Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-23
THIRTY MINUTES OF SUSPENSE
Hair-Breadth Escape from Death of a
TRlbOttOn Editor.

TalbOttOn Editor.
From tAe Tdtbottos' (CTa.) Vsto Era.
The severe freezes of the recent past
gave the carp lakes on our little farm near
town coaLing OF ice varying in thickness
from 1 to inches. The ice on the upper
pond was thick and strong and Oh it's
glazed surface Mrs, Mumford, her broth
er, Mr.. c. l. Leonard, and two of our chill
dren had walked with impunity and no
BARN betell them. This was on Tuesday
last. AT that time it would have no doubt
held up wagon and horses.
On Thursday afternoon, Jan. IA, after
dinner, we concluded TO take walk TO
the lakes and see them with their arctic
coats on Tor the second time. We crossed
the dam OF the lower one and stood for
moment admiring it's crystal crest. The
Ice seemed thick, strong and firm and we
placed our 200 pounds OF avoirdupois on
the ice-covered bosom of the lake and
slowly and carefully walked across this
lower lake, reaching the opposite bank in
safety. w e then entered the upper lake
ana found the ice as firm as a rock and
we walked all over it. spending at least
ten inmates and enjoying the novel pro-
ceedlng most splendidly. We turned our
steps homeward, and entered the lower
lake again, thinking to take part of the
journey homeWard on the ice. The lower
lake is ninety yards in length. and we
traYersed nearly the entire length, pass
ing over the very deepest part, where the
water is Il to Is feet deep. When within
twenty feet OF the shore IN the northeast
corner Of The lake We glanced suddenly in
'front.' and saw the water boiling from
mole III the ice near the edge OF the lake
where thaw bad set in. We halted but
a moment when all OF a sudden, without
warning, the ice beneath our feet gave
way and into the cold water our pondrous
body fell. The hole made in the ice was
just large enough for our body to pass
through. Throwing our arm out we
caught them on the ice that completely
surrounded our water prison. We
knew we were in deep water, but
knew not whether it was over our
head. We made a desperate effort to re-
cover our position on top of the ice and
succeeded in raising our body full length
on the ice when it gave way with us and
again we plunged beneath, and we found,
alter several otherstruggles that our only
nope for life lay IN the chance of getting
help or possibly In being in water not over
our head. We let our body down full
length holding as best We could to the ice,
and our feet touched bottom. But we
were in deep water. By tip-toeing we
could manage to keep mouth and nose
out. At this point the freezing waters in
which our body was fully submerged be-
gan TO act on us most vigorously and the
suffering was intense. We tried several
times to break the ice but failed. We then
gave up to die. Alone, within a quarter
of mile of home in a deep frozen lake
with frozen surface of three inches in
thickness with our head Just above water
in small hole in the ice we gave up to
die and tried to resign ourself to fate.
Our whole past life came before us in
panoramic view and we thought of how
much bad ana how little good we had
done. Then we begun to pray, and we
prayed as we had never before prayed
Then nope revived and we begun to call
for help. We yelled at the top Of voice for
help. 1t was the cry of despair and was
answered only by the signing OF the winter
winds as they mercilessly swept through
the forests around the lakes. At length
after praying and calling through what
seemed an age, we made one more desper-
ate effort TO free Ourself from our ter
rible ice bound prison. Oh, fond hope!
The ice gave way before us, breaking
about II inches nearer the bank and then
we could stand fat footed and fight. We
made another terrific effort, using our
arms and elbows, the hands being by this
time benumbed and useless. This second
effort yielded fruit in more broken ice
placing us nearer the shore and few
more well-directed blows brought us to
the shore, where praise aud thanksgiving
arose from heart and lips. Then came the
long and slow walk hOmeward, a walk of
suffering, hating stop, and almost eX-
hausted we reached the little house on the
hill whore the dear wife received us in
great excitement and alarm. And at the
hreside We came near dying of congestion,
but by hard rubbing, a good cup OF hot
coffee, loving care, warm blankets, etc,
we were soon ourself again, but the terri
bic ordeal, the horrible situation will
never pass from our memory.
Two things alone saved our life. Had
we been in water over our head we would
have drowned without a doubt. The
water came through the hole made by our
fall and flowed over the top Of it, thus
causing it TO yield to our blows and break
a path to the bank.
We were in the perilous position at least
thirty minutes. 1t seemed an age.
Forty men, with a stout hemp rope
could not pull us onto the surface of the
thickest ice ON the coolest lake in the
United States.