West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-06-26


row boa, cjaisiH,ng our nna.br. Peter
and Klsuser were sitting on IN old Log
EACH seemingly o5iiYious OF the dangers
surrounding us--discusslrg the merits II
different kinds Of machinery, and their
discussion ives somewhat produced by
their having locked arms on the question
as 10 whether an engine eccentric should
DC made OF wrought iror or STEEL. / was
not interested 10 such discussion. l con-
Tess would then have 'eli more like con
duc,ipg, 10 reM earnest, a speclal deliver
arce prayer meeting. lively very sensi.
oily proposed discussion Of ways and
means for delyerancs. Stone was asked
for bis view Of the matter and In a half
cad, half comical way, he cast his view
toward the shore and said nothing. Hyde
vas appealed to for an expression of his
views. He said he had never rounded
Cape Horn and knew but little about sailing
in such blllowy sea as he tueD saw be-
fore him. but he had read somewhere In a
Sunday-schoOl book about sailors firing
guns as signal of distress, and that his
heart was about to sink within upon think.
ing of the fact that we had no gun. The
word gun" hadn't much more than been
spoken when Potter aud Klauser got in
to another discussion. Potter claimed that
the Remington breeck-loading rife was the
best sporting gun made. Klauser couldn't
stand this. He Strengthened himself up to
his full hight and spoke elc quently of the
superior merits of tho choke bore. 1 nut
an end to the argument by demanding in
all earnestness and abouI half anger, that
We try to get ashore.
we all got into the boat but not one
inch could she be made go up the stream.
The current was to strong. To attempt to
cross the raging ripples looked like fiat
ing into the very jaws OF death. think
Potter. anu KlGustr now began to reallzs
the situation. They sot out Of the Loaf,
and while two of us in the boa. we're pull
ing at the oars, they pushed the boat up
stream us far as they could wade and then
climbed in hast ly-when they nearly upset
the boat to get at the oars. In the hur-
ry and excite ment one of the oars was
cropped ia the river and was cut Of reach
in fish. The remaining oar was IN
wit ,lDgly pulled which turned our boa,
broAdside toward the rIpples, and there
was now NO hope of escaping it, the boat
Was spinning ABOUND Ike top. l closed
my eyes Tor stcoud thinking hat all WAS
up with US when 1 heard a crash as Of
breaking timber. looked and saw that
the remaining oar had been let loose and
had swung down by the side of the boat
when il struck boulder AID had been
torn away, Carrying with 1t about eight
inches of the top side plank Of the boat
The water vas now ou7g ing and splashirg
al around us aud almost over us and the
''N y at "aS uthIly one - ~ IA iuIl OF
water. We had nothing but our hands
for oars Ind, although they did no good
In such place, they were worked vigor-
ously. Icxpect1d every moment That our
boat would be Dashed Sgaiuat . rock and
| capsizGd and the whole crew consigned to
walerJ grave. W. kept on and on with
little hope of escape, for more than half a
mile, when We were whirled pear the shore
under the dropping branches of tree
which were eagerly grasped for. believe
that every by in that boat had caught
hold of a limb. Ii was our only chance
and by it we escaped.
Yes, was badly scared and had good
reason to be. 1t was pcrilous Sunday
ride and l never want another ike it.
Good night, gentlemen, It's time tina,
'Fed teamster, tina. am, was In bed.
URBANA. o., JUNs, 1885 CAPTAIN.