The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-05-19

would never seem to come. But come it
did At last, that awful November morning,
with no abatement of that terrible, raging
storm. Ii brought no comfort with it, no
greater hopes of succof all they could see
was the wild, icy waves around them, max
/ ing it really more terrible than when hid
den by the pail Of night. Let us tnrn now
to our heroine Abigail lose after day
light and looked cut. She took her pail,
as was her custom, and went down 10 d
point to get some water to I'LL tho tea ket-
/ tie. AT her feet on the beach she the
CONDUCTOR yawl boat, wrecked ard break
/ ing 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, walk
ing dp 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 10
or II years Of age, took her iron pot, some
tea and matches, went up again opposite
the vessel, butt fire Of logs AID driftwood,
hlled 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 If
water that struck the beach was a particle
Of ice Ill moment. She frequently waded
IN the water to encourage them, and let
them see that human being ON the wish
edtOr shore was caring for them, with the
expectation that they would be saved.
l,tl ha dax
night was fast approaching, another OF
those awful nights IN prospect, and no
other hope for succor than the faithful wo-
man watch on shore. Imagine the terrors
OF the scene no abatement VI the storm !;
il still ragged as fearfully as ever Abigail
knew that crisis was fast approaching ;
she knew that these exposed men could
not survive another night, with chilled,
inactive blood, cllnging III the unsheltered
rigging ~here they had been 50 many
hours. happy thought came to her ;
God sent 1t. Alone on that dangerous
beach, night coming on, God inspired her
sith that happy thought Of how 20 save
them Their prayers were answered; God
had Td them cry for help and succor,
when man was powerless, aud not there To
save. Abigail wa0ed out toward them
short distance, to attract Their sights to-
ward her she beckoned them TO lump
overheard anu SWIM to shore, explaining
by pantomIme that she would catch amt
save them. These men well knew their
danger Was when they reached the shore
They could not land IN their exhausted
state without human assistance to and them
the undertow and moving quIcksand would
wash them back and drown them this was
Capt. Hacketts fear when he ciIed to his
mate IN the other rigging. Capt. Hackett,
from the rlgglng cries To his mate, Jerome :
That Is a good idea 1t Is our only chance.
1 vii Try II If | 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 "liyou 20
| viii follow Captain answers don
you try 1t until you see That | get ashore.
Capt. Hackett came down the rigging close
70 the water, stripping of his overcoat.
Looking f'I a suIOOIn CiIaIIGU, las J~-.r~A
and swan tor the shore watched 10y his
comrades with intense interest. lie did
well until he reached the Dackwater of the
quick which Was the great point of
danger The black wave overN helmed
hu his blood chilled with his ION eS-
pusure, lie htlplessly sucrLmbeu to az.
parent fate, and gave up, as lar rn
efforts went to save himself Att
cal moment AbigaIl dashed In with
Gus spirit aud speed. Grasping the drown
uIg man III her arms, she qgIcAIy bore hua
safety 70 the shore and land him by her
great hre of logs, giving hot tea. HIS
Young Scotch blood soOh revived. But
there was no time to lose. The passing
MINUTES we're too precious with those ives
yet Imperiled, the mate preparing to try
1t. The Captain says: Il viii assist hIn
hen he gets to the bad place, as he term
ed 1t. The mate came with the same re-
suit, Shen reaching the back reactIng waves
doubling up as the Captain did. Against
the remonstrances Of Abigail, Capt. Hack
EFT rushed In, attempting to save him the
mate grasped the Captain with the desper
ate embrace Of q drowning man, pulling
HIM down with him. They we're both ex
lausted and helpless, locked together,
powerless to save themselves. At this
perllous moment Abigail again rushed III /;
woman as she was, she did what not one
man III thousand could have done. She
picked up these men with the strength Of
"a giantess, and bore them safely to the
t
\ strength for the occasion, and i'll like man
ner she saved each one Of that crew before
the hight of day had entirely passed, they
were all borne in safety to the shore by
I this heroic woman. Not a 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 a thought of herself /;
\ her heroic soul had sustained her. She
7 guided these men, snatched frr M 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 main land
and to their homes, they did 1t with hearts
Of gratitude for their safety. A few days
afterward | was at Port Rowan to visit a
vessel that had been wrecked the same
night, above that point. Capt. Davis, an
old friend Of mine, told me the story Of
Abigairs noble work The bays were then
frozen over. hired sleigh, and with
Capt. Davis drove down to her house. |
saw the spars Of the Conductor frozen III
snow aud ice. passed some time III her
house. She stood up all the time l was
there, and would not sit before me. Let
me describe her: A tall woman, over SIX
feet high, As straight as an arrow, stout,
we'll proportionei, never having worn a
stay or a corset in her life. ignorant Of the
use Of whalebone or padding, barefooted,
and all her children 80. She stood up be-
fore me in all the grace of noble, uncul-
tured womanhOod, her lgreat blue eyes
cleaning with modest benignitY. l could
not forbear expressing my great admira
ton for her noble deeds. She said she had
not done more than she ought to have
done, nor more than she should do again
if her help was wanted. / measured hel
foot and those of her children, and when
arrived home had some shoes made for hel
and the children, got stockings, and made
up hox of things, and sent her all | wal