Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-11
that some substantial rewards await


twelve years old, by swimming with
! the lad ia tened on his back. He strug-
gled hard, but again and again, with
such burden on his shoulders, he was
nearly overwhelmed. The poor boy
begged his father to LET him 20 and
save his own life, and when he saw
that his father would not do this he
managed to work himself free aud
struck out toward the shore. A
huge wave came and flung father
and son on the shore and both
were saved. A lady who saw the boy
since be reached home told me that she
said 10 him, 4" Will you ever go to La
brador again. ?" The reply was. sob,
yes, ma'am; likes IL I'll 90 next
year. "Were you afraid when you
were on your fathers back" "No,
ma'am; was only a little bit fright
ened. / thought poor father was gOin'
to be drowned, and what would poor
mother do then! So | got Oft his
back" This young boy, very bright,
intelligent fellow, with a fine, open,
manly eOuntenance, says my informant,
will. if be lives, become a splendid
spscimen.of our Newfoundland fisher
men.
Another bairbrsadth escape is record
cd. At White Bear Island a woman
belonging to Conception bay found her
self in the water, the vessel having gone
down. and as there was no means Of
reaching the shore she gave up for lost.
But at that critical moment she saw two
Newfoundland dogs that had been on
board swimming for their lives shore
ward. Sht,eith called them, or they
instinctiyely came to the rescue Of the
drowning woman, so closely that she
was able to grasp the long hair on their
backs, and 50 was safely carried ashore.
The marvellous escape Of others would
occupy too much space if narrated.
As soon as the news Of the disaster
reached st. Johns the Government
took prompt and energetic measures
for rescuing the ship-wrecked crews
and bringing them home. Two steam
ers that lay at Harbor Grace were
hastily got ready for sea provisions
and clothing in abundance were put on
board. and in less than twenty-four
hours they were dispatched to the scene
Of the disaster. The mail steamer
Ployer was taken from her usual route,
provisioned and sent to the same dest-
nation. Fortunately there were two
steamers at Labrador when the storm
took place, and these at once
devoted themselves to the help
and rescue Of the shipwrecked people.
The steamship Vanguard was one Of
these, and she arrived at HarbOr Grace
on the Goth, having on board $50 OF the
shpwrecked people brought from Grady.
The other was the Hercules. and she
reached Tilt Cove on the same day with
240 people on board. Sailing-yessels
are arriving with attachments on board.
The Lady Elibank brought 200 to Har-
Dor Grace. There is no doubt that
the steamers now gone north will be
able to find and bring home
the remainder Of the wrecked crews,
some of whom are still exposed in peril.
Gus circumstances. The poor people as
they arrive are in a pitiable plight, but
thankful to reach their homes alive.
Many of them have lost everything.
All their hard-earned catch Of fish is
gone, and they come home to face the
long, cold winter with hardly anything
in their houses. They will receive all
the help that is possible, both from pri-
yate charity and out OF the public funds,
but with all that can be done for them
their privations and suferiugs will be
great. The Government deserve much
credit for the prompt and judicious
measures they adopted for the relief Of
the sufferers.
At present the loss by this storm is
estimated at 100000 to 100000, or
100000 to s240,000. Most Of the
vessels are insured in a mutual-insu-
rance club but when disaster Of this
kind occurs there might almost as we'll
De no lUsl AuCc. a. tue aluohl4t req 4ittA
to meet the claims has TO be contribu-
ted by all the members of the club, and
thus anything gained by insurance is
paid out in covering losses. The loss
of 50 many fishing-yessels will seriously
interfere with fishing operations next
year, though many new vessels
may be built during the winter,
and thus employment be afford
ed. 1t is, however, very serious
blow to our prosperity. In hundreds
Of homes pinching poverty will be felt
next winter. Fishing gear is lost and
will have 10 be replaced. The Labra-
dor fishery will not for some time re-
cover from the blow. Nearly all our
mercantile houses are heavy sufferers.
Eighteen years ago, in 1867, a similar
disaster happened on Labrador. but the
loss of life and property was not more
than half as great as By the recent