Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-18

reached the village considerably in nd.
vance OF the man, and the cry was there
taken up and repeated from street to
street The people poured out of their
houses ana shops, each inquiring of the
other what could be done. Some scat
tered to hunt for one, while those who
1elt that they could be of no use if a
boat were found ran down the creek bank
10 see what was the situation on the
river.
On reaching it we were Mortified to
see that the Sow had already got con-
slderably below the mouth of the creek,
and was speeding down stream with it's
precious human freight to what seemed
certain destruction. Some of the men
on the vessel were on their knees, with
clasped hands and upturned faces, COM
mending their souls to God. Very soon
the Canadian bank of the river was lined
with hundreds of people, while quite a
crowd could also be seen on the Goat
Island side. They We're all agonized
witnesses OF four fellow-beings in horri-
BILE terror.
just as all hope had been abandoned
apparently, by the people on land and
the men on the scow, a voice criedfrom
the upper end of the crowd: .'Here
comes a boat" In an instant every eve
was turned in the direction of Chippewa
Creek, and there most of them recoo-
nized the tall and athletic form of q
bargemap named Smith, in an ordinary
clinker boat, boldly pulling into the
river.
AS he forged out into the stream he
made q hasty survey Of the situation
and then piled the white ash with re-
doubled energy. AS he sped along, the
boat almost leaping from the water at
each stroke, a cheer arose from the peo-
pie on the shore that fairly rent The air.
The moment Smith appeared the atten-
ton of the men On the scow was rivited
upon him and his frail craft. On and
on he shot, each stroke narrowing the
distance between him and the scow, but
the latter was getting alarmingly close
to the rapids, to enter which was GER
tain destruction to all on board.
Those OF us or shore could not help
admiring and applauding the heroism
Of young Smith, but we could only feel
that the result Of his daring would be
to add another to the list of the lost.
AS he neared the scow he turned his
head and shouted to the men .'Scatter
along the side of the boat and drop in
as L pass by" The command was
promptly obeyed, and in IN instant the
little craft was alongside. One after
another the men sprang in, until the
four were safely in the bottom.
Now came a moment of painful anx-
iety. "What will he do?" was the
query that came to every mind. Smith
had his plan of action, and never hest
tated a moment. At q point some dis
lance from the Canada shore the cur
rent divided at the head of the rapids,
part of the stream flowing around an
island in the vicinity of the burnt spring.
In reaching the current leading around
the island lay the only hope Of escape.
Taking a diagonal course across and
down to the stream Smith bent every
effort to reach the Canadian divide. 1t
was a desperate struggle for the life of
five men between the %seething, Boiling
waters and the muscle and endurance
Of young Smith, with the odds seem
ingly against him. But the divide was
finally gained with not a boats length
to spare, and the frail craft shot down
between the island and the mainland
like a rocket. At the foot Of the island
the channel widened materially, the
current slackened, and the water be-
came more shallow, and here young
Smith landed his boat, having perform
ed one of the most heroic and daring
feats v performed by mortal man.