Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-28
HIS DESPERATE SWIM FOR LIFE.
Nearly Drowned Before He Found He
Could Wade Ashore.


Could Wade Ashore.
From the Detroit Free Press.
1t was the second mate of one of the
great lake propellers that spoke as they
were passing Pointe AUX Barques, and his
words were to this effect: That is a queer
coast over there. and don't you forget it,
The interlocutor. a passenger. promised
that he would not forget it. providing the
sailor man would tell him why the coast
was queer.
We'll" said the sailor man, but without
hitching his trousers or shifting his quid
or performing any of the nautical gym
nastics attributed to his kind in the story
books, lit wasn't exactly queer, perhaps.
but it is a coast that I shall remember the
longest day L live.
1T was about six years ago that 1 was
sailing on a lumber schooner. and just
when We were about where we are now
the captain discovered that our yawl was
adrift. We had been towing 1t and some
how the painter had parted or slipped, and
there the boat was, nearly a mile away,
drifting ashore as fast as the water could
carry 1t. There was not soul to be seen,
and If there had been Ii would not have
been an easy matter to get him to bring
us our yawi, and the captain did not know
what to do. Finally. as / saw the old man
was good deal worked up over 1t, vol
unteered TO swim ashore and bring the
yawl, If he would run in as close as he
could and anchor until / came aboard.
The captain accepted my proposal very
gladly, and the water was warm 1
thought I would have a first-rate swim,
little thinking what was in store for me.
So 1 stripped and lowered myself into the
water. For quarter Of an hour 1t was
mere fun, but / soon found I had bit off
more than i could chaw. The shore was
further of than 1 had figured, and I could
see few ominous looking clouds. which IN
dictated that the wind was rising, which
might make ii hard for me to get back to
the schooner after 1 got the boat. 1 kept
on. however, getting more and more ex-
hausted every moment. i tried every way
I knew to rest my tired legs and arms.
First j turned on my back and swan in
that position for awhile. Then / tried SWIM
ming on my side; then dog fashion, and
then floating. But all the time / was get
ting more and more worn out / tried to
signal the schooner, but my voice was 50
weak could not make them hear. and they
did not understand. as 1 afterward learned.
my frantic motions. Besides. they could
not have helped me. because they had no
boat
Il had swan about a mile and was still
a mile from the shore. Mechanically kept
UP my motions as well as / could. but
knew l was doomed. The water began to
sing in my ears, and my thoughts went
drowning mems always do. / thought of
my poor wife and children. and wondered
how they would get the news. wondered
whether my body would be found and get
Christian burial or be carried out into the
lake and find a last resting place there.
IL did not worry me much on my own ac-
count-I had ceased to care for myself, but
/ hoped somehow. for the sake of my fam
lily. that would be washed ashore and that
somebody would have my body carried
home j specialized also as to the captain s
getting his boat. and felt quite sorry when
/ thought he might never see it again.
Il don't know how long it took me to
think of all this. Probably 1t was not more
than a minute, but IL seemed to be ages
and all the time 1 was feebly moving my
arms and feet and just keeping my head
above water. Meanwhile / had got. per-
haps, within half mile of the shore.
made up my mind-or rather IT made it.
self up-that this was just as good a place
to be drowned in as any other, and aban-
doning motion sank to the bottom.
1T did not take as long as 1 expected 1t
would to reach bottom. In fact, struck
1t with both hands and feet about as soon
as / had fairly stopped moving. 1 kept my
the water came about up to my waist. l
suppose ought to have fallen on my knees
in thankfulness. but instead of that 1 waded
ashore the maddest man on the coast.
got the yawl and sculed il back to the
schooner, which was waiting at anchor for
me. and as i went back had the curiosity
to take soundings, and found that / had
than a mile where the water was not more
than four feet Deep
Was the captain glad to get you back p
the sailor man was asked.
BLAST the captain was the response
"Ah he said was. You COMPOUNDED fool.
didn't you know that there was a mile and
a half Of shoal water all along that
coast p"