The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-19
CHAPTER VII.

Tidings of the overwhelming calamity
travelled fast. The telegraph wires flashed
it halS way across the continent that
night.
Tt3 first to receive the news were the
uewsgatherers in Pittsburgh. The
calamity grew in volume there until the
writers on the press, the printers, and
pressmen we're wearied, tagged out, pre-.
pairing the details for their readers.
The bulletins startled the workers who
passed the newspaper offices. BY the
time the business world had its eyes
open, the nsands were looking on the
Allegheny, which was running bank full.
Evidences of ruin were abundant at dawn.
It was not until the morning was we'll ad-
yanced, however, that the surface of the
river became thickly covered with all
manner of debris. Then the houses,
barns, shopg, and lumher-all the float
ing m after swept away by the food be-
low the bridge at Johnstown-was borne
past the city at the hesd Of the Ohio.
The tidings of thu disaster we're borne
up the Allegheny Valley again by the
trainmen, by tho morning newspapers,
by hundreds of workingmen. By the
time the debris had reached from shore
to shore, hundreds of eyes in every town
and hamlet in the Allegheny Valley were
scanning the waters.
There we're courageous men ready and
anxious to succor victims of tho flood.
They sat in skiffs, looking out over the
river.
Here and there, where large masses Of
the wreck we're collected into rafts, boats
pushed out at great risk to the occupantsi
who examined the debris, and satisfied
themselves that no human being wai
fastened between the interlaced frag.
ments of timber and lumber.
At Verona, seven miles from Pitts.
burgh, q large crowd Of workingmen wera
gathered together, encouraging thost
who had skiffs 10 90 OUT
| One keen-eyed man, looking over tht
broad expanss of water, directed atten.
ton to cradle far out in the river. In.
stantly all eyes we're fixed upon the oh.
| ject, aud tho occupant of skitf urged ia
make his way to it.
This man did not require urging. Ths
drift wss very thick. 1t required no little
labor and ingenuity to row sklf across
the current that was bea-irg o mass OF
debris onward.
The occupant Of the skif proved equal
to the task he set himself. He made his
way carefully to the cradle, which was
now almost abreast of the crowd assem-.
bled on the bank of the river.
At this juncture speculation was rife
among the lockers on. What If there
should bo cLiIi in the cradle, one ven.
tured to say.
There was q movement among the
crowd. One positive man reminded the
man who made the remark that that drift
had foated from fifty to seventy miles.
Another equally positive said: That
stuff comeB all the why from Johnstown.
It aint likely that any one will come down
this far alive" -.
"If there is anything In that cradle il
| is dead"
why" said another, think of the aw-
| ful weather. Do you think o child could
| live through the night In that river-the
| air would chill stout man"
The man who thought child might be
| found in the cradle meanwhile held bis
peace. The absurdity of the idea grew or
him, too, as he looked at the rushing
| water.
The man in the skiff was now very neal
| the object of all this solicitude. Those
| on shore could see him moving through
| the drift with rare deliberation. They
| observed him resting on his oars one
| minute as he looked over his shoulders.
| Then he pushed forward, rowing rapidly
until the boat touched the drift that sus-
tanned the cradle.
When the skiff seemed to be wedged
into the drift, the occupant stood up
suddenly. The people on shore could
see him bending over the cradle-could
! SEQ Linn lifti.s something, but whether
/ he took it out of the cradle or from the
| debris beside it no one could Ee sure.
They bsheld him moving around in
peculiar manner. Then he sat down a1d
began to row shoreward. Now d WIS ap-
parent that there was something In OF
near the cradle. The owner Of the skif
was bringing the cradle to the shore
with him.
What is he doing2 If there's any
thing in the cradle, why don't he bring it
ashore and let the cradle go?"
If there was live baby in that cradle
I wouldn't give pin for its chances. A
stick or log will hit it, end over it will
go--mark my words. Jack Award ought
10 have more sense"
Never you mind Jack; he knows what
be is doing"
I'll bet he'll never bring that cradle
in"
skiF."
The interest in the cradle was now
very great. Some women who were stand
ing apart approached the man eagerly.
One asked, Can You see what Mr.. Al
ward is doing?-is there anything in the
cradle, do you think?"
Il think" said one man, dryly, Jack
Award is bound to have that cradle after
rowing out there to see what was in it
as if anything living could be in it now.
DO matter what might Nave been there
last night"
Yes said another with laugh,
Jacks going to save himself the ex-
pense of buying q cradle.
Look, look!" one of the women ex-
claimed. Il saw baby's hands in the
skiff."
The men laughed scornfully. The
woman persisted. Il know there's baby
in the skiff."
She is right" said man. I saw a
taby's hand just now. See! There's
two hands"
Pooh! If there's anything in the
skif it's dog. Jack is very fond OF
dogs. You saw dogs tail wagging, OF
dogs ears.
Il tell you it was baby's hands, said
the other argrily. "Iguess my eyesight's
good" g,
By this time great crowd had gathered
at the river edge. Jack Awards errand
created oil manner of speculation.