Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-06-05


had already left the banks mile south
Of town.
Confident that no immediate danger
threatened his family, Mr.. Haworth
went to the bank. Two hours later
he was startled by cries on the street
that the flood was coming. He rush
ed outside and joined the crowd that
was hurrying toward the western out
skirts.
From what he could gather from the
excited people as he ran, he learned
that the river had suddenly risen above
its banks and the water was sweeping
toward the town like a mill race.
Filled with apprehension for the
safety of his family, the banker hast
ened to a point from which he could
see his residence. The sight that met
his view rendered him frantic The
water had completely surrounded the
house and had risen to the top Of the
doors on the ground floor.
From the open windows In the sec
ond story he saw his wife and children
and the servants wildly waving to the
crowd Of men that stood helplessly
watching them on the margin Of the
swirling food that was slowly driving
them backward and widening the dis
lance between them and the imprisoned
family.
Boats were TO be had, but to attempt
to cross the racing waters in one of
them would be useless, for twenty men
could not have rowed a boat against
such a current. How to save the I'm,
fortunate ones was the question that
agitated the minds Of the people.
Whatever was done must be done
quickly, for the water was steadily ris-
ing, and In a few minutes had gone
to the Sills Of the windows, through
which the occupants Of the house were
leaning.
Wild with fear, Mr.. Haworth moved
among the people, exhorting them to
save his family. He offered a fortune
to any man who would bring his wife
and children to him, but there was no
one there who could see a way Of do
ing it.
Harold Stanley, deaf to the shouts
and cries Of the crowd, looked across
the turbid water and saw his friend
Louis reckoning to the people.
The thought that he must stand al-
most within sound of the voice Of the
boy who had been a brother to him,
and watch Louis slowly driven to the
last foothold on the roof, and finally
swept away by the relentless food,
forced his quick brain to rapid action,
and, as he stood looking fxedly over
the water with pale face and compress
ed lips, he struggled to devise some
plan for rescuIng his friend.
Despair was fast overcoming him,
had read Of u way that the members
Of the life-saving stations have of saw
ing the lives Of shipwrecked sailors, by
shooting a ball with a line attached to
it from the shore to the ship, and
bringing the men ashore on 1t after 1t
had been made fast at each end.
With this remembrance came an
idea, and, waving his cap over his
head, as If to strengthen the courage
Of his friend, he made his way unno-
ticed through the excited crowd, and
ran at the top Of his speed toward
home
When Harold reached the house, he
took his fathers rifle down from the
hooks on the wall. He dropped the
ramrod into the barrel. The rifle was
loaded. Procuring lead sinker that
he used when fishing in the river, he
fastened piece Of wire into the end Of
it, and dropped it into the rife. To the
end Of the wire that protruded from
the gun-barrel he attached the end Of
ball of binding Irvine, which is a
very strong cord.
Hurrying into the street, Harold
dropped the ball Of Irvine, and, grasp
ing the cord ran toward the river. 1t
was a straight course, and the street
was empty.
As Harold sped along the ball Of
twne unwound, and when he reached
the crowd the cord was trailing behind
him long distance down the street
The appearance of the boy, with the
rifle In his hand, attracted the atten-
ton of some of the men, who, fearing
that the excitement had been too much
for him, and that he might do some
harm, caught him by the arms and
asked him what he intended to do
Harold coolly told them that he was
going to try and shoot the lead ball,
with the Irvine attached to 1t, over the
roof of the Haworth residence. If he
could do 1t, and strong rope was tied
TO the end Of the cord, the imprisoned
members of the bankers family could
haul it across, fasten it, and, with a
boat, a rope ferry could be made, and
the endangered ones saved.
make way, there for the boy"
shouted the men, who saw the wisdom
in Harold's undertaking.
Strong men forced the DeOOIo hack