The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-11-21

| "N trOlt ana; turning nOftH"aiu'
began the long trip to Mack
inaw, l sat with young man, new
acquaintance, on the promenade deck,
and leisurely surveyed the long panor-
amic river-front Of the chief city Of
Michigan. The sun, already halfway
to the horizon, swan in a blue, autum'
nal haze, its slanting beams gliding
the tall buildings that broke the sky
line and blazing with binding refec-
| ton from their countless FWindows.
The soft land. breeze brought family
the roar of the streets to intermingle
with the pulse like beat OF, the machin-
cry below US, and the whole scene was
one; of such autumnal placidity and
peace that I watched it In dreamy
silence until my. companion spoke.
do you see. that building over
! there% he said, indicating Ia tall
structure at the waters. edge. THAT
! is the Grand Trunk Elevator, and !
never pass it, without a shudder, for
it marks the worst position Twas
| ever in." f,.@N :: .H3Ts, -
He paused, butt scenting story, ]
begged him to continue, N x
"Wen," said he, '.it was eight years
ago. was then atelegraph operator,
and had the night trick in the, yard
Office atN Detroit. had come up q
short time before, from q little station
In the country. =, 1t was early in the
spring that was ordered to- 'Yd,' and
the ice had begun to go down the river,
but thenights were still very cold. The
old yard watchmans ygroaned nightly
every evening about the delayed warm
weather, but ,:hef kept my stove hot,
and as my duties were an inside !
\ cared little for the temp My
work was light the city was new to
me, and ] was enjoying myself huge:
" when I got into the trouble I'm go
ing to tell you about. ~.
M:,.'Just at sunrise on one particularly
! chilly morning my telegraph-sounder
became mute. 1t wouldn't respond to
the key. An examination of the bat
terry showed that the water in the cells
had evaporated so. much that it did not
touch the zincs,, and so it gave no cir
cult. - ..
81 rumaged through the cupboards
and found large empty bottle,-it
was the only thing could find to car
~ water in,-and went down my Two
pair of stairs to the tap from the city
MAINS. And l found the tap frozen
tight. ! - :
Here was trouble. Water I must
have, and that quickly, for at six
o'clock a dozen yard conductors bound
for West Detroit and the Junction
would be changing for orders, and the
idea of depending upon weak little
relay to work with "a tired, nervous,
and therefore easily angered dispatch,
er was a far from agreeable one. I
considered for moment, and the
thought of the river came to-. me. Co.
ing back upstairs, l. secured some
twine, and with that and the bottle,
Imade my way to the dock beside that
elevator yonder. . r,
"There I lowered the bottle by the
string to the water and tried to fill 1t,
but it is not easy to dip up water In q
slender-necked bottle which insists on
staying upright when it should be tip
ping over. I was leaning far out from
the edge of the dock. bobbing the bot
tie I'D and down, when my foot Slip
ped, my hand lost it's hold, and
down 1 went, splash, into the ice
cold current Of the Detroit River. And
I could not swim. ....
"Of course sank deep and struggled
wildly in the current. A few SECONDS
later I came up gasping and choking
and as l threw my arms wildly about
they struck something hard and solid
This 1 grasped. 1 sputtered desper
ately and chokcd, but clung to my sup
port, and soon managed to catch my
breath and tried to think of how tt
get back to my instrument.
"To my surprise, | was in almos
total darkness. 1 shouted, and tht
tones rang hollow aud confined. Crop
ing about,sI found other supports sim
liar to the one was holding, and thel
the, horrible truth came to me. l wa:
under the dock.
Il realized my position instantly
The wharf was faced with plank OK
tending down under the surface, bu
not to the bottom, and the current hat
carried me under the planking from
outside the wharf. 10 escape by div
ing would have been easy for an eX
pert swimmer. but my only hope wa
that some one might come by befor
my numbed fingers relaxed thei
grasp.
1.-THE water was fearfully cold. Onl.
my head and shoulders rose above il
below, it was numbing every nerve
Frantic with fear. l wrapped arm
and legs desperately around the ie
pile. Occasionally shouted for hell
but, only the sullen crash Of the ice
Goes replied. Once beard the ron
OF pessenger-train speeding by. l
imagination. | saw the passengers !
The warm coaches talking and laugl
ing. ......
with my nearness 10 death came