The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-06-25

great light 6ickered overhead as the
trembling OF the house caused a con.
unuing shiveri..9 of the lenses: and
/ this SILVER, / must own, s.wakoceS
some fear in me as 1 sat sometimes
at midnight and felt how utterly
alone we were, with no possible ac-
cess TO the world.
The folks on shore could see from
the gimmer of our light across the
water that our old house still stood.
They knew we were there, and they
hoped we were safe.
Often my thoughts turned to
home. IL 1 could but look in upon
my wife and boyl 1 could picture
him upon his little cot or kneeling
by his mothers knee, praying God
to bring papa safely home. Often I
would be aroused by the clock from
these dreams, and know that my
watch was long over, and l would call
Snow and go to bed with a lighter
heart, feeling guarded by the prayers
of those at home.
"One day at last we found n light
breeze had sprung up, which helped
III.
to our dismay, it began to pile up on
us. You see, the ice was so very thick
that the pan would not split in two
when it came in contact with our
house. and, stopped IN its passage.
the next piece would rush upon the
first, and each being forced on by the
next, they would keep piling up more
and more.
ION the north side that bar
reaches out for mile or more, and
on the south is the island, making
here a channel through which the ice
and water rushed, forced along by
the wind.
Many's the time Snow would ask,
with more in his eyes than I cared to
see, Think she'll stand, old boy?'
Stand as long as there's a piece
OF her. answered I. but none too
bravely, [ fear. The grating, trem-
bling and creaking were terrible.
Each moment it seemed as if the iron
supports must snap or give way.
The day wore on slowly enough.
Steadily the ice kept piling. Night
came again, and our light shone out
to let people know our old house still
stood, though 1t shook so terribly
sometimes thought the lantern must
go to pieces. At dusk the sky seemed
to darken toward the southwest. We
could feel the wind shifting and in
creasing in strength. The ice had
been piling on from the east all day,
and on that side was a solid barrier
Thank God said Snow, as he
felt the southwest wind on his face,
but l said nothing. / knew that now
must come our real battle.
THE east wind had brought the
ice out from the rivers and emptied
it steadily into the bay, but now the
southwest wind would bring it back
with all the other ice in the bay. We
had on that side the full sweep of the
Chesapeake and millions and millions
or tons ~ nding ice bearing down
upon us. AS the first cake struck
us on the southwest side, Snow for
the first time realized our danger.
Slowly the barrier on the east
side uplifted, as a cake from the
other direction would push under
meath and carry with it the ice foun-
dation. Thus the battle began be-
tween the two masses too mighty to
measure. The rivers were choked
full and all the ice was driven down
to the mouth, only to be met with an
opposite rush and forced slowly back.
1--WE stood in the midst, barricaded
and hard pressed on the east and at
tackled on the other side by an angry,
laundering army of ice-hoes. 1t
seemed as if we must be ground to
powder.
Neither of us spoke. Each mo-
ment we expected the walls to smash
in upon us!
THE ice was now piled up far
above the iron and far above the
house. We were surrounded by a
crunching, roaring. surglng mass.
The house rocked this way and that.
cracking as if every Joint would
break. Now came a crash as another
cake struck US, crash that fastened
our fate. One bar had given way!
Snow, you had better put out
the fire. said l. My voice sounded
hollow, as If we were in an empty
house.
HE silently obeyed. Slowly the
lighthouse settled. and patiently we
waited. Our light still burned, and
thought. You have fought your bat
tie bravely, old house, and wen stick
&c You 70 the last
Put out the light I said, as 1
saw the lenses wayer and nearly cit
over.
THE next moment we were thrown
down. with, crash of broken glass
and timbers round us; but the main
body of the house did not give way.
We were left in darkness, thrown up
in a corner Of the wall and ceiling.
I knew not how time passed; I knew
nothing. My brain was whirling
Ike the mighty mass round us.
THE next I remember Snow pulled
my hair to rouse me, and felt the
bitter cold and darkness, and knew
we were slowly but surely moving.
! could not think what way the wind
was blowing or I'm what direction we
were likely TO go. and I do not know
how long wo stayed I'm our position
ON the wall and against the ceiling
i did not move until I heard a sound
which. filed me with JOY. It was the
crow of q rooster
"The ice on the east side had not
given way when the ice on the