The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-03-28
AN OPEN BOAT....
"A STORY FROM REAL LFE....

ed suddenly and began to blow with in
creasing force. At six o'clock Wednes-
day night fresh gale was in force,
his post at the stern of the craft and
steered with one of the oars, while
Hemmeon kept the boat as steady as
possible with the two oars.
The wind increased in fury, and with
darkness the situation became dc per
ate. The strain wGs telling on Hem
neon, who began to rave about the
lack of food and water. At ten o'clock
that night huge comber struck their
little craft and Hemmeon wen. over
board. The craft was nearly swamped
and the thee oars in the bottom of the
boat were lost. Matheson jumped
to the side of the craft to save his
companion and lost the remaining oar
Hemmeon was pulled into the dory,
which was half filed with water.
The northeast gale brought a drop
in temperature. Hemmeon had taken
so much water that he was half un-
conscious, and in bailing out the boat
and keeping her from upsetting in the
wild seas that threatened every min
ute to engulf her, Matheson passed a
desperate time until daybreak. Hem
neon had been revived, but his mind
began to wander. Matheson worked
desperately to keep the boat steady by
the use of batter board which he tore
from The bottom of the dory.
All day Thursday the dory was driv-
en- before the northeast gale which
was blowing forty-nine miles an hour,
kicking up terrific sea. Hemmeon
lay in the bottom of the dory at times
able to Lail, az other times mumbling
incoherently, his mind wandering.
There was little chance of watching
for other craft, as the huge seas rolled
and tossed the boat so that most of
tie time it was hidden in tho trough
of waves. AS night came on Hemmeon
grew more delirious. He began to talk
of his father and mother at their home
in Shelbourne and to berate Matheson
for keeping food and drink from him.
1t was nine o'clock Thursday night
when Hemmeon got 20 his feet and
said: 'Matheson, you nave kept me
here as long as you can. You can't
keep me here any longer without food
or water. am going home. Goodby."
With this the young man leaped into
the raging sea. Matheson caught the
end of his no'wester as the fellow dis
appeared. With the strength of des-
peration re pulled him aboard.
Hemmeon lay as if dead. After
Matheson had steadied tie boat and
got its head up to the seas he worked
over Hemmeon until he got a faint
murmur that showed that the boy was
still alive. Tie gale wore on and
Matheson put in the lest Of the night
bailing water, and keeping the craft
steady. Matheson knew that he was
being driven in a southwesterly di-
rection, and that his only hope of sue
cor lay in being, picked up by pass
ing craft. he also knew that every
hour he was being driven farther out
to sea, and that his chances of being
rescued were lessening.
1t N:s shortly before noon that his
hopes were lifted, when, as the little
craft rose on the crest Of wave. he
sighted the topmast of a coastwise
or a fishing vessel. lie stripped off
his oilskin, mounted it on pitchfork
and waved it. At first he thought the
vessel had seen his signal and was
bearing down upon him. His shouts
of Joy revived Hemmeon to the first
sign of sanity that he had shown for
twenty -four hours. The boy. his
cheeks pink with tever, sat UP in the
boat and yelled with all bis might.
Wave after wave brought the frail
little craft up TO where the signal OF
distress could be seen, but after fif-
teen minutes Matheson saw that the
vessel was bearing off to the eastward
and that his signals had not been seen.
The day wore on and two more pass
ing craft were sighted.
Each time the vessel appeared to be
making toward the dory, and then, as
Matheson became excited with hope,
the craft seemed to fade away,
During the long hours of the day
Hemmeon was partly rational and aid.
ed somewhat in bailing. A steamer
was sighted, but it was mile away,
and the signal was not seen. After
sundown on Friday night. whe3 the
men had been elghty-two hours with.
! out food or drink. the delirium OF