The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-03-14
AN OPEN BOAT.......
,....A STORY FROM REAL LIFE......


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 lie 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
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
on before the northeast gale which
was blowing forty-nine miles an hour,
kicking up a terrific sea. Hemmeon
lay in the bottom of the dory at times
able to Lail, al 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
the time it was hidden in the 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 the boat and
got it's 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 est of the night
baiiing water, and keeping the Graf
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 a pass
ing craft. he also knew that every
hour he was being driven farther ou
to sea, and that his chances Of being
rescued were lessening.
1t VS. shortly before noon that hi
hopes were lifted. when, as the llttl,
craft rose on the crest of a wave, III
sighted the topmast of a coastwls
or fishing vessel. He stripped of
his oilskin, mounted it on q pitchforl
vessel had seen his signal AID wa
bearing down upon him. His shout
of joy revived Hemmeon to the frs
sign of sanity that he had shown TO
twenty-four hours. The boy, hi
cheeks pink with fever, sat up in tn
boat and yelled with all his might
Wave after wave brought the fra
little craft up to where the signal o
distress could be seen, but after fiji
teen minutes Matheson saw that tn
vessel was bearing Off to the eastwar
and that his signals had not been seer
, The day wore on and two more pass
/ ing craft were sighted.
/ Each time the vessel appeared to
[ making toward the dory, and then, a
, Matheson became excited with hop'
the craft seemed to fade away.
| During the long hours of the da
: Hemmeon was partly rational and ait
ed somewhat In baillng. A steame
) was sighted, but 1t was a mile ava.
|. and the signal was not seen. Afte
/. sundown on Friday night, when til
4 men had been eighty-two hours will
!. out food OF drink, the delirium
g Hemmeon began to take on the Graz
o ings of maniac. He accused his dor.
y mate of having food and water hidde
4 from him. At times his mind wal
v dered to his seaside home at She
o bourne, and he talked affectionately
his father and mother. He pleade
l. with them TO take him from Il
Y clutches Of the man who would N
q give him food or drink. He snatcht
# up the pitchfork and made savai
e lunge at Matheson. Twice he can
d near striking the man who twice hs
" rescued his from drowning. The dol
d swayed and came near swamplng
Matheson grasped the fork and got
t. away from his wild dory-mate.
a. "You can't keep me here. I'm goiI
s. home," yelled Hemmeon, and with
e, wild leap he cleared the dory a secoi
TX time.
ID Fortune seemed to play with t
lie youth, for he came to the surface clio
rs by the dory. Matheson was bare
able to grab the boy by the hair al
III pull him abroad as he was losing l
r. strength. Hemmeon lay unconsclo
n In the bottom Of the dory.
,e This exciting episode had just be
TX completed when Matheson made Q
ir the lights OF steamer, which appear
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