Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-02-03
YOUNG MAN
HELD A PRISONER

The river was the scene OF several
startling events ON Saturday. the result
of people being in too much of hurry
to test the strength Of the newly form
ed ice spanning the broad stream.
The first visitors were r. +. d. mail
carriers Bert Mcclure and Clyde Start
zl. The former broke through the ice
at very dangerous place near the
middle Of the river. and would, doubt.
less, have drowned had not the latter
succeeded in getting him out Of the
water. In assisting his companion. Mr..
Started narrowly escaped breaking
through himself several times. and af-
ter the feat was accomplished both
men found it difficult to return to
shore without repetition Of the trou-
BILE they had gone through. They sue
ceeded in doing so, though. after which
Mr.. Mcclure secured change OF
clothing and then in company with
Mr.. Started, went to South Danville
via Northumberland, to deliver the
mail that narrowly escaped going I'M.
der the ice.
Shortly after this q young man
named Frank Lewis had an adven-
ture on the river, one which he
will likely remember for some years
to come. In company with Galen
Morgan, Lewis, at 8 O'clock, walked
across the new bridge to the present
terminal. then descended ladder With
the view Of crossing over to this side
if the ice was strong enough to carry
them. 1t only took Mr.. Morgan few
seconds to discover that il WASH t, and
he returned to the bridge. Lewis was
of the opposite opinion. He thought
he could get over all right with lit.
tie caution, and made the start.
A glance convinced him that 1t
would be impossible to GROSS straight
over. An air hole and long. broad
piece of very thin ice obstruoted that
course. These would have to be pass
ed around and to do that necessitated
long journey up the river to point
opposits the ferry landing. He moved
slowly, when he went at all. Frequent
stops were made to test the strength of
the ice ahead. before risking his weight
upon it. At the expiration of an hour
he arrived at the point up stream for
which he had been so long striving to
reach. There his nerve deserted him
somewhat.
He was afraid to either proceed or
90 back. Finally he decided to crawl
over the spot he feared to walk upon.
Failing in that he attempted to creep
the other way with like result. Then
he would stand up for awhile and
throw Jumps of ice in advance of him,
with view of finding the safest path
way. After he had remained inactive
for a short time as though planning
the next best move, he resumed tn
crawling act, first going one way and
then another. His various changes of
position, during which for space of
over half an hour, he did not travel
the length of himself in any direction,
showed the many watching him from
the Danville side of the river that he
was surrounded by danger and afraid
to move far in any direction.
Mercury was only few degrees
above zero. His position from the
shore looked perilous in the extreme,
The ice was in such a position that
it seemed impossible for any one to
60 to his rescue. "If he can't cross to
this side nobody can cross to him."
and "If he don't drown he will freeze
to death pretty soon" 4" we're few Of the
remarks made by the spectators on
shore.
Then it was that Daniel Ross foun
key to the problem. Taking with
him long pole for the two fold pur-
pose Of feeling his way across the
treaoherous ice and to use 1t to help
himself out in case he broke through,
he started slowly in the direction of
the imprisoned man. He succeeded in
reaching Lewis and in plotting him
safely to shore. The latter had been
on the ice nearly two hours, and when
he reached shore he said that he was
not suffering from his long exposure
to the cold.