St. Landry democrat., 1881-11-05
How Two Heroic Boys Saved the Lives
OF ShipWrecked Sailors.

/ HOT i hO IttIDlC DbtS SGsCu tlC LiNc S
OF ShipWrecked Sailors.
There was picturesque scene
yesterday morning on the bluff above
Hovlous beach where lies the hui Of
the wrecked Alice Buck. The incident
most talked about was the saving OF the
| lives OF three Of the wrecked crew by
two young men, Silas Hovious and
Frank Hale, each aged nineteen years,
and sons OF neighboring ranchers. The
story of their adventures is one OF
simple heroism. and S one that should
gam Tor the young men some suitable
recognition. 1t seems that two of the
sailors managed to reach shore unas-
sisted and found their way to the house
of Hovious. When they hat told the
story of the wreck and were beng
warmed and ted by Mrs Hovious, the boy
Silas and his father ran to the edge of
the bluff where Mrs. Hovious and
others soon followed. Some time be-
fore any human form was distinguished
in the surf pitiful cries Tor assistance
We're heard. Silas at last, by standing
on the edge OF the bluff and looking
down its hundred feet OF almost
straight sides, discovered man
clinging to plank aud being tossed
about in the breakers. He tod of his
discovery, but none of the men dared
to attempt the descent OF the cliff, to
the forlorn hope of rescuing the man.
Silas, after waiting a moment, said:
Mother, can't bear to hear that
mans cries. and before he could be
stopped threw off his coat and swung
himself over the edge of the bluff. He
was instantly joined by young Hale.
Standing on the beach, yesterday, Mrs.
Hovious told Call reporter the rest
of the story. ''How those boys got
down there. 1 don't know. You can
see for Yourself that a goat couldn't
climb there. But somehow or other
they reached that narrow ledge of rock
you see down there over which the
waves break. Frank Hale picked up a
piece of rope thrown upon the rock by
a wave, and the boys together threw
one end of it to the sailor. He made
a grab for it but missed it, and
the back current carried him out
of reach. The next wave brought
him in almost to their feet, but
he missed the rope again. | was
afraid he would clutch at the boys
ankles and drag one of them out with
him. begged one of the men standing
about to go down there and help the
boys. One man standing near me was
sailor. but none of them dared to
make the attempt. Once more the
waves brought the man in, looking
more dead than alive. This time the
boys took hold of the middle of the
rope and each threw out an end. The
sailor caught the rope this time, but the
boys hadn't strength to pull him out of
the water, and he hadn't strength to
drag himself up to the ledge. where
they were standing. But the boys
somehow crept along the slippery steep
rocks, until they reached that spot
down there where you see the beach
begins. Then they dragged him o.t of
the water and he was taken up to our
house. We thought for long time he
would die, but a warm fireplace and
hard rubbing brought him around at
last. The boys brought two more men
up to the house soon after that. ~ San
Francisco Call.
Many a man would like to begin
the Christian life if he could begin it
somewhere in the middle. If he could
only turn about when nobody was look
ing; if when all the world were asleep
or away he could slip quietly into the
kingdom of God, and take his seat with
the air of man who had been seated
there all the time! 1t is the turning
over of the leaf when everybody is read
ing tit is the right about-face on the
crowded street when everybody will see
the act and what it means-this it is
which makes it easier to put off till to-
the supreme duty which ought
to be done to-day. Christian at Work.
-Hazing at Smith College, the Mas
sachusetts institution for girls, is quite
sweet and gentle. The newcomers are
seized, led into the main hall, presented
with bouquets, kissed affectionately,
and then shown the pictures and statu-
airy in the art gallery.
The official history of the army
during the late war, published by the
Government, will make more than two
hundred Volumes when cOmnlptad