Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-11-20
THE BOY Who SAVED THE SCHOOL.

Youths Companion.
Two thousand miles from the mouth
of the Mississippi where it flows into
the Gulf of Mexico, is remarkable en-
largemeut of the river known as Lake
Pepin." 1t is, in fact, a lake, for it is a
body of water without any perceptible
current. thirty miles long and four
miles wide, through which the great riv-
er flows in some mysterious way.
This lake lies between Wisconsin and
Minnesota, and is bounded alternately
by high rocky bluffs four hundred feet
high on one side, and prairies, from one
to three miles wide, on the opposite
shore.
On these prairies are many pretty viii
lagos and homesteads; and during the
summer months it is a lovely place, and
one which the Indians of the North west
loved and clung 10 until driven away by
civilization.
Although it is so far from the sea, it
is large and deep enough to float all the
navies of the world.
The water is SO clear that a silver
dime can be seen lying on the sandy bot
tom where the water is ten feet deep.
There is no current on the surface of
the lake. and raft or log.if left ioating,
may drift about for weeks just as the
winds may blow it, The old rivermen
say there is an undercurrent by which
the waters of the Mississippi escape ;and
this seems probable, as the surface water
being warmer in summer would natt
urally be on top, while the colder
water of the river would run below.
Atany rate, there is a tremendous
current at the outlet of the lake where
the river escapes from its long impris>
onment of thirty miles. The water fair
ly bOils and whirls in eddies as it rush =
es on, and the great steamers coming up
the river put on extra steam at this
point to overcome the strong current,
and reach the quiet waters of the lake
Early in the winter the still waters of
the lake freeze over long before the ice
forms on the river, and during the long,
cold winter the ice becomes very thick,
often four feet in depth; and when COW
cred with snow it becomes general
highway tor travelling with sleighs
At the foot of the lake, where the river
escapes, the current is so strong that it
has never been known to freeze over,
even during the coolest weather, and
often in mIdwinter clouds of steam or
vapor hang over it, and travellers give it
ID wide berth, crossing the lake mile or
more above it.
When the wind blows from the south
in the winter the air is driven under the
ice at the lower end, and finding no es+
cape, it is forced along under the ice for
miles, causing the sounds which are as
sociated with an earthquake; there are
terrible mutterings which the Indians
believed were caused by evil spirits.
The sounds are like subdued or distant
thunder, and roll miles up the lake, and
often the solid ice is cracked from the
water to the SUI face to pei nit the con,
fined air to escape.
We know of no human being who ev-
er escaped alive who was SO unfortu.
nate as to be caught in the grasp of this
mighty current.
There is an Indian tradition relating
to party of young braves who had
chased large deer on 10 the ice above
this outlet.
One of the party who had been paying
his addresses To a young Indian beauty
had been rejected by the girl because he
had never distinguished himself by any
act of daring that would entitle him to
be called Brave. Stung to desperation
by her taunts, he determined that no op-
pOrtunity should pass without his prov
ing his right to be known by that title.
One day he and his party were hunt
ing deer. A deer found himself pursued
by the hunters, and ran for the open Wa
ter. followed by the Indiana; but when
the hunters saw the deep. black water
they all stopped except the rejected low
er; he rushed eagerly on after the pant
ing creature.
The deer paused moment on the
brink of the ice, but its pursuer was
close at hand. and it plunged into the
river. As it rose to the surface the
young Indian gave loud whoop, and
sprang upon it. Both sank struggling
in the dark water; then for a minute
they floated ON the surface The deer
nigh have swum to land. but the Indi-
an clung to it, and soon they both dis
appeared, to be seen no more.
A few years before the war I had
charge of the "Hesperian Institute" To-
Gated in one OF the villages on the shore
of the lake. Among the students attend
ing the school was boy fifteen .years
old, named Joseph Willis.