The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-11
PERIL OF A LAVvMAKER.
How Vinalhaven Representative
Crossed Penobscot Bay on the Ice On His
Way to Augusta-It Was a Wonder How
He Got There, But He Did.

|
M B. Xitf. of Tower City, North Dakota
who is visiting in Vinalhaven, was twenty
one years ago this month the hero of an adj
nture that had wide notoriety. The Legisla-
ture was in session at Augusta at that time.
and Mr.. Kitf had been elected TO represent
the Vinalhaven and South Thomaston class.
beiLg elected by the Republicans and DEM
| ocrats combined.
| When it became TINA to start for Augusta.
real Arctic freeze struck this section and
| Penobscou bay. from the main to the island,
was frozen solid, with the exception of that
portion of the bay which lies between this
city and the Fox Islands. This channel
| fIoze up, but the ice WAS quickly broken up
by wind and waves, and great cakes of
| br oxen ice were churned up and down in
the passage, effectually shutting of all
communication between this city and Vinal-
| haven.
The prospect of Representative kiff
rea ching Augusta to meet with the other
| solons seemed to be rather dim for a time.
and the Augusta lawmakers would indeed
have lacked one of their members had the
Vinalheye legislator been man of differ
ent stamp. When the appointed day ar
rived, Mr.. Xiff engaged George Roberts OF
| Vinalhaven to take him in sleigh to Pull
pit Harhor. From there to Belfast was
about twenty miles in straight road. but
as Mr.. Kiff says, it must have been nearly
twice that by the round about way be was
obliged to follow. Ths bay between islesboro
then called Long Island, and the main land
was frozen solid. and it was necessary to
get o Islesboro in order to reach Belfast.
AT Pulpit Harbor he engaged Capt. Joseph
Conant and man named Webster 10 accom-
pany him TO Islesboro. AT a. M, they left
Pulpit Harbor and began their dangerous
journey across the bay. The ice was thin
and as the waves from the sea outside
rolled in towards the shore the great sheet
| of ice would roll and heave. seemingly on
| the verge of breaking up with each incom-
| ing swell. Mr.. Kitf said that this sensation
was very strange and trying one, but all
three had good courage and steadily plodd-
| ed along, trying the ice here and there with
I their poles in order to avoid the weaker
| suots. which were frequent and almost i'm
possible to detect. Mr.. Kiff wore big ul-
| ster and carried heavy grip. When near
the Isles oro shore, while tapping the ice
with his pole, it went through and was lost.
| When within a half mile of Isleboro u
thick snow storm set in, and to increase
the difficulties of the situation it was found
that the wind had broken the ice and there.
| stretching away between the ice sheet and
desired shore, was half mile of tossing.
grinding. crumbling Ice cakes seemingly in
surmoun table obstacles in their path. Capt.
| Conant and his companion tried to persuade
Mr.. hiff to return to Pulpi9 darbor with
I,o RI rf st for A1I0ng.
| ia and that he'd get there or take up u
berth in Davy Jones' locker. AT last, with
many missivlngs. his two companions took
| their leave and in short Ii me were lost to
| sight in the binding snow.
| Mr.. Kif then followed along the edge of
the ice foe until he found what seemed the
| narrowest point in the channel, and then
prepared for the most perilous part of his
| journey. which was TO reach the island over
the treacherous cakes which tossed and
tumbled before him in jumbled mass. 1t
was a task that would require the utmost
| skill and nerve. and for man IN a fElck
| ulster and encountered with a weighty
valise was none the less dangerous.
he had secured a pole from one of his
companions in the place of the one lost and
| waiting until good sized cake foated up
against tie main field of ice, he stepped
out upon it. and began his fight for life and
| Augusta. How he got across he hardly
knows. Jumping from one fragment to
anot her. he worked his perilous way along,
| someti throwing his valise on to a cake
| and following it. and again making an extra
hazardous jump and then pulling his grip
after hin, with his pole. Numberless We're
| the escapes he had from an icy grave. but
he reached the shore, how ne hardly knows.
almost exhausted, but safe and sound.
| It was about half past one O'Clock when
| he landed on Isleshoro, on what is known
as Boardman's Point. The place where he
| landed was covered with the tangled lin BIS
| of trees that had been cut down, and
through this abattis. up to his armpits in
snow, he YEARLY worked his way up into
the island, and finally reached house
| where he got dinner, which put new life
| into his worn-out body.
| After his meal he walked up the island
until about opposite Saturday Cove. wkenc e
he crossed to the mainland without acct
dent or trouble. the ice being frozen solid
| lie walked towards Belfast as far as Little
River. where he was oyertaken By team.
the driver of which kindly gave him ride
| into Belfast. There he procured a horse
and sleigh. leaving Belfast about five p, m
He got supper on the way, and reached the
Mansion House. Augusta. at ten p. N.
| A mask ball was in session. and he at
| tended in order to fill out the day and give
it little spice, and danced every dance.
1.-The effect of that day of peril and la Dor
are felt today said Mr.. Kif to Rockland
Courier Gazette reporter, land often in
my western home, as I sit looking out over
the growing crops and my grandchildren
playing about, / think of that journey,
through the driving snow. across the
| treacherous ice of Penobscot Bay, and in
fancy [ can hear the cedseless murmur of
rhe ocean, in Imagination feel the heav-
| ing and rolling and sicksniug swing of the
| ice beneath my feet, and in my minds eye /
see again the tossing and hear the grind
ing and orunching of the ice cakes as /
speed over them"
| 1t is said that only once before that cold
spell of 1874 has Penobsoot Bay been fl ozen
| over SO com tletely. and that was in 1872,
! when people drove down from Castine. with
sleds to Spruce Island, near lslesboro. cut
| their winters wood and hauled il back
Tradition also has il that during this 1912
| freeze the foxes in viii I'll the Fox Islands