The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-11-25
THE DERELIcT BOAT.
And G Gun-John Coos Built and Sailed
it, Hunting Geese The Seqnel.

0OS~S
captured by R. c. Kiger with a
gun in it has been explained, and
eonnected with it. there is a tale
of distress, hardship and narrow
escape from death. The boat and
gun are the property of John Coos,
who resides along Boone's slough,
on farm owned by Mrs. Ann
sSmith. The owner fell out of the
boat while attempting to cross the
swollen waters of the slough, and
for half an hour at imminent peril
of his life he was in the stream. es-
Gaping finally under circumstances
approaching the remarkable.
The accident happened Friday
morning. a few hours before the
derelict boat was captured by Mr..
Kiger. Bands of geese feeding on
the island across the slough from
his home, attracted the attention of
Mr.. Coos. He had no boat, and he
determined to build one. Within
a short time, he completed crude
box like affair, about five feet long,
not counting the curious bow that
he subsequently added. He had no
oars, and decided that he could
navigate with the aid of long
handled shovel. Thus equipped,
he attempted the dangerous pas
sage and all went well until he
struck the heavy current. There.
the boat became unmanageab1e,
In his struggles, Coos thrust his
shovel deep mo the water, expect
ing to touch bottom and push his
craft ahead. But there was no
bottom. and under the violence of
effort, he lost his balance and fell
overheard.
Then began an experience that
Coos will not forget in lifetime.
His limbs were encountered with a
heavy pair of gum boots. He
knew something about swimming
but not very much. He was in the
middle of the deep stream. His
clothing soon became heavy with
soaking. By superhuman effort
he relieved himself of one of the
heavy boots. That only tended to
complicate matters, for with one
leg heavy with boot, the other be-
came SO light that swimming was
impossible. Itlooked very much
like John was gone Coos,
1t twas according to his statement
in town Saturday morning. fully
half an hour before Mr.. Coos,
more dead that alive, finally rea-
ched shore. When he found he
couldn't swim, he had presence of
mind enough to throw his head
back and keep his nose and mouth
upward, SO that SO long as any part
of his person could be above water
he could breathe. = In this attitude,
he began to float, as he described
it, like doll in a tub of water,
sometimes above surface, sometimes
beneath. He had swallowed a great
amount of water. and this with the
violent cold and the terrible charac-
ter of his situation, soon rendered
him part unconscious. He thou
ght of his wife and his children, and
rendered thankfully that he held a.
So, 900 insurance policy in one of
the beneficiary orders He had no
hope of rescue, but adhering man
fully and heroical1y to his plan of
keeping his head back, he contin-
ued to be able to breathe, floating
on and on, down the river and ap.
parent1y out of the world,
In this way several hundred
yards and a quarter of an hour of
time passed. Suddenly he saw a
slender limb above him. It was
only as big as his smaller finger.
but he grasped it. But it was a
dead limb, and it snapped. That
looked like the last chance, and he
settled himself again into his old,
half conscious. attitude, with his
nose elevated for air. Then after
more and more yards had been drift
ted. he saw another slender limb
Like the other, it was but as large
as small finger, but it was within
reach. And it was green. He
seized it. It held. He pulled a.
little harder on it, and raised all his
head out of the water Should he
pull any harder, was the question.
The limb to which the slender
branch was attached was far above.
If he pulled too hard, the branch
would again break, and he must
drift again. A little harder and a
little harder he pulled, advancing
his hold until head and shoulders
were entirely out of the water.
Then he thought to make an out
cry. He had no hope of an answer
but he tried it. It must have been
81 c. Il 1sf-. .