Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-02-20
ON A FLOATING CAKE OF ICE.

Drifting I'm the So. Lawrence River with
an Insane NIan-Far from shore I'm
Terrible Gale-A PerIlOus MidwInter
Adventure.
A letter from Clayton, n. Y, to the
New York San says; George Penn, one
of the survivors of the party caught on
breaking ice on the St. Lawrence river
while crossing mGananoque to Grind
stone island, tells the following story
of the nights adventure:
At $3.50 p. NJ. started from Cana
noque for Watertown, by'way OF Grind
stone island, with the following party
of farmers, who came over in the fore
noon on the ice with team and sleigh,
and made the crossing without diff
Guilty: Eli Stetson, and Charles Kendall,
George Cummings, William Rusho, Ben
and Elmer Calhoun, David HARDWOOD,
Lewis Kittle and Willard Robinson.
We had grist in the sleigh, and had
no trouble until we rec 3hed the middle
of the channel, where we found the ice
shaky, and detaching the horses we led
them separately and pushed the sleigh
by hand. Soon one of the horses went
through, and in his struggles broke up
fore we got him landed. Seeing that
our weight was too great for the ice we
separated, and also soon found we had
lost our course and were heading above
the island toward open water. Cum
mings, Robinson and myself stayed to-
gether and pushed the sleigh, which we
had unloaded, and which soon went
through, and we abandoned it. The
wind blew a hurricane, and it was be-
coming pitch dark. Suddenly we all
broke through at once, and then each
tried to save himself. found cake
big enough to sustain me in kneeling
position, and Cummings and Robinson
got on another. We consulted, and l
told Robinson 1 should go no further.
He said he would try and get ashore
and get boat, and he stripped off his
coat and boots and plunged into the
open water. He swan about hundred
feet and crawled out on the ice and we
lost sight of him. should think | re-
manned 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 feet square and some
five inches thick. l found the poor
fellow was losing his mind and perish
ing. He was thinly clad, so took my
overcoat off and wrapped it around him
and got on the windward side to protect
him from the gale. To add to my dis.
tress and terror. the motion of the lee
as it 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 strove to arouse him
l asked him about his family, and how
many children he had. He said FIVE
and | begged him for their sakes to beal
up. About this time we saw lights on
the shore, apparently about mile dis
tant. told him to look, help was com
ing! He turned his eyes and exclaimed
Z" See! see! There is one, two, three
eleven boats coming for usw He was
insane. l told him to cheer up, tht J
would be here shortly. He became un'
manageable, broke away from me, sale
he was going ashore, and walked off the
edge of the ice. I caught him by the
leg but my hands were numb, and be
fore could raise him he gave violen
kick. broke my hold and went down.
was lying flat on the ice, and l watched
for him to come up, but nothing but {
few bubbles arose. l was now alOn,
and supposed the whole party had per
ished 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 anC
breaking and l feared to trust my sci
upon them. 1 thought 1 would call, il
hopes might be heard. l did so sew
eral times. After waiting, it seemed t.
me an age, I saw light moving on tn
shore, and l called again. I was an
swered by William Rusho, who hat
landed and was going to the barn t.
take care of his horses. He got boa
and some men and they pushed thr .ugl
the ice out to me. / was rescued a
half-past twelve, having been on the ic,
nine hours, six and half of it on float
ing ice. Robinson reached the shore 81
weak that he could scarcely crawl. HI
was unable to give any account of wha
had happened. The rest of the party
who took different course, got ashor
without difficulty and saved the team
besides.