Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
Col. Choptank's Experience
One Christmas Eve.
ADRIFT IN THE BAY
TERRIFIC SNOW STORM AND
WEATHER EXTREMELY COLD.
Hunting Party Finally Reaches Home
and makes a Night
of It."

1.-THE winter of 1859 was the most fear
some spell of winter the eastern shore ever
experienced / reckon said Col. Chop
tank. he meditatively crushed baked
apple in the glass of steaming toddy IN ms
hand. The freight from the blazing oaken
logs cast glow upon his rubicund race
and was reflected in the white marble of the
old-fashioned mantelpiece. Outside De-
cember wind whistled through the streets.
creeping under the casemate, and stirred
the great lace curtains, revealing the
clouds of dust driven over the asphalt
streets and the cold flicker of the arc
lamps, swapping in their ground glass
globes 1t was warm, and comfortable. and
fragrant in the big parlor, and the colonel
leaned back in his chair with sigh OF
oontentment after long pull at the hot
applejack.
Il remember that Christmas came in the
worst of the weather." he continued. 1.-THE
river had been frozen solid for two weeks,
and even the bay had a fringe Of ice ex-
tending out for nearly a mile. The Balti-
more packet had ceased her trips and was.
tndeed, frozen in at my wharf. Some Of
her officers were scattered about the coun-
tryside. enjoying the hospitality of the
farmers. Old Capt. Dugan. her skipper.
remained aboard, however. with the engi-
neers and deck watch, keeping kind of
bachelors hail. He had his steward and
pantry boy aboard. and what with the
steamers stores and the gifts of canvas
back ducks. terrapin and oysters from the
neighborhood, not to speak of spareribs
and sausage, he had pretty good time.
When Navigation Closed.
Il was alone in my house at the time.
the ladies being all up in Baltimore doing
Christmas shopping. when navigation sud-
denly closed. OF course. 1 had my retinue
of house servants, and was as comfor table
as could be, If not little more than
usual. from the absence of the petticoats.
The day before Christmas Capt. Dugan,
who was great duck hunter came up to
the house and said one of his deckhands
who had been prowling around the country
for some reason best known to himself, had
located an immense flock of ducks about a
mile off shore, and some three miles down
the bay. where they were feeding in a tide
way that was free from fee.
so we got my black boy, Ben, and the
Shippers deckhand and loaded up a ham,
per OF provisions to get after those ducks.
For day a strong sou westerly wind had
been blowing, backing the water up under
the Ice. and we noticed that 1t was cracked
around the edge of the shore in many
places After We got well started it cloud
ed up and came on to blow a gale from the
northeast Captain Dugan allowed we were
IN Tor nor'east snow storm, but we were
Well hxed for rough weather and kept on.
We found the ducks and had splendid
sport. Along about noon it set in to snow
the wind increasing, and 1 tell you it was
rough weather. We loaded up our ducks
and started for home about 1 O'Clock. TAX
ing bearings by the captains pocket COM
pass Tor you couldn't see ten feet ahead
or you for the snow. We observed that the
Ice seemed to be undulating and indeed. TO
nave drifting motion. Captain Duea N
relieved his deckhand of his load of ham
per and, whispering something to him.
started the fellow on the run, telling US to
hurry along.
Adrift in the Bay.
I'm ten minutes the fellow came back. his
face pretty near white. De ice is done
fetched away FUN de shore and ives
adrift, sah,' said the deckhand Well, that
was a pretty muss The man said there
was wide water and evidently deep water
between the Ice foe and the shore Cap
TAIN Dugan calculated we were a mile from
land. The ice was breaking away at the
edges OF the foe and we backed off hun
ored yards or So About that time we broke
out some or the provisions and applied
ourselves to a black bottle of old Ken
lucky that Marlborough. Fortunately we
had plenty.
While We were refreshing ourselves the
captain seemed deep in thought. Then he
SAID: AS near as I can figure out, we are
url1ung sou'-sou west, and some part of
TINS noe ought to fetch up on Chuckatuck
shoals, where the lighthouse stands
I
since navigation shut down. How in blazes
are we to find itP
We've Just got to find it, he said, for
II TINS tarnation foe caroms off the shoals
anu SO out into the bay, we will be goners
We'll, following his advice We altered
our course little and trudged along over
the foe in the direction he tbough+ fha
nghthouse lay. Aften ten minutes walk
we stopped and loosed off a couple of bar
rels of our shotguns, then, at a minute.s In
terval' another round, and so until we ha
fired a dozen shots. -Aeo'
Then, of in the south, there flashed ONT
q great Hght, misty and mysterious looking
through the driving snow, There She
pioWs, cried Captain Dugan. and we made
tracks for the lighthouse On the onter
gallery was old Jim Hedges, the lightkeep-
er, mufied up In his o.lsk,ns and watching
Tor us. He had heard the guns and Ut his
lamp. AZ Ills
Comfort at Last.
In another five minutes we were toastins
ourselves before a red-hot stove I'm linn 8
quarters, and my boy Ben was making
something that snelled powerful good. If l
remember right, we all went to sleep in our
chairs. with the storm bowling around lis
and the big light flashing its beacon across
wintry sea. where the waves were run
ming high in the clear water left by the
receding ice.
Next day was Christmas, but there was
no chance to get away. 1t was still snow
Ing. with a nasty sea running, SO we had
20 stay We had a royal Christmas d nner
with those ducks. and when my provis ons
ran snort. Jim Hedges produced Jug that
the last boat had brought down from RaItt-
more, and you bet we made a night of IL
When the storm broke. Jim put us ashore
III ms uingy' where we found half the conn
uysiue preparing to embark with dra o
nets TO search for u.s. "e
VI course We had to entertain the search
party nrst at my house and then ahoard
the packet, and II was plumb New Year be-
lore tnat ceIeoraton ceased. But 1 don,
want any more Christmas ewes like tina,
one" ~