Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-12-21
HUMBLE HERO
An Incident of the Flood in tbe
Alabama River.

Negroes frequently exhibit a won.
derful degree of heroism in timeo =,
danger. An instance of this | wit
nessed in the spring of 1886, when a
freshet in the Alabama river ca,,sad
the country on each side to be over.
flowed by water for many miles.
The negroes on the river planta.
tions were the greatest sufferers.
Their cabins would be under water
almost before they knew that DANGER
threatened them, and hundreds of
them were sometimes found huddled
together upon some knoll sufficiently
elevated to be above the water. There
they often remained two or three DAYS
and nights without food and exposed
to soaking rain. Fortunately, the
weather was not cold.
Many relief expeditions were sent
out from the neighboring towns to res
cue them. These consisted of one or
r2ore boats, manned by expert oars
linen and swimmers, and filled with
cooked provisions, blankets. etc. One
day the news came that the negroes on
a certain plantation had sought refuge
upon corn crib, around which the
water was rapidly rising, and so rem.
de ing their condition exceedingly
precarious. Two boats started out al
once to their assistance. In one oil
these l went, accompanied by another
" ita man and n naUrO
An amusing occurrence took place
Tot long after our starting. In the
middle of a submergt field. about one
hundred yards to our right we saw
little. woolly black head. with a
frightened black face beneath it, pro-
iectIng from the water We
rowed hastily towards it and drew
out of the muddy wafer a negro boy
about eight years old, perfectly naked.
and held him up among us.
Here. Moses" cried one, holding a
tin cup with whisky in it to his mouth,
''here, take drink.
Take bite of this bread, Moses"
cried another, trying to crowd the
bread into his mouth
..No; let Moses have some of this
fried bacon. It'll do him the most
good" said the negro oarsman.
But Moses shook his head and turned
aside from all the offered food.
Use erbleeged to yer, marsters,
he said, while his white teeth shone
and his eyes rolled wildly. Use
erbleeged ter yer but l hain't sot down
in two days, by tryin' to keep my head
out n de watah. an all l wants, et yel
please is to set down"
He was promptly wrapped In
blanket and set down, where for an
hour he sat without moving, enjoying
the perfect rest of his new position
At the end of that time he began to
eat draw a vail over his perform
snce in this line We feared we had
rescued him from a watery grave u
kill him with con- bread and bacon
although the negro oarsman insisted
that he never heard Of ''niggah neln
hurt by too much to eat Meeting
returning boat soon after we Pu,
Moses in it and sent him to town.
never heard of him again, but presume
he survived both his unusual bath ano
banquet
We resumed our journey, and JUS
before dark sighted the corn CRU
upon which a mass OF o'acA ~
mauity clustered like swarm q
bees. A heavy rain was now fallins'
and daylight beginning to iaae away
their condition become most distress
ing. as they sat in perfect Siien0e
watching our approach.
But we did not appreciate their "a.
IRENE peril until, as the ooat s'ruoA
against the frail Lighthouse, when was
in the water to the edges OF tne tn T
II visibly shook and tottered' TX
moor creatures began to Chamber nui>
riedly down to the boat
"Stopr' cried. The "omen anu
.hildren first char
The men obediently resumed tnetl
seats We took in first the children
and then the women. getting them y.
in safely. and were about to push on'
telling the men we would hurry O DaUo
tor them as quickly as possible OF Se INA
the first boat we met, when very o,o
woman Il noticed she was the ias' "
ret in the boat and had done SO
nctantly) seized the corner o. ~
house, and, looking anxio'isiy in'o -
lace, said:
'Marster, amt you gwine take NY
Ne InHu2n