The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-04-14
A Thrilling Adventure.

The following is clipped from a Cana
dian exchange "On Wednesday morn
ing, the 18th of February last, Mr.. Hoar,
the lighthouse keeper of the Christian
Islands, started to the west end of the
island with his team of dogs, and accom-
panied by little orphan boy whom he
has adopted, to attend some tish-lines
which he had set out on the ice. While
thus employed his attention was directed
to an object that was floating out towards
the vast waters of the Georgian Bay,
which on close examination proved to be
field of ice which had become detached
from the main body by the action Of the
wind; and upon this, to his horror, he
observed the form of man rushing
frantically from one end of the ice to
the other, wildly waving some object and
gesticulating in order to attract attention.
How to accomplish the rescue was the
uppermost thought IN Mr.. Hoar's mind !;
for it must be remembered that he was
some miles from any habitation, and even
had he had time to reach Que, it would
have been heavy undertaking, and one
attended with considerable loss of time, to
have portrayed boat across the whole
length of the island, which would have
had to be done, as it was entirely sur
rounded with ice, and every moment lost
was lessening the chances of rescue.
With that spirit of unselfishness that at
all times prompts heroic actions, Mr..
Hoar cast about him for o moment
to devise some plan for the &C.
complishment of his object. But only
for short time did he delay, and then.
he seized his OK, and cutting two small
cedar poles, dragged them to the edge of
the ice; then collecting some pieces of
drift wood and boards that were on the
shore, he shortly had the material for
constructing raft, but surely frail
one. Then pulling off his overcoat he
cut it into strips and taking the harness
off his dog, with the assistance of his lit
tie companion he succeeded in fastening
it together, and taking a piece of board,
with his AK fashioned himself paddle
with which to propel his frail craft. With
the bitter cold wind and treacherous wa
tiers before him, leaving all that was dear
to him for perhaps the last time he babe
farewell to his boy and launched his raft
and set out on his perilous but noble
journey. With one great object in view
he bravely battled along after1the drifting
block of ice, and after some few hours
Unnecessarily pesAuAAu> ouSSSSuSA AA O'SA
taking it, and rescuing the man,
who was well nigh exhausted. After
resting himself for short time, he
again started ON his perilous return
journey, with his danger almost doubly
increased, as the slender raft was now
doudly loaded. But the brave little
craft did her share nobly, and after an
other five hours of hard padding they
reached the main land, close to fisher
mans camp. where they received
hearty welcome.
The rescued man proved TO be one
Leon Ausome, of Penetanguishene,
whose story is that he left his camp in
the morning in order to look after some
lines that he had set out ON the ice, and.
after attending to them he had started to
return home, when, to his horror and
dismsy, he found that he was on float
ing field of ice that had broken from the
main body, and that he was fast drifting
out into the Georgian Bay, as he
thought, to perish. What his feelings
were until Mr.. Hoar reached him can be
better imagined that described.