The Russellville Democrat., 1880-03-18
A THRILLING ADVENTURE.
On Floating Cake of Tee with an Insane | Man.
Clayton (N. Y.) Cor. N. Y s:.a.

| NAoy soia kNs A.y Nois 3'e
 George Penn, one ct ..he survivors 0
 the party caught on breaking ice on tn, , zfsi@ Lawrence River while crossing iron
 Gananoque to Grindstone Island las
 week. tells the following story of ths
 nights adventure:
 At 3:30p. m. started from Gananoqus
 for Watertown, by way of Grindstont
 Island, with the following party of farm
 CTS, who came over. in the forenoon or
 the ice with team and sleigh, and made the crossing without difficulty: Eli Stet
 son, and Charles Kendall, George Cum. mings, William Rusho, Ben and Elmer Calhoun, David Harwood Lewis Kittle and Willard Robinson. We had grist in the sleigh, aud had no trouble until we reached the middle of the channel where we found the ice shaky, and de. taching the horses we led them separate- ly and pushed the sleigh by hand. Soon one of the horses went through, and in his struggles broke up the ice for about hundred feet before we got him landed. Seeing that our weight was too great for the ice we seperated, ana also soon found we had lost our course and were heading above the island toward open water. Cummings, Robinson and my self stayed together and pushed the sleigh, which we had unloaded, and which soon went through, and we aban- doned it. The wind blew hurricane, and it was becoming pitch dark. Sud denly we all broke through at once, and then each tried to save himself. found cake big enough to sustain me in a kneeling position, and Cummings and Robinson got on another. We consul ted and told Robinson I should go no further. He said he would try to get ashore and geta boat, and he stripped of his coat and boots and plunged into the open water. He swam about hundred feet, crawled out on the ice and then we lost sight of him, should think re mained on my knees about two hours, when the ice broke to pieces under me and again was in the water and chilled to the marrow. The moon had come out, and padded to the cake on which Cummings stood, and which found to be about twenty feeet square, and some five inches thick. I found the poor fellow was loosin s his mind and perishing. He was thinly clad, so I took my overcoat of and wrapped it around him and got on the windward side to protect him from the gale. To add to my distress and terror, the motion of the ice, as it rose and fell with the waves and ground against other pieces, made me sick, and began to rear that I should have to give up, Cummings was growing weaker and I strove to arouse him. I asked him about his family and how many children he had. He said five, and begged him for their sakes to bear up. About this tune we saw lights on the shore appar- entlv about mile distant. l told him to look, help was comminel He turned his eyes and exclaimed: "Seel see! There is one, two, three, eleven boats coming for usw He was insane. I told him to cheer up, they would be here shortly. He became unmanageable, broke away from me, said he was going ashore. and walked off the edge of the ice. I caught him by the leg, but my hauds were numb, and before could raise him he gave vlo- lent kick, broke my hold and went down. was lying fiat on theice, and watched for him to come up, but nothing but a few bubbles arose. Twas now alone and supposed the whole party had perished and that such would be my fate, too. The lights had disappeared, but found my cake had drifted against shore ice and was not moving much, but those around me were crashing and breaking and I feared to trust myself upon them. 1 thought l would call, in hopes would be heard. I did so several times. Af- ter waiting, it seemed to me an age, I saw alight moving on tho shore, and called again. Il was answered by William Rusho whe had landed and was going to the barn to take care of the horses. He got a boat and some men and the pushed through the ice out to me. Twas rescued at half.past twelve, having been on the ice nine hours, six and half of it on floating ice. Robinson reached the shore so weak, he could scarcely crawl. He was unable to give any account of what had happened. The rest of the party, who took different course, got ashore without difficulty and saved the team besides"