Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-07-06
MisteIlanenMs.
THE RESCUE.

The shades of night had fallen over
the little village of St. Alban. The
postoffice was closed, the trades-people
had locked up their shops and gone to
their homes, The farmers had fed their
stock and made everything secure for
the night. The inhabitants Of the lit.
Ito village we're quietly resting after q
day of unsventful toll.
The feeling of spring was in the air
and the people rejoiced that tho time Of
the singing of birds had come, and that
the sced-time was so near at hand. All
was quiet and peaceful. None thought
of danger. There was no sound save
that of the St. Anne River as it flowed
swiftly on.
Way at tho upper end Of the village.
some three miles from the parish church,
there is curve in the river close to
which is deep waterfall. The ST.
Anne, filled to overlooking by the melt
ing snow from the mountains, plunging
from its channel carrying the earth, that
formed the right hand side Of the fall,
with it, and with deafening roar rushed
onward in its mud career of destruction
and death.
The farmers ran from the dwellings
fearing that they would be tumbled up
on them Several houses situated along
the banks of the river were torn from
their foundation and swept away by the
food 10 which one family in four per.
ished.
In one of the houses lived Pierre
Rousseau, his wife, and their two chill
dren--little Helena, aged eight, and
her baby brother. The children wer,
abed and asleep, and Mr.. and Mrs
Rousseau had gone about quarter of a
| mile down the river to make short cal
upon neighbor
As the water ploughed through the
breach that it had made at the fall, Tho
deafening report awoke little Hclana
who ran to the chamber window to sec
what was making such dreadful noise
She had hardly reached the window
when o mountain of foaming watel
struck the house, lifted it from its foun
uhJlOu anu WHiTlcu IL hTOunu huu uTOuuu
Helena cried out for papa and mamma
but they did not come. Then she though
of her little brother and felt her wa,
aloag the wet and slippery floor until sht
reached his crib, and there he was, still
sleeping sweotly, in spite of the nois'
and rocking motion Of the house.
For several minutes the house wa
borne on by the food, then brought t.
a stop with suddenness that caused th
furniture to be piled ip heap in corne
of the room. Helena, terribly frighten
ed but unhurt, pulled baby from tn
confused pile and held him close, stand
ing ankle deep in the cold, seethinj
water.
Baby, fully awake now,--wet an
cold, began to cry Justify, bat brave lit
tie Helena climbed with him to the yer
top Of the pile of furniture and place,
him safely within the wrungs Of q chat
that was turned bottom up and he'll,
firmly in place by the other articles o
furniture Then she managed to tea
from its hook on rafter an old cow
of mothers, which she wrapped abou
baby, and thon, completely worn gu
and chilled through and through sh
sank, unconscious, with her head rest
ing upon the chair in which she ha,
placed her little brother 30 securely
Several hours later, when the frs
faint light appeared in the east, tw,
strong men could be seen, in boat
laboriously picking their way in and on
among the drifting wrcckagc of build
ings and bridges, and trees that ha,
been torn up by their roots. Tho mel
were Mr.. Rousseau and his nearest neigh
Dor, who had discovered the former
dwelling wedged between the two abut