Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-11-17
A SWIM FOR LIFE.
The narrowing Experience of a Man Who
Didn't Know Enough to Wade

The Narrowing Experience OF a Man Who
Didn't Know Enough to Wade
The second mate of a Lake Huron pro
peller told this story to a Detroit Free Press
man as they were passing Point Aux
BarQues recently: 1t was about six years
ago that was sailing on lumber schooner,
and Just when we were about where we are
now the captain discovered that our yawl
was adrift We had been towing it, and
somehow the painter had parted or slipped
and there me boat WAS nearly a mile away,
drifting ashore rs fast as the water could
carry il. Finally, as saw the old man was
q good deal worked up over il, volunteer
ed to swim ashore and bring the yawl il he
would run in a. close as he could and anchor
until came aboard.
The captain accepted my proposal very
gladly, and as the water was warm
thought | would have first rate swim,
little thinking what WAS in store for me.
So stripped and lowered myself into the
water. For n quarter IT an hour 1t was
mere fun, but | soon found had bit of
more than could chaw The shore was
farther off than had figured. kept on,
however, getting NOR and more exhausted
every moment tried every way ] knew
to rest my tired legs and arms First |
turned on my back and swan III that Pc
sition for g while Then tried swimming
on my side; then dog fashion, and then
floating. But all the time ! was getting
more aud more worn out. tried 10 signal
the schooner. but my voice Wa so weak l
could not make them hear, and they did
not understand, is aiterwlrd learned, my
frantic motions. Besides, they could not
have helped me, because they had no boat.
i had swum about Il mile and was still
a mile from the shore. Mechanically ! kept
up my motions Us well as | could, but /
knew | was doomed. The water began TO
sing in my ears, and my thoughts went
back over my past life, rs l have heard
drowning mems always do. l thought of
my poor wife aud children and wondered
how they would get the news I wondered
whet her my body would he found and get
Christian burial. | specialized also as to
the captain getting his boat and felt quite
sorry when l thought he might never see it
again.
Il don't know how long it took me to
think of all this. Probably it was not
more than n minute, but it seemed TO be
ages, and all the time was feebly moving
my arms and feet and just keeping my head
above water. Meanwhile had got perhaps
within half II mile of the shore. l made
up my mind, or rather ii made itself up,
that this was just as good place to be
drowned in as any other, and abandoning
motion sank to the bottom.
1t did not take as long As l expected it
would to reach the bottom. In fact, struck
it with both hands and feet about as soon
as / had fairly stopped moving kept my
feet on it, and Strengthening up found that
the water came about up to my waist |
suppose ought to have fallen on my knees
in thank fulness, but instead of that l INVADED
ashore the maddest man on the coast. l
got the yawl and sculled it back to the
schooner, which was waiting at anchor for
me, and as went back had the curiosity
to take soundings. and found that l had
been exhausting myself swimming for
more than a mile where the water was not
more than four feet deep"
Was the captain glad to get you back, -
the sailor man was asked.
BLAST the captain WAS the response.
..All he said was, You COMPOUNDED fool,
didn't you know that there was mile and
a half Of shoal water all along that coastf I"