Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-10
A YOUNG TENNESSEE HEROINE.
RIDING HORSE INTO THE RIVER
TO SAVE HER BROTHER IRON
DEATH.

Near Gainsboro occurred an lnci
dent the story Of which reads NOR
like a romance than truth, yet II II
vouched for by Judge Fife, ono o.
Tennessee's most distinguished Jur
lists. Ii was while the angry Cum
berland was In his most violent
mood, when the swift-howing wa
ters were at their highest, that brave
Mica Hall, a frail young girl Of ID
years, performed an act OF heroisu
which should emblazon her name
high upon the scroll OF fame.
Mica's brother, Conner Hall, and
another young man, both aged ab5u'
Is, were in n canoe catching DRIFT
wood in the middle Of the stream.
The weather was Intensely cole, and
both young men had on their heavy
oyercoats aud heavy under clothes.
Suddenly the canoe was upeet and
both boys were thrown into the
stream. The current at this point Is
very swift and the canoe quickly
went 10 the bottom Of the river. The
brave young fellows began 10 strug-
gle desperately TO save themselves,
but the heavy clothing weighted
them down so that they could make
little headway against the angry
waters, which bore them swiftly
dOwB the stream.
Some distance down the rive= is n
small island, which was covered at
the time by about four or five feet OF
water. Young Halls companion
landed against this island and man.
aged by the most desperate efforts
70 maintain his position upon it.
Poor Conner, however, was not 80
fortunate. In his efforts 10 escape
he continued TO float farther and far
Their away. About 800 yards from
where his companion lodged Conner
ilOated against tree-tOp, and chung
TO it with a desperation born Of de-
spair.
All this time young Halls moth
CT and l5-year- old sister, Mica, were
standing at the edge Of the water
several hundred yards from where
he had lodged. They were, in truth,
at the edge Of n great sheet Of water
which had backed up from the riv-
er. The frenZied mother saw the
desperate struggle Of her son 10 save
himself, and, wringing her hands in
grief at the thought Of his meeting
death in the bosom Of the angry NV
er, was almost ready to plunge into
the water and make an effort to
reach him.
Then it was, in the supreme hour
OF peril, that the heroic young girl
ran back 10 the barn and secured a
horse Selling hold Of the halter
she pulled him down 10 the edge Of
the water, and, tearing Off her cloth
ing, jumped upon the back Of the
animal with the words, ana, l'D
save Bud or die, " and plunged into
the icy waters. Far down tho stream
her fast firing brither chung TO the
tree top, the agOnized mother ex-
pecting every moment 10 see him
sink into the river, never TO rise
again.
Mica urged the trembling animal
forward until he struck deep water,
where it was with the greatest effort
the shivering girl could keep his
head straight toward the boy.
The waters surged and splashed
against the brave Tescuers and every
seemed an age. At last the
tree was reached, and just a. Conner
was becoming unconscious he was
seized 10y his heroic sister, pulled
upon the hack Of the horse, and the
battle for life began. The horse
desperately, but the I-oor
girl held tenaciOusly 10 his name,
aud, with one arm around the semi
boy, finally managed TO
reach TIE llak far below where she
had started IN. Once safely upon
terra firma, she gave way under the
terrible strain, and It was several
hours before she was able TO rrcite
the story Of her brave deed to her a.
sembled neighbOrs.
The other young man was rescued (
1y a party Of men, and Mica Hall I
IS the heroine Of the Upper Cum
1erland.-IuShriue Auericaa.