Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-14
A Thrilling Experience and Death
ON the st. Lawrence.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.l
George Penn, of Gananoque, gives this graph
1c account OF his experience In crossing the st.
Lawrence from GananOque to GrindstOne ISL
and last Friday. 1t will be remembered that
the party broke through and George Cummings
was drowned. Mr.. Penn says: left Canaan
oque with party from the island at half-past
three Friday afternoon, intending to go to Wa
tertown. The party consisted Of myself and
the following persons, who came over In the
forenoon with team and grist without trou-
BILE, and with whom l was returning to the ISL
and. expecting to cross to Clayton by water:
Eli Kendall, Stetson Kendall, Charles Kendall,
George Cummings, William Rusho, Ben Cal
houn, Elmer Calhoun, David HarwOod, Lewis
kittie and willard Robinson.
We passed without trouble to the middle Of
the wide channel when we found the ice get
ting shaky. We then took the horses OF and
led them singly. and pushed the sleigh with the
went through and broke ice for about a hun
dred feet before finding place to stand. By
this time we were out OF the course and heading
above the island where there was open water.
The party then separated, Cummings, Robinson
and myself pushing the loaded sleigh, which
soon after broke through. directly towards the
open water. We unloaded and after going per-
hapS 100 feet, broke in again. The sleigh was
then abandoned, and we started on, but found
1t impossible to stand as the wind was blowing
q hurricane, and SO took to creeping. We had
gone but little way In this position when in
the inky darkness that had settled around us
we all broke through at once and each scram-
bled for himself. found it impossible for the
ice to hold me, but found a cake that would sus-
cummings and Robinson did the same.
Then it flashed upon me for the first time that
suitation, and told Robinson fH would e 90 ono no
farther. He told me to stay and he would 20
ashore for boat: He stripped of his coat and
and then crawl out on the Ice, and was soon out
of sight, and Cummings and l were left alone.
remained on the cake for two hours, when it
broke up and l was again in the water. The
moon WAS shining now and MANAGED To work
my way to larger cake, on which Cummings
was standing which was white ice, about i've
the poor fellow perishtng and losing his mind.
did all l could to make him comfortable by
standing to the windward of him and wrapping
my overcoat about him, he being thlnly clad: AS
If to add to the terrOrs of the situation, l be-
came sick from the motion Of the cake as it rose
and fell with the waves and ground with
hundreds OF smaller ones. We were about
mile from the shore. Cummings was falling. l
asked him how many children he had and told
him for their sake to bear up-be man, help
was coming, &C: he counted the lights on the
shore and exclaimed, "See, see! There is one,
two, three, eleven boats coming to uS!' told
him they would be here shortly, to keep cool
There were eleven lights visible on the shore
Shortly before ten he became unmanageable
and broke away from me. He said he was going
ashore and walked directly OH the edge OF the
ice. l caught him by the leg, but the other
with the cold, was unable to get him out be-
fore he struggled. He gave a violent kick
broke my hold and went down. Twas lying flat
but nothing but a few white bubbles appeared
II he had come up within arms reach might
have saved him. Otherwise he would have gone
down again.
Twas now alone on the cake, and did not know
the fate ef the remainder Of our party. made
up my mind to stay all night. The cake being
next to shore ice drifted but little. The lights
disappeared one by one, and the cakes around
me kept breaking up and growing finer stood
shtvering on the cake four hours and half,
with thoughts the nature Of which it is impos-
S1ble to convey to person never placed In a
similar position. / had not used my voice as
yet, but had hoped to see some stir ON shore
After waiting what seemed an age. 1 saw a
moving light on the shore and shouted at the
top Of my voice. Fortunately, was heard by
William RushO, who was going to the barn to
take care Of the horses, he having taken an
other course and reached the shore with less
difficulty. He, with Benjamin Calhoun, went
up 70 the head and, getting Moses Garsey,
launched boat and came to me from the wind
ward, lust as was about to tear out the sleeves
OF my undercoat to put around my feet. They
worked their way slowly through the forty rods
OF floating Ice, and when they took me into the
boat it was half-past twelve. l had been on
the ice nine hours-stx and a half on floating
cakes, and two hours in kneeling posture.
Robinson reached the shore so weak that he
could hardly crawl out, and was unable to give
the slightest account of the mShap. The
other party took different course and went
ashore farther down with less difficulty. Oae
of the horses broke through six times. 1t was
plCCC VI puSiucSo W Uu tut
ice empty handed, to say nothing of team and
load. Cummings leaves wife and five Chill lrea
in destitute circumstances. The water where
the body lies Is thirty feet deep, and efforts Will
be made to recover it as soon as practicable.
The spot where he went down Is mile 10 the
river from the head OF the island. Mr.. Penn,
who has shown such an example Of physical en-
durance, Is about So years of age, and weighs
nearly 200. He uses no stmulantS, and to this
tact attributes his escape. He had crossed the
river more or less for the past 10 years. and Is no
novice on the Ice. During the long hours OF the
night he took notes on some business cards
which he happened to have In his pocket, In
tending to leave them in fur gauntlet sh 1uld
the cake go to pieces.
A TENNESSEE MURDER-At Columbia, Tenn,
yesterday, Milton Carter was attacked and
act CT striking him again when Carter shot him
Cnder TIE lett eye. killing him instantly. The