Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-24
AN UNFORTUNATE FAMILY.

The Mosers Of the Lower Delaware
"reminiscences Of a Terrible Storm.
New York Times, Dec Is.
There are many people yet living in
the lower Delaware valley who still re.
member the ice storm" of the night of
January 9, 1923. 1t began as rain
storm late in the afternoon. A violent
gale of wind arose, soon afterward &C.
companied by rapid fall of the Their
mometer, until the mercury was 2S
below zero. When the storm came up,
Jacob Moser, Rinaido Moser, his brother,
a young man known as "Shallow +"
Cortright, and man named Miller, both
relatives of Jacob Moser, were polling a
fat-bost up the river. The boat was
loaded with barrels Of whisky. The
storm was so severe that they were unable
to make landing, and they ran their
boat on small island near Bristol, Penn.
The island was barren. The intense cold
frozs the rain as it fell, and formed it
into icicles and ice pellets of many
shapes. These were carried along with
such force by the gale that windows
we're broken by them in Bristol and
other places, and pedestrians were forced
to seek safety from their furious pelt-
ngs.
To the full fury of this terrible storm
the four boatmen were exposed on the
wood with which to build fire, and
not the slightest object to afford shelter.
The stranded crew ran up and down the
island to keep warm. Although Jacob
Moser was the oldest one of the party,
and was considered the hardest boatman
on the Delaware, he was the first to
show signs of succumbing. His feet
and hands were frozen before the Men
had been on the island an hour. At
that time one Of the men suddenly
thought that by rolling one of the bar
rels of whisky from the boat and knock
ing its head in they could set fire to the
liquor and save themselves. 1t was with
great difficulty that they got barrel
out, Its head was kicked in, but there
was not match among the whole party.
This hope destroyed, Jacob Moser's cour-
age forsook him, and in spite of the
efforts of his brother AID Miller to
keep him string, he died in q short
time. "Shallow Cortright jumped
in the barrel of whisky, and by
STOPPING down covered himself
with the liquor up to his chin.
Rinaldo Moser and Miller kept them
selves alive by continual tramping up
and down until daylight. They were
discovered and boat was sent out after
them. Rinaldo Moser, who was only Ia
or Is years old, was unconscious when
the boat arrived. He was frozen stiff
from his feet 70 his waist, and his face and
ears were white with frost. Miller
feet, hands, face and ears were frozen
and were white as snow. Cortrights
ears were frozen off, and his face was in
the same condition as those of his two
companions. The whisky had saved the
other part of his body, but had made of
it one great blister from his neck down.
Rinaldo Moser recovered, but both of
his legs were amputated at the thigh.
The other two men survived their ipjur-
les, but Miller was drowned the next
year. Cortright was burned to death
several years after ward.
Rinaldo Moser went to live with the
widow of his brother Jacob, who was q
sister of Miller. She had two sons.
They were both drowned before reaching
manhood, one in the Lehigh and the
other in the Delaware. Rinaldo MoseI
supported himself and his sister-in- law
for 40 years by ferrying and fishing.
His activity on his legless body was
wonderful. He was known as the
"Lehigh ferryman" until his death, in
1876. There were few more expert oars
men than he. The death of the widow
of Jacob Moser is reported from below
She was in her seventy sixth year. 1t il
her death that has called up these
"reminiscences of the lower Delaware
the singular fatality of the Moser fam
lily having long been subject of inte1est
among the raftsman and others through
the valley. It is mentioned now, as &
remarkable fact, that the late Mrs
Moser's father, as well as father of hel
husband, were both drowned severa
years before the fearful night that mad
her widow.