Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1884-02-07
Graphic Description ora Ndrrolr Escape
from UrOtcnfng.

uary. Sonic incorrect accounts have APP
peared in the papers which we desire to cor
rect. and do 50 by publishing part of let
/ ter 10 his brother. The letter was only fur
nishcd us that we might get the facts, but
i. is so graphic description Of heroic and
successful effort of ls-year old boy. that
we take the liberty Of giving it TO the rea'
ders Of TITS FHEE Pass:
Yesterday morning, at ten o'clock,
/ took my skates and set ont for " Babcock' 5
I Lake" to have good skate but when
/ got there, found that all the people were
skating on another pond near by. |, accord
inglv. began skating there also, but had not
/ been there more than twenty minutes when
/ a man came and drove Us oil, saying that it
was a fish pond and that all persons were
forbidden 90 skate on it. They all, then,
men, women, boys and girls, started for the
/ river, where hundreds OF people were seen
/ enjoying themselves and as had read in
/ the paper that the ice on the river was ten
/ inches thick, did not think there was any
+ danger, aud, in company with two Props,
/ went, tp0i
| found the river frozen solid as rock
and began skating here and there till found
myself alone with only one boy whom did
not know, at the Arsenal, about three miles
\ from where | started. then struck in the
direction OF Alexandria, following the tracks
left by four men, and thinking that would
be safe So long a followed where they had
been. The boy went with me. had skated
/ in this direction, about mile and 4 halt,
still following the track when my attention
vas called away by the firing of cannon at
/ the Arsenal, and turning around 50 that |
could LOOK In TINT direction, | continued TO
skate backwards, quite swiftly. The boy
+ had Stopped behind % fasicA his skate, and
/ / WAS eiill skating backwards and looking
/ no the Arsenal When suddenly, felt the Ice
/ shake and trcmblc quickly turned, and
20 my horror found myself near the edge OF
the channel. where boats sail and which Is
| the deepest portion of the river, aad never
I freezes bcCanse of the SwiitnCs3 OF the car
rent As s0Oa ~ | slw this sat down to
check myself from going farther, but, to my
terror. the ice broke and found myself,
with water gurgling in my cars and fright
ful images dancing IN my train, sinking |
knew not whi'her In a second ! recovered
my sens. $ and by kicking my feet desperate
|. managed O. come % the surface ~ n mo-
mcnt when my head seemed lursting. |
then found myself about ten feet from the
ice. in q mlCd,e of strong current which
was bear n II me further ana farther from the
ice. with skates on my feet and M clothes
nearly bearing me under notwithstanding
my frantic efforts to keep 10 the top. !
knew that j must reach that ice or drown,
and summoning all my strength, managed
after dcs.cr, t. effort To reach the icc. u n
clasped 10 with my hands, hut having gloves
on could not keep NY hold. | then tried
20 throw myself PARKWAY on the ice and sue
cccd,I I'm doing 80. but the ice broke AMI |
was a.uil sinking lt0 the dark depths. |
kicked my fee, but my strokes were iec5ltr
than 40 first. anil, after a terrible struggle,
came uD into daylight once more with my
nose and mouth fu.i of water, and managed
again by an almost sup,thuman effort,
don't know how did it, to ach
thc zee O. which clung for Il few
mutncnt. aaj thea kicking n'y feet Is hard
IS / could managed u Use them 20 the
surface an giving myself shove and
pu. succeeded in pdr,lv gcttin, my body
uut oi thc water. thtn huns, with my
body in the water past nay waist. and my
breast and Ecad on the &c The Ice WIS
rapidly giving way. ald called 20 the 10y
as loudly a, [ could 20 come quickly and
reach out his hand but lie Saii that he was
afraid o. 40 the ice would break and tod me
lo wa.t until he could find stick. know
iur ;hat could not ho.d on much longer,
and ;hlt /. sunk would not come up ANY
moro. begcel him to reach out his hand
He then c:m, crawling out on tie ice and
reached out his hand which gra>ped he
,hen tried to pull me out, but cHmc near
pulling him in. | then had TT Scncc OF
mind enough To let g OF his hand, knowing
that IT pa l'd him in W. would blth be-
drowned. and that he WAS my only chance
He then quiz ky, hut it seemed an age 70
nae. fastened his skate in the Ice and again
ra hing out hi, hanl, pu,lcl m, this time
uut of The water. lie then kindly loaned
me on, of his ia = The had two and
pulling mine Oh, which WAS truzcn stiff,
put on his racg a and dirty Jacket then
had 90 ,klte back To n Arsenal with my
pant, frozen 50 stiff that could hardly bend
my legs. and with nav shoes full OF water
which 80 N frsza {, ice AMI with my cap
fro ZEN 10 Any Lead Suffering intensely from
cod. I then walked 81 miles To Barbour
am lIamil;ol's," where Harry King works.
and mc.tel nv own Jacket winch | pu, on
lIiA gave tIl- NifN tilN tNNNN 'iN'Nf ~ ''t''e-
linn that il he wou' d com, q l0lS, N-S'rcct
thought he might get something. HeSald
he would. then took tie Ninth Street
car and came safely home. When | got
here. Ma and Mat were Ia the parlor with
company, and going up stairs | undre>Scd
and went TO bed. where after a long time
managed 20 get warm. l,u may know Ma
and Mat made an unnecessary fuss when
thew heard that had fallcniu The river and
siw my wet clothes Pa says that If the
by don't come rs hc promised. he viii Try
o. find him. hy advertising, 50 aS To rev.
HIM. I had chill and was frveriNh all last
night and woke up this morning with 4
headache; but | am now perfectly well and
cannot see that | have even taken cold
The reason why cannot 20 to church Is
because my clothes are wet yet. Please eX-
cuse my writing 50 much about myself. tor
am So glad 70 be here safe and sound
writing to YOU instead of being at the bot
tom of the Potomac
The way to producsa smile on the face OF
q man. suffering with racking cough. Is to
make him present of bottle OF DIR. BuiiS
Cough Svrup.-Just try it and YOU Will be
,,,,; L.,l - fba result