The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-02-19
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
Recalling nm Incident ofYears AgO-FreeI
ing 10 Death Up the River.

Recalling nm Incident OfY Years AgO-FreeE
ing 10 Death Up the River.
A writer at Equinunk, Pa, relates
the following sad story: Raftmen,
returning from down the river, bring
news of the death of Mrs. Jacob Moser,
of Mosertown, Northampton County,
which recalls the frightful work of a
winter night ffty-two years ago, by
which the deceased was made window.
1t is Renaissance of the days when
transportation between Philadel phia
and Easton was by Durham boats, a style
of craft unknown to this generation.
One day in January, 1923, jacob
Moser, his brother.in-law, Jerome Mil
Ter; his brother, Rinaldo Moser, and a
cousin named Cortright, were running a
Durham boat from Philadelphia with a
cargo of whisky. Jacob Moser was a
powerful nan of thirty; Miller was
about the same age, and Rinaldo Moser
and Cortright were lads of eighteen.
Night was approaching when they were
in the vicinity Of Bristol, and they
were caught in violent storm of wind
and seet. Unable to make landing
on either shore, they ran their boat on a
small island, As itgrew dark the storm
increased in fury, and ii was bitter cold.
People who remember that night say
that it was the most fearful one ever
known on the river. rhe mercury stood
below zero and the wind blew a gale.
The storm had commenced with rain,
and, as the cold increased, the rain was
frozen into great pallets of ice, which
the wind hurled about with tremendous
force, To this awful war of the elements
the four bOatmen were exposed, with
not a scrap OF wood ON the island with
which fire might be kindled, and
nothing to shelter them from the storm.
They attempted to keep warm by run
ming up and down the island, and, after
an hours incessant exercise in that way,
which rendered but little relief, one of
the party suggested the rolling of bar
rel of whisky from the boat and setting
it on fire. This happy thought inspired
the freezing crew with hope, and with
great difficulty they unloaded one of the
barrels. Then the appalling discovery
was made that there was not match in
the possession of the party. From that
moment Jacob Moser lost his heart, He
would not make any further effort to
keep warm, and for u long time his
brother and Miller dragged him about
the island, endeavoring to keep his blood
in circulation, all to no purpose, for at
the end of an hour he was beyond all
hope, and they were dragging a frozen
corpse between them. When the dis
covery was made that there was nc
matches, young Cortright knocked the
head of a whisky barrel in with stone,
and let himself into the liquor up to his
chin. Miller and Rinaldo Moser con-
,inued to fight all night long against the
terrible death that assailed them. When
daylight appeared they were discovered
by other boatmen, and n resculng party
started after them. AT the sight of the
boat approaching, the wonderful nerve
that had kept Rinaldo Moser alive
through the fearful night, deserted him
and he fell to the ground unconscious
Jerome Miller, although his hands, ears
and face were frozen as white rs snow
and his feet were SO stiff that he c0ulC
scarcely move, never lost consciousness
Cortright's face and ears were terribl,
frozen, the latter so badly that the,
dropped from his head. The cold hat
not penetrated where the whisky coy
cred him, but from his neck down h
was one immense blister, the liquo
burned him so.
The three survivors Ct the awful nigh
and the dead body of its victim wer
removed to Bristol and subsequently Il
Mosertown. Rinaldo Moeer's legs wer
amputated Mt the thigh, rs they were 81
terribly frozen that it was impossible t
save them. He lived, and became on
of the most robust men on the river
He took up his residence with his sister
in-law, the widow of Jacob, and 70
forty-nine years supported himself ant
her ferrying people across the river an'
by fishing. lie became known as tn
"Legless FcrrymaH," and no characte
was better known than he was from on
end of the river to the other. lie wa
q most expert oarsman, and had lev
equals az a scientific fisherman. III,
facility with which he got around on hi
legless body was wonderful, He died il
December 1876, aged sixty-six years.
Jerome Miller and Cortright both re
covered. but both met tragic deaths
soon afterward Miller was drowned il
1929 in the Delaware, and some year
aiterward Cortright was burned to dealt
in New Jersey. Jacob Moser left tw
sons. One of them was drowned in tn
Lehigh River few years ago, and abou
the same time the other was drowned i
the Delaware. The death of their mothe
removes the last survivor of the singu
larry fated family. She was abou
seventy-six years old.
Reason In Wasp.