The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-03-18
"REMINISCENCES.

:. middle toe of the famous ''TurkeyfOOt,
e at Confluence, rises in Garrett county
i Maryland, and, taking somewha
!; nortil-easterly course for some distance
4 turns in a northwestern direction
bearing little south, occasionally, un
| til it unites with the YoughioghenN
4 and the North Fork when from Con
: fiuence, which by the modern geogra
| pher, was considered a higher-sound
D ing and more euphonious name than
: plain, old-fashioned "Turkeyfoot," by
: which it had been known for all pre.
ceding time, by the Indians and eariy
settlers, the broadening Noughio-
gheny wends its way toward the faith
er of waters" the mighty Mississippi.
The Goughiogheny river, also, rises in
/ Garrett county, Maryland, and runs
I north west. The sources Of the two riv-
ers, Casselman and Youghiogheny, are
not very far apart, and the greatest dis
tance, perhaps, they are apart, is where
they cross the National Pike, some sew
enteen miles, named, respectively,
big" and Little Crossings. The
Casselman river is formed and fed by
hundreds and hundreds of mountain
springs, the pure crystal waters run
ming over the moss-grown rocks and
stones, and among the sandstone and
gravel, and, rs the stream grows in
depth and width, il wends its way
among the silent foot hills, and noun
tain spurs, ION its clear winding way
10 the sea-" In summer this stream j
smooth, and clear, and limpid, and pure
as the nectar which the gods do drink,
but III winter and spring when the
SHOWS have melted on the mountains,
and the rains descend, it becomes a
mighty, resistlessl torrent, rushing
[ with an unimaginable force, carving
| destruction and death on its fuaming,
muddy bosom. The mighty waters of
! the awful Johnstown flood rushed not
with more terrific force, than this
| placid stream rushes when swollen by
{ the melting SHOWS and violent rains.
The bed of the river is very rough, and
mighty boulders, and saw-Iogs, and all
kinds of debris, are caught in the
twirling waters, grinding, groaning,
splitting, tearing along, in one mighty
eOnglomerate mass, ''in one red burial
blent."
Some dark secrets have been covered !
by this turbulent stream, some awful |
tragedies enacted, many homes made +,
desolate, and widows and orphans
made 10 mourn. Many years ago.
there WAS a-r.ili.li-----i-., ussailN
II atteuded-as sppeaee ppeae gitiftt, gs6ft, 6almy, and |
spring-like. There was deep snow |
on the ground, and as the sun began To /
shine brighter and warmer, little tiny |
streams began 10 run down the noun !
tain sides towards the river; but this
was not unusual, and no one thought
strange of it, The young people of the
neighborhood gathered thcre-"her
beauty and her chivalry"-and amid
the mazes of the giddy dance, that
night. little heed was paid 20 the
downpour of the rain. When morn
| ing dawned, the river had a sullen, for
bidding, defiant look; its yellow wa
/ ters were rushing with silent velocity
along, carrying great logs and trees IN
its muddy current, with resistless pow
/ or. Among those who remained over
night at the house where the sale was
held, and who took part in the cnsu-
| ing festivities, were five young men
| from the Addison side of the river,
named, John Hinebaugh, Jacob
Vought, John Case, and two named
Baer and Linterman. They had cross
Ell the river the previous morning in
boat, when the river was smooth and
calm, and when the danger was nil.
When they arrived at the crossing, sc
companied by number of their
friends, next morning, and the condi-
tion of the river was seen, they were
dissuaded from making the attempt 10
cross, and advised to go to Harneds-
willie, and cross on the bridge. They
were young aud strong, AMI fearless,
and said they had often crossed when
the wSter was higher than now; and,
apparently more in spirit of bravado,
than with any certain idea they had OF
being able to cross i'm safety, they start
ed 10 cross the river. Four men rowed,
and one steered; and all being used to
the water, and good Oarsmen, they
breasted the swollen, angry flood, with
. desperate energy and strength, and,
al one time it seemed a. though they
, would be successful in their mad vent
ure. A. stated, they breasted the
: current of the stream, that il, they
: went against the current, while at tn,
: same time, the boat was getting furth
: er from the shore. They got halfway
across in safety, three-fourths of tn,
n way, and the anxious friends they haC
left behind, hoped they would get al
4 the way across. Suddenly, so terrific
was the strain on the rowers, one he
gan to falter and give out. The boa
A stopped an instant, there was an et
N fort made by the steersman to take tn
= place of the tired rover, the boat rock
: ed, was caught in an eddy, and in al
instant was overturned, and the fiv
men were battling, each for himself, il
the mad rush of waters. For the feN
brief moments the struggle lasted
20 sometimes the distracted friend
a thought they could make the land
Occasionally one would near the shor,
only to be thrown back again. One
ic or twice twig or limb of tree wa
caught, only to break, and leave tn
hapless and helpless victim worse o
than before. Finally the hopele'
struggle ended, and of the five stron:
sturdy young men, who less than ha
an hour before had entered the boa
IN only Linterman remained, the re
lie having gone down in the angry fioo'
A and he was only saved by the mere
Is. chance; for while the others were a
re good swimmers, and stronger than h
of it seemed as though some overrulir
or power preserved him. In telling of
We afterwards ne claimed he had swa
ire out, but others, more competent
IN Judge, said he was literally wash'
be ashore by high wave. The pla