Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-01

strait instead of across it, which would
oblige us to turn out and haul our boat,
instead of having our boat carry us.
Coffee was made over an alcohol lamp
by one of TIC boats crew, and pannikins
of it with sandwiches of beef and bareback
were distributed. Once more Captain lIaw-
kins adiured MS to "eat hearty"
II don't conceal from ye, gents, he
added, "that we're a-goin to have u rough
time. The lighthouse of Jourimain island
lies thereaway," he continued thrusting
out his arm. ut can't be many miles off,
and soon as we hear the gong we're all
right, but if the wind keeps like this it'll
be steady pull until we fetch it, and ev-
cry one on yell have to take his spell
I'm sorry for We, gents, but we was told,
we know"
Yes, we knew we "was told" but we
were beginning to be sorry for ourselves.
for it was very plain to the least weather
wise among us that big storm originally
brewed on the Atlantic ocean was rushing
through the strait toward the gulf of st.
Lawrence, and that if there was not mus
Gle enough among MS to pull the Wolverine
against the wind until the shore could be
reached we should be swept out into the
gulf.
We drank our coffee and ate our rations
hastily and then started in on as stout Il
struggle TO: life as ever eight men engaged
in.
These boats are tho merest cockleshells.
but even so their weight is not trife and
ours was loaded heavily with the mail mat
ter that had been delayed by the recent
storms
Two pushed ut the back. Two got into
n sort of harness rugged Mt the bow and
pulled. So we "spelled' it as the captain
had warned us we should have to do.
ley blasts drove down against us and
swired the snow around so that we were
literally enyeloped in clouds of it. 1t chill
ed us to the very heart. and in spite of our
severe eXertions frost bite became immi-
nent.
The first man to give out was Jim, one
of the crew. He fell face downward in the
snow and was unable to raise himself, SO
benumhed were his legs and feet. We
were obliged to place him in the boat. and
as the terrible haul was beginning to tell
on all of us the mail matter had to be tax
en- out and left in the SNOW.
We covered Jim mp carefully with every
thing that we could spare from our own
necessities, but we could hear his teeth
chattering like castanets all the time. Ev-
cry few moments we had TO stop for some
one to rub his frost bitten hands or feet
with snow, and we We're all beginning to
feel more or less mum bness in our feet and
legs.
Another Of the crew succumbed. They
were not so warmly clothed as we who
were passengers He, too, had to be placed
in the boat. and then we noticed for the
first time that Jim 5 teeth had ceased chat
tering. The poor fellow was dead.
We lifted him out and laid him in the
snow. 1t seemed heartless, and the cap
tain muttered something about "not being
able to face his folks, but we could do
nothing more for him, and our own chances
would have been materially lessened by
not leaving him behind
Next one of my drummer friends gave
ont. lie stumbled and fell at every step,
and two of US had to drag him along by
the arms.
The captain now decided TO abandon the
boat, as the struggle had narrowed right
down to fight for dear life, and we had
only stuck to it so far in order TO have the
means of carrying those who gave ont. 1t
wrung our hearts to desert the poor fellow
in it, but he had already sunk into the ia
tai stupor that precedes death by freezing.
We filled our pockets with beef and bis
ly through the driving snow.
Now we were completely lost. The cap
tain had been steering rs by pocket COM
pass, and it was only with the greatest
difficulty that we could now and then keep
match lighted long enough for him to
tell in which direction it pointed. At last
there was not n match left. and nothing
to do but blunder around until daylight
broke
Everything depended upon our powers
of endurance. That the poor fellow whom
we were assisting along by turns could
not hold out until daylight was only too
evident. We were all utterly benumbed
and exhausted. and but for the captain s
frequent assurances that we might STUN
bic up against the base of Jourimain is
land lighthouse any moment would have
sunk into the snow and given up the
struggle.
Its hereaway, gents, it's hereaway."
he declared every few moments. "Tve liv-
ed round here. boy and man, fer 90 years
and fetched it hundreds o. times and can t
have made no mistake" But it struck
mo now and then that he talked like one
who was trying to convince himself.
At last he stopped-stopped so suddenly
that the sole survivor of his crew who was
plouulnS along rlght Dtnlnd nm was sent
head over heels into the snow We could
not see the captain s face, but the moment
he spoke we knew we were saved.
"Do you hear it?'' he asked
At first we could hear nothing above
the wild bowling of the gale. Then II
sound like the tolling of bell came across
! the snowy wastes
Its the lighthouse gong" he briefly
observed, and turning started on again.
( We followed in his wake with feelings that
can only be entered into fully by those
who have come suddenly out of u great and
prolonged peril
In less than an hour we were in safety,
and at comfortable little inn, not stones
throw from the lighthouse, were receiving
every attention that our exhausted and be-
numbed condition required.
As soon as day broke a party was or
ganized to go in search of the boat and the
bodies of those whom we We're obliged to
abandon. They We're the sons of farmers
who lived in the neghborhood
A melancholy procession it was that
came off the ice that afternoon and wound