The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-11-09

and realized that the water would
now begin to fall. This change
occurred within a minute of the ap-
pearance of the vision"
The knowledge that the maximum
depth of water had been reached in
spired Cotgrove with new hope, and
he resolved to retain his hold of the
mast until daybreak. 1t was mid
night when the tide turned, and the
fact that some seven hours must yet
elapse before the welcome light of dawn
could appear was almost too terrible
for contemplation. Although the
water fell gradually away from the
body of the lonely watcher, the cold
of those early morning hours was in.
tense.
II kept holding on with one hand
while put the fingers of the other in
my mouth to warm them, he said. 81
felt no strain on my hands and knees
at that time; the muscles seemed to
be fixed in position, and my limbs
were completely numbed with the cold.
Ny thoughts were naturally Of home
and what my wife would say if I ever
got there again. had only been mar
ried q twelvemonth. My brother
George left wife and four children. {"
Daylight broke at length, but it was
nearly eight o'clock before the fisher
man, more dead than alive by this
time, deserted "bawley" boat scarcely
a mile and half away. He tried to
wave his cap to attract the attention
of those aboard, but his numbed fin
gers refused to close on the brim.
Scarcely daring to hope that deliver
ance was now at hand, Cotgrove could
only gaze despairingly at the distant
brown sail, and pray that he would
not once again be doomed to endure
the bitter agony of hope deferred.
The "bawley" altered her course
and approached rapidly. The weather.
beaten form had been deserted through
pair Of marine glasses, and o couple
of willing hands were already pre-
pairing to put off in the smaller boat.
Then the sails Of the smack disap.
peared suddenly from sight, and few
minutes later little craft manned by
two sturdy figures in oilskins, bounded
swiftly over the waves toward the
partly y-submerged mast which, for thir-
teen hours, had held Alfred Cotgrove
above the jaws Of death.
When asked what had become of his
brother, the sufferer could only point
dumbly into the broken waters. And
it was not before he had been carried
below, and revived somewhat with
such simple restoratives as we're at
hand, that he was able to whisper
hoarsely of the disaster and its miracu-
lous sequel.
Strange to relate, the first "bawley"
which came within speaking distance
at that which had effected the rescue
was manned by Cotgrove's father.
"Get under deck, mate-don't let
your father see you'll" cried one Of the
resouers, addressing Cotgrove, who
had crept on deck.
Alfred hid himself as advised, and
his father called out: "An awful
night, matesl I've had a barge run
into me, broke my skiff adrift, and
nearly sunk the old 'bawley' herself"
"We've worse news than that for
you," was the reply. "Poor Georges
boat was capsized in that squall. George
has been drowned, and we've got Alf
aboard here"
Such was the simple fsherman's no.
tion of breaking bad news as gently
and as expeditiously as possible, and
it is far from probable that q man of
greater culture could have seized a
more opportune moment or employed
better words for the purpose.
Alfred Cotgrove was dangerously ill
for many weeks after his terrible ex-
perience. His heart was seriously af-
fected by its prolonged contact with
the mast. At st. Georges Hospital,
to which institution the sufferer was
ordered by the local doctors, he was
informed that the vital organ was act
ually bruised by the continued pres
sure brought to bear upon it. He also
suffered greatly from acute melancholia
and headache. Night after night the
grim tragedy was repeated In imagina-
ton; and no sooner did sleep close the
weary eyes of the invalid than the bed
to turn completely over, and
Cotgrove would awake with the last
cry of his brother ringing yet again in
his ears. He has never recovered his
lost nerve sufficiently to face the
stormy waters of the Estuary again by
night; and his mates, realizing this
fact, have shown their sympathy in q
practical way by purchasing for him
two handsome pleasure boats.
The body of George Cotgrove was
recovered, close to the More Light
ship, month and three days after
the disaster. A knife belonging to
Alfred, which had been borrowed by
the deceased few moments before
the boat capsized, proved the only
means of Identification.
Such is the true story Of the expert
ence of real individual. There is
not a single line of fiction in the narra-
tive, neither is it the excessively
padded" OF elaborated yarn of long
shoreman. Any of the older residents
Of our picturesque town will verify
every detail of the story. Yet what
writer Of fiction would be bold enough
10 place one of his characters in the
position of Alfred Cotgrove for a like
period. Or what novelist would dare
to afflict his hero with so unique a
as a bruised heart?-The
Wide World Magazine.