Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-27
IN TIE LOCAL FIELD.
gAvEp FkoN TIE ga

To H. Drowned in Fresh water
Tr.sh.t---th. Strange pa. Of ,. a.
W.Ii.'s Companion Of Early Gold
Mining Days.
'Brs,u-.o-9 Letter iu tb- Springfield Sunday
Espg9las1.
The story .n the Republican last Sunday
Of The adventure ~ Francis A. Wells Of
Bra.Iebyrg in The wreck ~ the Central
Ampficz. while returning from the gold
field. # Californi a. IN lsj7. laden Will the
precious meta. concluded will the account
u the meeting IN s'tei year,. Of Mr.. hells
and = Pole named AdO.ph Frelfi-h. both
of whom. together with another man.
were rescued by the bark El-n Of Norway
after having tossed about over Di-ht 10 he
,u,tg..r.t water. Of the Atlantic, wit only
the vice. house q tbe wrecked vessel for a
lifeboat TIE .,ory Of Mr.. Friedricb's eX-
per.eoce and tbe tragic manner in which
be finally rue, death is also Of unusual in
tere.L OF his birthplace and his early
boyhoo3 nothing is known.
Mr.. Friedrich WAS . resid Ut Of Hayden
vile. Mas. previous 70 going 70 California
and vas employed 10 he brass works Of
HAYDEN. Gefe q Go. for several years.
Like Nj. Well. be was succsssiul IN his
efforts Al gold hunting and started On bis
return with a large supply pt the treasure.
Prom the time BE- left San Francisco up 70
the time the vessel, in cOnseq usnce Of the
violent storm, became uDmauageaD. ?, ms
experience was practically like that oi the
other passengers. Then be began looking
about ~ continue means 70 save himself
from drowning when the ship sank. lie
saw man In whose possession was d
plank six feet long and rushing up 10 him
be said. I'm give you SOU Tor thai
plank The man refused. and 5000 was
Of4res him. u wouldn't sell IL 20 you Tor
$1,000" said be, and soon sftHrTard
the ship went dOHn with over 90 souls.
After few hours Mr.. Friedrich va. for
tuuate enough 70 lay hold o. lfe pre-
server which greatly facilitated bis s*im-
ming IN a f-w hours more. however. tie
life yrespryer was cut from bis back by a
man whose acquaintance be had fOrmei I'D
the mines and h4 was obliged 20 swim
again without assistance.
som be discovered bet weeu the wave.
the ward arm u he vessel and be ~ ~
toward il. CIng.Dg upon il we're - men.
He Immediately laid hold Of one eDd Of ii
and vas abou; % pull himself up "hen
several voices cried push him Of. and
the man nearest % him prepared 20 execute
the Command Mr Friedrich grabbed him
by hi. clothing and said Il he went they
would both g---=--444- was allowed 10 cllnt
up upon the arm. He Wa unable 70 sls-
tain himself there long. however, and soon
found himself again ia tie water. lis
clothes and bis gold now began 70 be bur
den 70 him. and he resolved TO dives, him
self Of part Or IT, He removed his cloth
t.,-. ..fU D. Lad .uag too great. II II
mOney was sewed up in four leather bags.
weighing about ~ pounds. These he kept
with him as long as possible, but al last
he was Obliged 70 throw them away, bag
At a time. After another hours swimming
he came ~ the wheel-h house Of the wrecke1
vessel with three men upon il. lie Wa
also taken upon it and some time afterward
two more were taken on, one Of whom wa
Mr. Wells
Three Of them were washed of until they
became exhausted and sank and the other
three were rescued by the Norwegian bark
The third survivor OF that part OF tbs
wreck upon which Nj Wells and Mr.. Fried
rich were saved had formerly been Maine
lumberman. He returned soon 70 Calif0r
mia, where he was burned 10 death in BIZ
cabin Mr. Friedrich returned 10 Hayden
vile as soon as be was able, and after
ward came 70 Brsttleboro 70 work at tbs
Estey organ factory, which is now the fac
tory Of S. A. Smith d Co., where his meet
ing with Mr.. Wells took place.
One year later, in 1863, occurred a fiooc
Unprecedented in the history Of Brattle
boro. On the evening Of Saturday, Octo
Der 2, terrific rain-stOrm began and con
tnued without intermissiOn until Monday
afternoon. MILESTONE brook became fear
fully swollen and carried away everything
in It's path. From the Connecticut river U
Centreyile the desOlstiOn was appalling
Buildings, dams, and bridges joined in th'
downward rush and so swift was the cur
rent that they were carried entirely across
the Connecticut river 70 the eastern abut
ment of the Connecticut river bridge. The
abutment was demolished, and as the rive
rose, the bridge fell with mighty crast
and passed on in the downward course. Mr.
Friedrich was at the factory Of j. Estey d
Co. when the food suddenly poured around
the building. He got upon raft Of boards
thinking 70 escape by this means. The raf
was borne down with the swift current
and, in the view Of hundreds Of persons, Il
was carried over the dam and was dashed
upon the rocks below. Mr.. Friedrich threw
up his arms as he went over the dam, anC
he sank quickly from view in the boiling
rush Of waters. He left a widow and five
children. A long time afterward the late
w. II. Alexander OF Brattleboro happened
TO be upon the river bank and accidentally
drew from the water with his cane iingel
ring which proved TO be that Of Mr. Fried
rich. This accident led TO the recovery o.
Mr.. Friedrichs bones.