The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-01-13

worse. Ships were dragging their an
chors and dashing ashore by dozens and
many lives were nightly lost in vain
efforts to save the vessels.
l had stout and extra lines from our
fresh water boat to its dock, but in spite
of them our frail and unworthy craft
was wrenched and tossed till began to
feel we had no business to risk staying
aboard while the storm lasted.
My wife wouldn't listen to our leav-
ing the only home we had, and vowed if
l talked of deserting The Sally again she
would head mutiny to prevent it. So
both Of us, being only fresh water sail
ors and knowing but little of the force
of salt water storm, settled down to
remain aboard in spite of the warnings
given us by men on the dock.
1t was on the fifth night of the awful
and almost unprecedented gale and the
chilling cold was at its lowest point. BY
stuffing all the crevices of our little cabin
room and keeping the stove red hot we
made out to be comparatively comfort
able. Baby was sleeping soundly in the
middle of big feather bed on the floor.
and in his warm nest was happily OBJ.
livious to the tempest and arctic tempera-
ture outside.
BY and by without undressing at all
and in fact putting on overcoats and
wraps wife and laid down and tried to
sleep and forget how the gale was Shrek
ing in the black night without aud how
our boat was creaking and straining and
tossing on the rough waters.
The wind and the rocking of our craft
after while made us sleepy and soon
we were slumbering as soundly as the
baby.
was dreaming of shipwrecks and
drowning when suddenly / awoke.
1t seemed as if our boat was pitching
harder thah ever and being battered and
knocked about frightfully.
The noise of the hitting against the
wharf and the creaking of ropes missed.
got on my feet and managed to get to
the little window and peer through the
frosted glass.
The city lights had vanished and moth
ing but intense blackness met my gaze.
Something was wrong l knew. Mount
ing the LADDER stairs and opening our
little hatchway door looked out. We
had broken loose from the dock and
were flying before the shrieking gale and
tie huge waves to almost certain death.
Where we were-what to do knew
not. quickly reused my wife and told
her of our danger. How brave and how
calm she looked. Her courage made
mine.
Leaving her to bu ndle things on the
baby and prepare for what was to hap.
pen, l stuck my head outside again 10
try and discover a way to safety if there
was one.
We were drifting rapidly across the
bay, and so far, luckily, had not struck
an anchored vessel.
Behind lis l could see the distant and
disappearing lights of New York City.
In front the lighthouse on Robin s
Reef. and beyond that the lights on Staten
/ Island.
If we were not carried out on the
ocean through the Narrows-if we did
not collide with ship or strike the reef,
we probably would bring up against
some dock on Staten Island-providing
our frail and clumsy craft lived to get
there.
As soon as we struck anything, l
realized too surely that in moments
time after the crash we must founder and
! die.
Our only chance, then, was to be
ready to leap, if possible on the object
we should dash against, and trust Provi-
dence for the rest.
The Sally had whirled around, and
was rushing stern foremost through the
laundering pillows, aud hoped when
we struck that end on which we were
would hit first. If it didn't, no use leap
ing, for we never could all of us make
our way over the icy, slippery two foot
wide deck on the boats side to its other
end.
Passing a large ship so close that
thought our end had come, barely
missing the lighthouse reef, we were
fast approaching Staten Island-and the
Narrows.
would be swept seaward and surely per.
ish-then we switched around and went
before the wind straight for the island
docks. Five minutes l calculated
and our fate for life or death would be
sealed.
Getting a rope placed our darling
baby, laughing aud growing at the ex-
ctement, on its feather bed, rolled the
soft bed entirely around it, trusting IL
wouldn't smother for awhile, and bound
the precious bundle firmly with the rope
Taking 1t in my arms, bidding my brave
aud quiet wife to hold me and follow /
gained the stern, over the slippery boats
deck.
Thank heaven, we were still stern
demonstrating straight on dock.
One more moment of suspense and
horrible dread-then with crash thai
smashed the boat under US like On egg
shell, we hit the wharf.
At the same instant, before the wreck
could rebound, I flung bed and baby on
the dock, seized my dear wife's hand
and leaped for life
We landed safely alongside our child
then down under the raging waters
plunged our good boat, drowning the
awful cries of the poor mules left on
| board.
Cutting the ropes to give air to our
babe, blown along by the blasts behind
US, we reached land and a house and,
Il