The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-09
IA RUNAWAY
 FERRY BOAT. Thrilling Experience on k Alabama River. IT FLOATED l7 MILES Futile Attempt at Rescue by
 Montgomery Party. With Six Passengers, Mules and Wagons Broke from Chains at Coosada
 Ferry and Dashed Down
 Angry River.
IT FLOATED l7 MILES

Gosum Jordan Harris and Anderson Sears, negroes who reached Montgom- cry at midnight last night. after being recued by Fireman Booth of the Mad ison Avenue Hose Company near the Chappell place five miles below Mont gomery, and seventeen miles from the starting point.
 The Coesada Ferry flat boat with
 six passengers. four mules and two wagons aboard. broke from its moor ings. twelve miles up the Alabama River from Montgomery passed the Montgomery wharf at 10:15 o'clock last night. while members of the police and fire deparments of the city made futile efforts to head the boat In its flight down the roaring river which | is nearing flood stages due to the re- cent rains.
 Fireman Booth and two negro boat
 men. who made cn effort to tow the boat ashore with a skiff, disappeared | with the ferry around the bend of the | river They were not heard from again | until they reached police headquarters at midnight and reported their rescue
 at the Chappell place.
 The negroes said that an unknown | white man and a negro William John-
 son. who were on the ferry boat with | them when 1t broke loose from its | | came out to them at Jackson's ferry.
 They stuck to the boat in the hope of
 saving their property.
 | Appeal to Montgomery. l About nine o'clock last night Police
 Captain W. H. Taylor received a tele- | grom from Coosada, stating that the Coosada ferry boat had broken from
 its guiding chain and with a number | of passengers and stock aboard was
 whirling in the rapid current of the
 Alabama river toward the sea. Who
 was aboard the boat the mes
 sage did not state. but it closed with
 an appeal to stop the runaway craft A few minutes later a message was
 received from the watchman of the
 river bridge of the Louisville and Nashville Raili oad. five miles from
 Montgomery that the ferry boat had
 just cleared the bridge and was trav>
 cling at a rapid rate toward Mont | gomery.
 Captain Taylor communicated imme- | diately with the Montgomery fire de-
 partment. A detail of the laddies with
 long line of rope joined the detach-
 ment of policemen and hurried toward the river bank.
 The Alabama river is probably eight feet above its ordinary bed. On ac- count of the recent general rains, the | current of the river Is extraordinarily swift and the waters are filled with drift wood. It is almost miraculous that the f1atboat reached Montgomery safely. How the narrow channel at the island. mile above Montgomery.
 was passed Is a mystery and even more mysterious Is the manner in which the boat escaped being stove in by great pieces of drift wood, with which the water Is filled.
 Attempted Rescue. At the river bank a hurried consul tation was held between the members of the rescue party. It was finally suggested that small boat be secured and that this boat proceed up the river
 meeting the fatboat. The plan com
 templated that the men in the small | boat should carry with them enough
 line to make fast to the ferry boat and
 when the Montgomery wharf was
 reached to paddle ashore and with the
 assistance of the rescue party on land,
 haul the ferry boat ashore. | Fireman Booth of the Madison Ave
 nue station volunteered to captain the
 rescue party. Tho crew of his small
 boat was composed of two negro wa
 termen the majority of whose lives
 have been spent on the Alabama river When the crew Of the small boat | pulled out of sight into the blackness
 of the river. the land party contertcd
 themselves with Illuminating the place
 of the intended rescue 8 much as pos
 sihle. Torches were lit. fire lanterns
 were held aloft Every effort was
 made to make out the runaway ferry | beat.
 ''Iiere She COmCs," Cried Booth. | After half hour of waiting, the
 voice of Fireman Booth was heard in | the distance, warning the party on land
 of the coming of the boat. Mind out
 here she comes." yelled the young fire man.
 l The land party hurried to the edge or the water as the f1atboat hove in
 sight. Nobody aboard the boat except
 Booth and the two negroes appeared to
 be excited. On the edge of the ferry
 could be seen two men, calmly contem-
 plating their perilous situation. To- ward the middle of the boat were two other men, who did not appear to be
 more frightened than their compan- ions. In the rear of the boat stood
 tho restless mules. Two farm wagons
 were aboard the boat
 From the bank 1t could not be per lceived whether the occupants were
 white men or negroes, but the occu- pants, whoever they were. seemed less
 concerned as to their safety than any body in the near vicinity of the river
 Booth and the negroes again boarded
 the small boat and as the fiat swept
 b. the wharf. they made an effort to
 paddle ashore
 | The line was too short. When the boat had proceeded the
 total length of the rope. the skin was
 still number of yards from the shore. Booth Yelled for Help.
 Booth and the boatmen yelled loudly
 for help. but the land party could do
 nothing to aid them. Absolute silence was maintained on the shore in order to hear anything the occupants of the boat might say, but although the work | of the rescuers was watched minuteiy no word came from the people in peril,
 The boat swept on past the Union Depot, travelling at the rate of ten | miles an hour.
 The flat had no railing and no swcaps by which the boat could be guided to shore.
 The runaway craft rounded the benl perfectly and disappeared In the dark ness.
 In the meantime 1t was suggested that if gasoline or steam launch | could be secured the ferry boat might | be overtaken and lowed ashore. Launches to the Rescue. John Hanson and D. H. Howe. owners | of gasoline launch were called on | and in a few minutes a launch was puffing rapidly down stream in pursuit
 of the ferry.
 | TeIegrams were immediately sent to Manac, the nearest river station about ten miles below Montgomery and all