The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1899-08-26
FRANKFORT, KY. SATURDAY, AUG. z6. 1899

! showers thus cool the atmosphere
lay the dust and are more to bt
lOngcd for than dreaded. Then
again, the rain comes for a day OF
J two at a time, as / imagine ii must
have when Noah had his attack OF
dampness, in perfect sheets, cloud
bursts rs it were, and in short time
everything seems to be afiOat, hut,
the drainage being naturally good, ii
does not stand long enough to be-
come stagnant and no harm results.
During the dry season / am told it
Is much hotter and the dust, often
six inches deep, Is unbearable. So
that, to my thinking, If one is well
housed the wet Is preferable to the
dry season. OF course the wet season
Is harder on the enlisted man, for,
having to sleep In small shelter
tents, their clothing soon becomes
soaked and having TO sleep on damp
ground and in wet clothing, soon
breeds fevers and diseases to which
they are strangers.
1t is the result Of this condition of
affairs that the Insurgents hope will
80 depopulate our ranks that we will
think ii IA hopeless task to battle
against disease and enemy too, and
abandon the undertaking Of conquer
ing their army, at least co not look
for them to give up until we have
given them sound drubbing, after
the rainy season is over, to demon
strate to them that we are a most
lively corpse. This view is enter
tanned by many.
l witnessed an act Of marked
bravery yesterday on the part of
private of Company 9 of this regi-
ment. The heavy rains of the morn
ing and the previous night had so
swollen the San Juan river that, for
a distance of quarter of mile on
either side, the country was mum
dated. Anchored in the channel of
this river was an old casco, with APP.
proaches of bamboo poles at either
end. The boat covered the channel
and was tied with rope to the other
bank. Normally the stream is
narrow one, but the current is very
swift. A guard is stationed on this
imprOvised bridge to ask"who comes
there" and while attending to this
duty the current swept away the APP
proaches and the old cascO swung TO
the shore to which it was tied, or
rather what would have been the !
shore had the river been i'm its banks. |
The guard could not swim and
begged for some one to lend him aid, |
for, had she parted from her moor
ing, the swift current would have !
swept him to sudden and certain |
nd hat
spectator expected to happen momen-
tarily. AT this moment, while we
stood wondering how aid could reach !
him and how long the rickety old !
casco could hold on, we saw man
undressing on the rocks few hun !
dred yards above us and walking
calmly down To the water he plunged /
into this mad current and headed for !
the other shore. We held our breath I,
for now we were sure that the nights |
roll call would find two "absent but |!
accounted for" but with a powerful,
rapid stroke he reached the far side !
of the channel and drifted safely to |
the rope and with the aid of the man
aboard was pulled into the boat. A !
cheer went up from the Threats of
those who had witnessed this piece
of herOism that must have done his /
soul good. Resting for few min
utes he made fast coil of small rope, !
which he had carried around his |
neck, to one of the uprights of the
casco and giving his companion a
few words of comfort and instruction ,
he plunged in and made for the OPP
posite shore where the current was
not so strong nor the distance so
great. He unwound his rope as he
swan and soon felt footing on the
opposite side. He now waded up to a
point opposite the casc0 and made
taut the rope. Then, according to his
his companion let him.
self down into the water and going
hand along the rope soon
reached point of safety. They had
hardly landed when the rope, rotten
with age and dampness, parted. and
In a few moments later we saw the
Did cascO crash into the stone bridge
below. Certain death would have
been the fate of the guard had his
rescuer tarried a few minutes longer
before lending aid. They started,
)ne wet and be-draggled, the other
stark naked, for the camp of another
stationed about two miles
across country, to remain until such
time as the stream would resume its
normal proportions. But it was
pure and simple, and one that
Is not an exception In the lives of
these heroic men, who are in reality
the true standard bearers of their
purpose. have not learned
his name, but intend to see that the
attention Of his superior officers Is
called TO his unseltish act, and try
md get for him the open acknOWl-