St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-27

The wind and the rocking Of "a
craft after awhile made MS sleepy, IN
soon we were LAUNDERING g soundl,
as the baby.
was dreaming of shipwreclrs IN
drowning when suddenly. / awoke.
1t seemed rs If our boat was pitchinl
harder than ever and being battere,
and knocked about frightfully.
The noise of the hitting against tn
wharf and the creaking of the ropes
missed I got ON my feet and man
aged 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 I knew
Mounting the ladder stairs and open
ing our little hatchwny door l looked
out We had broken loose from the
dock and were flying before the shriek
ing gale and the huge waves to almost
certain death.
Where we were-what to do I knew
not l quickly reused my wife and
told her of our danger. How brave and
how calm she looked. Her courage
made mine.
Leaving her to bundle things on the
baby and prepare for what was to hap
pen, / stuck my head outside again to
try and discover q way to safety il
there was one.
We were drifting rapidly across the
bay. and SO far, luckily, had not struck
an anchored vessel
Behind us l could see the distant and
disappearing lights Of New York city.
In front the lighthouse on Robbins
reef, and teycrd that the lighta on
State n Island.
If we were not arried out ON the
ocean through the Narrows-if we did
not collide with q 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 rs we struck anything, re-
allied too surely that in . moments
time afte r the crash we must founder
and die.
Our only chance, then, was 70 be
ready to leap, If possible, on tho object
we should dash against and trust Prov.
idence for the rest
The Sally had whirled around. and
was rushing stern foremost through
the laundering pillows, ard hoped
when we struck that end 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, alip-
perry two foot wide deck on the boats
sides to its other end.
Passing q large ship so close that ]
thought our end had come, barely miss
ing the lighthouse reef, we were fast
approa ching Staten Island-and the
NarrowS
For a time it looked certain that We
would be swept seaward and surely
perish-then we switched around and
went before the wind straight for the
island docks Five minutes ] calcu-
lated and our fate for life or death
would be sealed.
Getting . rope placed our darling
baby, laughing and Growing at the ex-
element, on its feather bed. rolled the
soft bed entirely around it, trusting It
wouldn't smother for awhile. and bound
the precious bundle firmly with the
rope. Taking it in my arms. bidding
my brave and quiet wife to hold mo
and follow, gained the stern, over ths
slippery boats deck.
Thank heaven, we were still stern
demonstrating straight on . dock.
One more moment Of suspense and
dread-then with crash that
smashed the boat under us like an egg.
shell we hit the wharf.
At the same instant. before the wreck
could rebound. / flung bed and baby on
the dock. seized my dear wife's hand
and leaped for life.
We landed safely alongside of our
down under the raging
waters plunged our good boat drown
ing the awful cries of the poor mules
LEFT on board.
Cutting the ropes to give air to our
babe, blown along by the blasts be-
hind us, we reached land aud . house
and, soon inside. found shelter and .
warm welcome.
We also found the Sally after the
storm was oser. raised and meuded her.
and now she is as good as ever for
fresh water sailing. which she means
TO stick to for the balance OF her days
And this is why I am provoked when
land lubbers try to ridicule her. or her
captain. mate and crew.-H. c. Dodge.
in GOodall's Sun.