The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-01
RESCUEOF MRS. HEATING
Con Van Malta and Bert Hart
man Help Save Two Women.

Can Van Natta, foreman of the Mail
and Breeze. lad a thrilling experience
early Sunday morning. after having
been marooned all night in the Petro
house. corner Van Buren and Gordon
streets in North Topeka In telling his
experience Mr.. Van Natta said.
I was over al the north end of the
Melan bridge late Saturday afternoon
and had no idea of going very far but
thought / would go a ways into North
Topeka if I could get slxiff- Finally
a man came in and Oifered me his ana
started. Another man wanted to go
and find a friend of his. SO / took him
along. We rowed up about to Harrison
street and then north few blocks. Then
the other man discovered that he didnt
know where he wanted to go 1t had
got very dark and we were completely
lost We didn't even know the points
of the compass. It was raining ana
the only thing we had to guide US was
the fire further down, and we We're
afraid of beng carried down into that-
After rowing about q wnlle IN tiis
darkness among the tree tops we heard
somebody yelling. We answered and
told them to keep on yelling, as tnat
was the only thing we had OF guloe us
to them. We had a lantern. out IL
didn't help US to see out from the poae,
but it helped other people to see us me
other fellows yelled like Indians when
we told them to- and when we got 10
them we found Dr. Powell. L. Il. hlene,
a Young fellow named B. Hartman anu
man they had rescued by lhe name
of r. r. Forrest. He wasn't eXactiy
rescued either. as they were IN a scoW
and tied up to a tree They had urea
to get around in the scoSV nut ahteI -
got dark and they had rescued ul = p,
they. couldn't get anywhere. because Tue
currents inst swirled the scow around
and around among the tree branches, 50
thev had tied UP to a tree
soon after reached them another
man came up in skiff, at5raclsa ~ "
nv lantern 1t was @. G. EdnonqS, %
I.ecompton who was a splendid Doat-
mana regular skipper. He mad some
supplies in his boat. and gave US SOM,
DR. Powell had been out in a boat an
the night before rescsling people, ana nc
was anxious to get home, and ne got
Edmonds to take him back to tnc
bridge The man who went out with
me also came back with him, leaving
Kiene and Forrest in the scow, while 1
took Hartman in with me.
Meanwhile one Of my oar locks had
come loose so that it wasn't mucn
good We all talked over what to do.
oluI l7S o. 8dl o. p7pI97p kuBuJ pue
some house We saw a light not far
away and we made for it in both the
scOw and the boat. The scOW went
around below the house, but I and my
man got in above. We scrambled up
on the roof Of the kitchen from one
side Just as the other fellows were com
ing up on the other side. Some women
came to the window opening out on the
kitchen roof and let US in. We founG
DIR. Davis and his family there-four
women folks. The doctor was sick ana
in he'd but the women folks were az
chipper as could be. We asked if they
lived there. and they said no. that
rescue party had got them that far Ia
a boat but couldn't get them any fur
ther on account of the current and 50
had left them there. 1t was the Petro
house, but was deserted when they g9s
there They said there were two more
beds than they needed, and as we were
wet and tired we went in and wnt to
bed was too excited to sleep. but
kiene and the other fellows were
pounding away fast asleep in a few
minutes
About half past . O'Clock. in the
/ morning somebody came pounding on
the window. We asked what they want
ed and they asked if man named
kiene was there. I said yes. and they
said q man named Harvey had sent
they after him. because his family was
worried and it was time for him to
come home anyway Kiene didn't want
to get up and dress in his wet clothes,
but as long as Harvey had sent fC- him
he concluded he had better 60 Thev
said they could take me. too. but as
had sent word to my wife that was all
right, I thought I had better stay TIL