The Jennings daily record., 1902-12-27

dragging over the stern, and iudpef
from her size that she probably bat
TWO coal-laden barses behind her.
could hear the voices Of the mer
on board growing fainter in the dis
lance.
Another black phantom passed; j,
was the first barge, loaded low in the
water: after / =. at an interval came
another. AS they We're loaded knew
tnat they We're heading east. and
that the shore therefore Law in from,
OF me- l settled myself on the tlrwar,
! ana braced my feet for the row in.
So interested had l been in INV cal
culations that l had barely noticed O
confusion Of whistles that occurred
shortly after the passage of the tow
Hence l was altogether unprepared,
arter my third stroke. to hear another
boat approaching through the fog from
| The opposite direction. backed water
! vigorously, just in time to escape be.
| ing run down by tug that was max
! ing the water fly as she dashed west.
, ward.
| l caught the splash of rope. and
an empty barge, rising high above the
! water. 1t passed so near that backed
| another stroke to be out OF the way of
the one which I felt sure was follow
ing it. Soon I heard another tow-rope
whipping the surface, and second
barge the size of the first swept by.
listened for several seconds, but hear
ing no further sound. I bent to nv
oars again, feeling sure that there
were no more barges.
had gone perhaps thirty feet when
something struck the bottom of nv
skiff- large cable rose suuarely
beneath the boat. swapping it into
the air. AS my boat dropped back
1t fell stern first and capsized, throw
ing me out. When ! Went under
lost my grip of the oars. and on coming
TO the surface again moved my hands
frantically about in the hope of find
ing them.
Two or three inches above the water
my fingers encountered something
round and wet. and closed about it like
Il wise. 1t was the cable which had
capsiZed me. A third barge had been
towing after the other two, and its
hawser had proved the cause of the
disaster
Higher and higher it rose. lifting
me above water until l was only waist
deep The waves riDpled against my
body as | was dragged along. l caught
Il last glimpse OF my oars and water
logged boat drifting away in the fog.
Then they We're swallowed up and /
was left clinging TO the sodden rope
| did not dare let go of it to ATTEMPT
to regain my slliff. Indeed so con-
fused was l that the idea did not enter
my head until the chance was gone.
The hawser began to sink again.
Lower and lower it fell until l was
submerged to the neck. Deeper it
went. and deeper still. ! had no choice
but to let go. unless / wished to be
dragged under ! released my hold
and was left struggling in the waves,
padding to keep afloat.
Should / abandon the cable and
strike out for shore? l was not a
strong swimmer. and the land was a
mile or two distant. TO start for it in
soon lose all sense of direction and
circle aimlessly about until sank.
My only salvation was to keep near
the rope. so that l nigh! grasp it when
it rose. Once let me lose that. and |
should drown or be run down by
some passing boat.
Up came the hawser again with a
snap, catching me violently across the
chest. Regaining my hold with diff. |
Guilty, | was lifted up. up. until only |
my legs dragged in the water. Then !
down l sank again. till the rope passed |
below my reach in line Of phosphor-
escent bubbles. This could not last |
forever. II. after the cable had sunk, |
the barges should make turn and pull |
it from beneath me, so that I could not |
regain my hold when it rose, my posi-.
ton would be serious indeed Every
time let so those twisted strands my
life hung in the balance.
l saw that the only thing for me to
do was to make my way at once to one
Of the barges before my strength be.
CAME exhausted. The boat behind was
Of course the easier to reach. for she
approached me little every time
LET so the rope.
Splash to the right! Splash to the
eft! The hawser was rising again.
Once more it lifted me into the air.
Before Il sank I had worked myself
some feet toward the barge After 1t
vas gone / padded in the same direc-
ion. Again and again I did this.
An easterly wind was rising and the
water was growing rougher. The fog