The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1892-01-02

storm settled down 10 remain aboard
in spite Of the warnings given US by
the men on the dock.
II was the fifth night OF the awful
and almost unprecedented gale and
the chilling cold was at its lowest
point BY stutIing all the crevices OF
our little cabin room and keeping the
stove red ho'. we made out TO be
comparatively comfortable Baby was
sleeping soundly In the middle OF a
big feather bed on the floor and in his
warm nest was happily oblivious 20
the tempest and arctic temperature
outside
BY and by without undressing at all
and In fact putting on overcoats and
wraps wife and laid down and tried
10 sleep and forget how the gale was
shrieking Ia the black night without
and how our boat was creaking and
straining and tossing on the rough
waters
The wind and the rocking OF our
craft after a while made us sleepy and
soon we were slumbering as soundly
az the baby. i was dreaming OF ship
wrecks and drowning when suddenly /
awoke. 1t seemed as II our boat was
pitching harder than ever and being
battered and Knocked about friQhtful-
ly. The noise OF the hitting against
the wharf and the creaking OF tho
ropes ! missed. | got on my feet and
managed TO get TO the little window
and peer out through the frosted glass.
The city lights had vanished and
nothing but intense blackness met my
gaze Something was wrong | knew.
Mounting the ladder stairs and open
ing our little hetchway door / looked
out. We had broken loose from the
dock and were flying before the Shrek
ing gale and the huge waves 20 almost
certain death. Where we were-what
TO do | knew not quickly reused
my wife and told her OF our danger.
How brave and now calm she looked.
Her courage made mine.
Leaving her 10 bundle things on the
baby and prepare for what was to
happen / stuck my head outside again
10 Try and discover way OF safety IL
there was one. We were drifting rap
idly across the bay, and so far luck
lily had not struck an anchored vessel.
Behind us | could see the distant and
disappearing lights OF New York city.
In front the lighthouse on Robbins
reef and beyond that the lights on
Staten island.
IL we were not carried out on the
ocean through the Narrows-ii we did
not collids with ship or strike the
reef we probably would bring up
against some dock on Staten island
provided our frail and clumsy craft
lived 10 get there As soon as we
struck anything realized too surely
that in a. moments time after the
crash we must founder and die. Our
only chance then was TO be ready 10
leap, IL possible on the object we
should dash against and trust TO Provi-
dence for the rest The Sally had
whlrled around, and was rushing
stern foremost through the laundering
pillows and hoped when we struck
that the erd on which we were would
hit first II it didn't no use leaping.
for we never could all OF Us make our
way over the icy slippery two foot
wide deck on the boats sides 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 For time IL looked
certain that we would be swept sea-
ward and surely perish-then we
switched around and went before the
wind straight for the island docks.
Five minutes calculated and our fate
for life or death would be sealed
Getting a rope placed our darling
baby laughing and Growing at the ex-
element on It's feather bed rolled the
soft bed entirely around IL trusting IL
wouldn't smother for awhile. and
bound the precious bundle firmly with |
the rope Taking il in my arms bid.
ding my brave and quiet wife 10 hold
me and follow gained the stern. over
the slippery boats deck.
Thank heaven. we were still stern
foremost dashing straight on dock.
One more moment OF suspense and |
horrible dread--then with n crash /
that smashed the boat under Us like an I
cggshell. we hit the whar.
AT the same instant before the I
wreck could rebound, flung bed and
baby on the dock seized my dear
wife 5 hand and lcaped for life We
landed safely alongside OF our dear
down under the raging
waters plunged our good boat drown
ng the awful cries OF the poor mules
eft on board. Cutting the ropes to
give air 10 OR babe. blown along by
he blasts behind us we reached land
md a house and soon inside, found