The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-05-09
Tho battle orLondon Bridge.

Tho Battle OfLondon Bridge.
Under the cliffs of Kinlimma, in
Friesland, hasty word came to the Boy
Viking that the English king. Ethel,
red 1.-THE Unready, was calling for help
to win back his heritage and crown
from young King Cnut, or Canute the
Dane. Instantly Olaf, tho ever ready,
hoisted his blue and crimson sails and
steered his war-ships over sea. Up the
Thames and straight for London towp
he rowed.
upon the bridge betwixt the castle
and Southwark" said King Ethelred,
shave the ravaging Danes raised tow.
ers and parapets, and blocked the free
river-way to my castle. And now
Sea King, what doth thou counsel?"
Impetuous as ever, and impatient
of obstacles, the young viking said,
'IIow2 Why, pull thou down thii
bridge"
Break down great London Bridge
young hero" cried the amazed king
How may that be? Have we Duke
Samson among lis to do so great a
seat?"
LAY Inc thy ships alongside mine."
said the valorous boy, "and l will vow
to break it down"
"Be it So" said Ethelred.
Old London Bridge was not what
we should now call an imposing struc.
ture, but our ancestors OF eight centn.
ries back esteemed it quite a bridge.
The chronicler says that it was $50
broad that two wagons could pass each
other upon il" and "under the bridge
were piles driven into the bottom OF
the river"
So Olaf decided to wreck the bridge
by a bold viking stroke. And first HI
had erected over each ship a stout, ov
erhanging roof of wood.
"Now, out oars and pull for tn.
bridge" young Olaf commanded; and
the roofed-over war-ships were rowe3
close up to London Bridge.
And as they came near the bridge,
the chronicle says, there were cast up
on them, by the Danes upon the bridge
many stones and missile weapons"
But Olaf and his Norsemen weru
not thus to be driven back. Straigh,
ahead they rowed, quite up under the
bridge"
"Out cables, all, and lay them
around the piles the young soaking
shouted; and the strong, brave rowers
unshipping their oars, reached out un-
der the roofs and passed the stout ca.
bles twice around the wooden sup.
ports of the bridge, aud made them
fast to cleats in the stern of each yes.
sci.
"Out oars" then cried Olaf; "puu,
war birds! Pull, all, as if ye were TO,
Norway"
Forward and backward swayed tho
stout Morse rowers; tighter and tight
er pulled the cables; fast down upon
the straining war-ships raincd the
Danish spears and stones; but the
wooden piles under the great bridge
were loosencd by the steady tug Of the
cables, and soon with sudden squirt
the Morse war-ships darted down the
river, while the slackened cables tow
ed astern the captured piles of London
Bridge. A great shout went UP from
the besiegers, and now" says the
chronicle, "as the armed troops stood
thick upon tho bridge, and there
were likewise many heaps ST stones
and other weapons upon it, the bridge
gave away; and great part Of the
men upon it fell into tho river, and all
tho others fcd--some into tile castle
and sono into Southwark" And be-
fore King Ethelrc,!, "Tho Unready,"
could pull his ships to tho attrck.
young Olars fighting-mcn had sprung
ashore, and storming the Southwark t
earthworks, carried oil before them,
l
and tho Battle of London Bridge was
vas won.--,Stt. Nicholas.