Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-15

Strange Premoniti0n That Made Him
Keep to His Course.

From the New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Men in our line of business have plenty
of queer experiences" said veteran bar
pilot, but l think the strangest that ever
fell to my lot happened in 1893, right after
the great hurricane that swept down the
south coast and drowned so many poor fish
er folks on the little islands. The storm
blew itself away on a Sunday the pilot
went on, land next Sunday morning, hav-
ing nothing in particular to do, 1 decided
to take our steamer, which was a handy
little twelve-knot craft, and go for two
hours run out into the gulf from South
Point to what 1 could see. The water
was still full of driftwood and wreckage
from the fishermen's cabins, but We noticed
nothing in particular until We had been out
about an hour. Then one of the men on
the boat sighted big red can buoy over to
the sou'west. 1t was a government mark
that had drifted away from its moorings
and he suggested that We go and see where
1t belonged. Ordinarily l would have said
all right, but somethingI don't know what
or why-made me refuse. No said l, we
won't change our course. Keep her head
straight for an hour more, and maybe We'll
see something better than runaway red
cans
II had no idea that my words would
come true, but in half an hour We came in
sight of a little raft dead ahead Of US, and
as we got nearer we made out what seemed
to be child on top of 1t. We ran to with
in couple of hundred feet before We stop
ped. and then We saw that the raft was
evidently the floor of some fisherman's
cabin The child was a boy of fourteen or
thereabouts, and he was sitting down with
his head hanging forward on his breast and
his arms stretched out clutching the planks
He looked for all the world as If he were
dead, but he was only asleep. and when 1
reng the bell he Strengthened up all of a
sudden and glared at the ship like person
a h. bod 10
shirt. And while we lowered a small boat
and pulled over to him he sat SO, staring
and saying not word. He had strength
enough to climb in, but when We reached
the ship he tainted.
THE poor boy had been on that floating
floor for seven days and twelve hours"
continued the pilot. He was the son of
Gascon FISHERMAN who lived on Grand Isle
and the hurricane had caught him alone in
their cabin. 1t tore the ramshackle hut to
pieces and he found himself adrift on the
floor which had hung together. How he
lived through the storm is one of those
he was carried far off the coast, and next
morning was out Of sight OF land In the
open gulf Then followed a solid week,
spent without food, water or shelter or any
kind 1 have been a seafaring man all my
life and have known of many wonderful
escapes from death on the deep waters, but
never of anything to compare with this
The boy had to lie down on the raft to
keep from falling off, and when he grew
weak the crawfish bit him until he was a
mass of wounds.
''Of course, most Of what I have related
we learned afterward, when he was strong
enough to talk. As soon as We got him
aboard we headed for, South Point, eighteen
miles away. for, as bad luck would have
it, there was not particle of food or liquor
on the ship. Fortunately, however, we hailed
the fruiter Breakwater and got a little
brandy and can Of condensed milk. and 1t
was marvellous how few spoonfuls Of
nourishment revived the lad. At quaran-
tine turned him over to the doctor, and
in week he was practically well. Then
an uncle came after him and have never
heard from him since.
II have often wondered" said the old
pilot in conclusion. where the strange Inn