the time, more than twenty
years ago, and it is as fresh to me now
as then. Here they chung, waiting for
daylight which would never seem to
come But come it did at last, that aw-
full November morning, with no abate-
ment of the terrible, raging storm. It
brought no comfort with it, no greater
hopes of succor; all they could see was
the wild, icy waves around them, MAX
ing 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 custom, and went
down to point to get some water to Eli
the tea-kettle. Ather feet, on the beach,
she saw the Conductors yawl-boat,
wrecked and breaking to pieces. Her
beach experience taught her that some
disaster had occurred. She looked
around toward the lake, peering through
the gloom and storm, and, walking
up the beach, finally discovered the
masts, and the 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 returned to her shanty. and leaving
the children in charge Of her oldest girl
of 10 or II years of age, took her iron
pot, some tea and matches, went up
again opposite the vessel, built fire of
logs and driftweod, filled the pot with
water and boiled it, 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 and let them see that
a human being on the wished-for shore
was caring for them, with the expectation
that they would be saved.
Meantime the day was wearing Oh,
night was fast approaching, another of
those awful nights in prospect, and no
other hope for succor than the faithful
woman watch on shore. Imagine the
terrors of the scene no abatement of the
storm it still ragged as fearfully as ever.
Abigail knew that climax was fast APP
preaching she knew that these exposed
men could not survive another night,
with chilled, inactive blood, clinging in
the unsheltered rigging where they had
been SO many hours. A happy thought
came to her; God sent it. Alone on that
dangerous 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 powerless and not there
to save. Abigail waded out toward
them a short distance, to attract their
sight toward her; she beckoned them to
Jump overheard and swim to shore, ex-
planning by pantomime that she would
catch and save them. These men we'll
knew their great danger was when they
reached the shore. They could not land
in their exhausted state without human
assistance to aid them; the undertow and
moving quicksand would wash them
back and drown them; this was Capt.
Hackett's fear when i've cried to the mate
in the other rigging. Capt Hackett,
from the rigging, cries to his mate,
Jerome: "That is good idea; it is our
only chance. I will try ity if [ am
drowned, you can run your chances, re-
naming here another night, or, if [ am
saved, you can follow me one by one"
The mate says: " If you go, will fol-
low" Captain answers: "Don't you try
it until you see that get ashore" Capt.
Hackett came down the rigging close to
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 back wave overwhelmed
him, his blood chilled with his long ex-
posture, 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
Grasping the drowning man in her arms,
she quickly bore him safely to the
shore, and laid him by her great fire
of logs, giving him hot tea. His young
Scotch blood soon revived. But there
was no time to lose. The passing min
utes were too precious with those lives
yet imperiled. The mate prepared to
try it, the Captain says: Ct 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 re-
acting waves, doubled up as the Captain
did. Against circumstances of Abigail,
Capt. 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 perilous moment Abb
gail again rushed in, woman as she was,
she did what not one man in thousand