Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-18
ON A FLOATING CAKE or ,cv
Drifting fn the ~. Lawrence R,v.
am Insane Msn-FsF from shors a.
Terrible tisie-A PeriIous MId,x,r.s
Adventure.

Drtftfng fn the ~. Lawrence RIys~ -.
am insane Msn-FaF from shors h Inn
IsrribIe Gsie-A Perilous MIdwint.,
Adventure.
A letter from Clayton, N. Y. tn tbo
New York Sun says: George Penn one
OF the survivors of the party caught On
breaking ice on the st. Lawrence river
wiIle crossing fromGananoque 10 Grind.
stone island, tells the following sfnr,,
Of the nights adventure: '''iy
At 80 J.. VI. / started from Gam.
noquc for Watertown, by way of Grind
stone island, with the following part,
OF farmers. who came over in the ford,
noon on the ice with "A team and sleigh
and made the crossing without difi,
Guilty: Eli Stetson, and Charles Kendall
George Cummings, William Rusho. Re,
and Elmer Calhoun. David Harwnnd
Lewis kittle and Willard Robinson
We bad grist in the sleigh, and had
no trouble until we reached the midd,a
Of the channel, where we found the Ice
shaky, and detachinR the horses we lcd
them separately and pushed the gleiyl
by hand. Soon one Of the horses went
through, and in his struggles broke m
the ice for about one hundred feet he.
fore we got him landed. Seeing La,
our weight was too great for the ice we
separated, and also soon found we had
lost our course and were heading abovs
the island toward open water. Cum.
mings, Robinson and myself stayed to-
getheT md pushed the sleigh. which ",
had unloaded, and which soon won,
| through, and we abandoned il. JLf
wind blew a hurricane, and IL was bc.
coming pitch dark. Suddenly we ar
broke through at once, and then each
| tried TO save himself. | found cake
! big enough to sustain me in kpeeliny
! position, and Cummings and Robinson
| got on another. We consulted. and I
| told Robinson j should go no further
| lie said lac would try and get ashore
and get boat, and he stripped of bi.
coat and boots and plunged into Tie
/ open water. He swan about hundred
/ feet and crawled out on the ice and We
/ lost sight of him. ! should think 70.
manned on nv knees about two hours
when the ice broke to Iieces under me
and again / was in the water ard chilled
/ to the marrow. The moon had come
( out. and / padded TO the cake on which
/ Cummings stood. and which found a.
/ be about twenty feet square and some
! five inches thick. ] found the poor
/ fellow was losing his mind and perish.
/ ing. He was thinly clad. so took nv
overeoat off and wrapped it around him
and got on the wind ward side TO prO,ec,
him from the gale. To add 10 INV di..
1 tress and terror. the motion Of the ice.
as IL arose and fell with the waves and
! ground against other pieces. made me
sick. and / began to fear that should
have to give up. Cummings was grow
/ ing weaker, and stroye TO arouse him.
/ / asked him about his family. ana how
. Oh H.
and / begged him for their sakes TO bear
/ up. About this time we saw lights on
/ the shore, apparently about mile dis
t.nt. told him to look. help was com
| ing! He turned his eyes and exclaimed.
See! seei There is one. two. three.
| eleven boats coming for u.s. H was
| insane. / told him to cheer up, they
/ would be here shortly. He became un-
manageable, broke away from mc..said
| he was going ashore, and walked of the
| edge of the ice. ] caught him by the
! leg, but my hands were numb. and be-
| fore could raise him lac gave "A violent
1 kick. broke my hold and went down.
/ was lying fiat on the ice, and ! watched
! for him 10 come up, but nothing but 3
few bubbles arose. ] was now alone
and supposed thr whole party had per.
! ished and that such would be my fate.
too. The lights had disappeared, bu, !
found my cake had drifted against
shore ice and was not moving much.
but those around me were crashing and
breaking and ] feared to trust myself
upon them. / thought | would cal, in
hopes ] might be heard. did SO sew
eral times. After waiting. il seemed to
me an age. | saw light moving on the
shore, and ! called again. ! was an
swered ny William Rusho, who Lad
landed and was going 10 the barn to
take care of his horses. He got "A boat
and some men and they pushed thT ugh
the ice out TO me. ! was rescued at
half-past twelve, having been on the ice
nine hours. six and half Of il on float
ing ice. Robinson reached the shore 80
weak that he could scarcely crawl He
was unable to give any account OF what
had happened. The rest of the party,
who took a different course, got ashore
without difficulty and saved the teams
besides