Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-30
ATRRRlRLE ORDEAL.

A TERRIBLE ORDEAL.
 Five Hours, Exposure on Long Island
 sound In an open Boat WfthfR
 Sight of Home and a Steam Tug Sent 10 Rescue Him-Saved by Pilot |
 Camp of the Steamer New Haven-A |
 Lighthouse Keepers Ihrill1ng Ex-1
 perience. l
 Saturday night was one of the worst nights ! on Long Island Sound in years. The Sound was coated over with ice half an inch thick. The big steamers passing through it broke it up somewhat and set it to drifting, and huge pieces hoated with the tide. The thermome- ter was at zero early in the evening. On Saturday afternoon at about 5 o'clock As sistant Lighthouse Keeper N. B. Allen of the Penield Reef light, which is in the Sound of Black Rock, near Bridgeport, visited Bridge
 port. Nothing but case of extreme neces- sity would have impelled him to take the perilous trip. He went to get medicines and wine for his wife, who had given premature birth to child and lay dangerously i'll and prsstrated at the lighthouse. On return ing he encountered great masses of floating ice, against which his light twelve foot boat was a mere cookie she'll He saw at once his dreadful peril and with an agonized glance he saw dreadful fate awaiting him unless perchance help reached him and he was within hearing dis tance of the keeper of the light. He shouted and his voice was heard. The people at the light heard and saw and in response gave the signal of distress. This was for the steamer Rosedale, which was seen approaching head ed for Bridgeport. The Rosedale heard and endeavored to ascertain the cause, but unable to discover it proceeded to her dock and word was as soon as possible given. A Bridgeport steam tug at once steamed out of the harbor and approaching as near the light house as the ice would permit received the news of the great peril of the assistant agent.
 For four long hours the Bridgeport tug searched up and down the broad, ice coated
 bosom of the Sound for MT. Allen, but in
 vain, and that these were to MT. Allen hours of the most painful suspense may be inn agined, and particularly so as he could see the tug lights and after the eclipse of the moon was over could descry the tug in the sombre light. But he could not make his voice, strained by shouting, reach them. His boat, moreover, was white, which made it the more difficult for those on the tug to see it. In vain he cried and raised his voice, there was no response and no sound save the dash
 ing of the waves and the cracking and crash- ing of the floating ice, with now and then the screech of the tug whistle. Allen was, moreover, becoming benumbed. He was
 
 posture on the Sound in zero weather, having expected that the trip would occupy but an hour or so. But hope sprang up again in his bosom as he now saw the lights of the steam CT Bridgeport, and saw her approaching. It was now near 10 o'clock and he had been out on the Sound over four hours He shout ed with all his might. He waved his arms and waved an oar, but all to no purpose. His voice was not hesrd on the steamer, and to his despair he saw the steamer pass on and her lights fade in the distance. Between him and the steamer lay huge masses of floating ice, barrier as strong as iron, cutting off all chance of his getting this his almost last chance of rescue. Allen sat down in his boat overcome. He saw before him naught but the prospect of dying of exposure on the open Sound, and with the consciousness of the terrible suspense of his friends at the lighthouse and the probability that his wife was suffering the keenest agony over his sit uation, as she had heard the signal of distress and with woman's divination knew it must be from her husband, as his absence was so prolonged. Just when Allen was abandon ing all hope and feebly conjecturing how long the agony would last hope in his breast sprang up anew. He saw the lights of another steamer approaching and the steamer seemed to be coming his way. When nearly agonizing effort. The steamer was the New Haven, Captain W. c. Post, bound for New Haven harbor. Pilot Fred A. Camp of this city was in the wheelhouse. He heard cry, but he thought it was from one of the deck hands. Again he heard the cry, and this time glancing across the waste of broken ice he saw the fig ure of 6espairing man in silhouette outline against the ice. He shouted to him words of encouragement and that the steamer would come back. As soon as possible the steamer was stopped and then, crashing through the ice, was backed a quarter of mile to the spot where poor Allen stood and a rope being thrown Allen caught it and made it fast to him and half dead with cold and partially frozen was pulled into the steamer. Hot coffee and restoratives were given him, after which he told his story and said that the tug was out searching for him. All this time the tug was still looking for Allen. The steamer now ran back two or three miles and finally the tug was seen and gave answering responses to the New Haven's whistles and MT. Allen was soon put board and was taken by the tug back to his home and his ! wife. A more thankful and grateful man than was Allen for his rescue cannot be inn | agined. It was by most fortunate circum- stance for him that his rescue came about. l Pilot Camp had, on account of the ice and \ hoping to strike thinner ice, changed the | course half point more to the ! n0EthRaId Mhen nearing Peafeld light. Had the steamer contlnue0 on ner customary course Aliens voice could not have been heard on the steamer, and he must in all | probability have perished. The tug, as stated, had been searching over four hours | and must soon have abandoned the quest. l Allen is about B years of age. Penfeld light is about four miles southwest of Bridge port During the time when Allen was at | the mercy of the sea and ice the steamers Rosedale, Bridgeport, City of New Bedford, Bristol, City of New York and City of | Brockton had passed by in his sight on the | Sound, but all too far away for Aliens cries 1 to be heard on board. The Sound has not for thirteen years been 30 extensively cov- cred with ice as at the present time. Allen was about three miles south of Penfeld light l when rescued. He started for the light at | o'clock and was picked up at 1915. The l Bridgeport tug which made the search for | him uaa tha Sarah T Waad