The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-02-22

child in her arms, had chung to the
wreck of the skiff, and had been carried
by the current to little low-lying
island just in front of the town.
What had happened was of less i'm
portance, however, than what people
saw must happen. The poor woman and
as they had been in the icy water, must
soon die with cold, and, moreover, the
island was now nearly under water, while
the great stream was rising rapidly. 1t
was evident that within an hour or two
the water would sweep over the whole
surface Of the island. and the great
fields of ice would of course carry
the woman and child to terrible
death.
Many wild suggestions we're made for
their rescue, but none that gave the
least hope of success. 1t was simply i'm
possible to launch a boat. The vast
fields of ice, two or three feet in thick
ness, and from twenty feet to hundred
yards in breadth, were crushing and
grinding down the river at the rate of
four or five miles an hour, turning and
twisting about, sometimes jamming their
edges together with so great force that
one would lap over another, and some
times drifting apart and leave wide open
spaces between for a moment or two.
One might as well go upon such river
in an eggshell as in the stoutest rowboat
ever built.
The poor woman and babe could be
seen from the shore, standing there
alone on the rapidly narrowing strip of
island. Her voice could not reach the
bank, but when she held her poor little
baby toward them IN mute appeal for
help, the mothers there understood her
agony.
There was nothing to be done, how
ever. Human sympathy was given freely,
but human help was out of the question.
Everybody on the river shore was agreed
in that opinion. Everybody, that is to
say, except Joe Lambert. He had been
so long in the habit of finding ways to
help himself under difficulties that he
did not easily make up his mind to think
any case hopeless.
No sooner did Joe clearly understand
how matters stood than he ran away from
the crowd, nobody paying any attention
to what he did. Half an hour later some
body cried out: Look there! Who's
that, and watts he going to do?" pointing
up the stream.
Looking in that direction, the people
saw some one quarters of mile
away standing on floating field of ice
in the river. He had large farm basket
strapped npon his shoulders, while in
his hands lie held plank.
As the ice-field on which he stood
neared another, the youth ran forward +.
threw his plank down, making bridge
of it. and crossed to the farther field.
Then picking up his plank he waited for
a chance to repeat tho process.
AS he thus drifted down the river,
every eye was strained IN his direction.
Presently some one cried out: Its ice
Lambert; and he's trying to cross to the
islandw
There was shout as the people I'M
derstood the nature of Joe's heroic at
tempt, and then hush as its extreme
danger became apparent.
Joe had laid his plans wisely and we'll,
but il seemed impossible that he should
succeed. His purpose was, with the aid
of the plank to cross from one ice-tield
to another until he should reach the is
land; but as that would require a good
deal of time, and the ice was moving
down stream pretty rapidly. it was nee
essary to start at point above the town.
Joe had gone about mile up the river
before going on the ice, aud when first
seen from the town he had already
reached the channel.
After that first shout a whisper might
have been heard in the crowd on the
bank The heroism of the poor boys at
tempt awed the spectators, and the mo-
mentary expectation that he would dis
appear forever amid the crushing ice
fields made them hold their breath in
anxiety and terror.
His greetest danger was from the
smaller cakes of ice. When it became
necessary for him to step upon one of
these his weight was sufficient to make 1t
tilt, and his footing was very insecure.
After awhile, as he was nearing the is
land, he came into a large collection Of
these smaller ice-cakes. For awhile he
waited, hoping that a larger field would
drift near him; but after minutes de-
lay he saw that he was rapidly floating
past the island. and that he must either
trust himself to the treacherous broken
ice, or fail in his attempt to save the
woman and child.
Choosing the best of the foes, he laid
his plank and passed across successfully.
In the next passage, however, the cake
tilted up, and Joe Lambert went down
into the waterl A shudder passed
through the crowd on shore.
Poor fellow" exclaimed some tender
hearted spectator; sit is all over with
him now"