Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-27
AFLOAT ON DRIFTING ICE.
Heroic Rescue Of Woman from a
PeriIOus Position in North River.
INeW York Tribnne.l

Mrs Jane Donovan, the wife of Cap
tain John Donovan, the chief officer of
Canal-Boat No. IL, belonging to the
Manhattan Transportation Company, had
novel experience yesterday floating
around the North river on a large cake
OF ice, and receiving a severe shock
which will probably have fatal ending.
The canal boat came from Port johnson
Saturday and tied up at the foot of west
Ninoty-sixth street. Captain Donovan
and his wife slept on board. Early yes
terday n terrific crash followed 10y the
sound of swiit-rushing water awakened
the captain. The boat rocked from side
TO side. The captain jumped from his
bed aroused his wife, and they both ran
on deck just as the water broke through
the cabin window They made rush
to get off the boat but before they could
get near the pier it sank under their
feet and left them laundering in the
water. Their loud cries for help at
trocted the attention OF Thomas
Clemens, a switchman on the Hudson
River railroad, and he rushed down
to the pier. The river was filed
with heavy cakes Of ice, one of which
had smashed = big hole in the canal
boat. Clemens threw n long rope, and
it was caught by the captain. His wife
had been carried out OF his reach by the
tide, and Clemens pulled him ashore.
Mrs. Donovan was too far away TO reach
the rope when it was thrown to her the
second time. She could not swim, but
the ice kept her from sinking. She
seized a piece Of the cabin-root which
came near her 1t rested upon big
cake OF ice. The struggling woman
managed to get partially out Of the
water on the ice. She had only night
dress on, and suffered severely from
cold.
Seeing that he was unable to all the
woman with the rope, Clemens ran to the
foot of Ninetieth street, and, with the
aid of Thomas Nevins, broke open boat
house. After considerable labor they got
q small boat into the water. 1T leaked
badly, but both men jumped into 1t and
started for the woman. The current had
taken her utintO the middle Of the river,
and she was being carried rapidly away 10y
the flood tide. She screamed for help until
benumbed by the cold and exhaustion,
and then lay on the ice as if dead. The
two men had a perilous journey through
the ice. 1t struck the little craft 50 hard
that it started the seams, and one man
was kept busy bailing the water while
the other pushed the ice away. 1t
seemed useless several times to try and
get the boat into clear water, but the
two men stuck to the work manfully, and
in about q quarter OF an hour they
reached place where they could make
good headway.
Mrs. Donovan by this time had drifted
no 10 One-hundred-and-ffth street. The
woodwork had slipped partially from the
ice. lowering Mrs Donovan into the
water nearly to her neck, but she chung
to the wood with the grip Of death.
When the rescuers got to her her eyes
we're closed and her head dropped 80
that in few minutes the water would
have run over her. She WAS unconscious
when they seized her by the shoulders.
1t required all the strength of the two
men to break the WOmanS grip on the
plank, and the boat was nearly upset in
getting her into it. The trip back to
the boat-house was also dangerous,
but the shore was finally reached. Both
Clemens and Neyins gave up their cloth
ing to the unconscious woman when they
got her out OF the water At the boat
house an attempt was made to revive
her, but when the ambulance arrived
from the Ninety-ninth-Street Hospital
she was still in a comatose condition. 1t
took two hours heroic treatment to re-
suscitate her 50 that she breathed freely.
Dr. Lawler, the house surgeon, had
hopes of saving the woman's life, but
was Of the opinion that she would have
pneumonia and this would certainly have
fatal ending. Mrs. Donovan was IN
the water nearly en- hour.