The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-12-31
The Keepers
Daughter

For days the thermometer had
been soaring at almost midsummer
heat, softening the ice OF the Great
South bay, until nearly all its CO.
hesive power was gone. Now the
Ice was thick, spongy mass, so rot
ten that even the foot of q life-saver
pressing upon 1t firmly would break
through at many places. 1t was i'm
possible for either foot passage or
for boat to be forced through. And
to increase the seriousness of the
case the last two days had brought a
fog so gray and dense as to shut Fire
Island from every object a dozen
yards away.
Out in midchannel toward the
Long Island shore. and on the ocean
side, currents had kept the ice from
freezing thickly and had hastened
the decomposition. Already the de-
layed shipping was seeking passage
toward New York or the open sea,
and in the fog and the narrow chan
nels that were free from ice were
meeting with disaster. from time to
time signals of distress came from
one direction or another, and so far
as they were able the life-saving sta
tions of Fire Island responded.
Perhaps at no other place in the
world could assistance have been
rendered across that barrier of slush
ice, in which spaces of open water
were beginning to appear, but then
at no other place in the world per-
haps were there amphibious scoot-
ers.
Several of these unique distinc-
tions of Fire Island we're lying on the
edge of the ice, with pike and scoot-
ering iron and oars across the
thwarts ready for instant use while
their owners leaned forward listen
ing, peering and for the most part
shaking their heads. The wind was
rising. blowing straight from the sea.
In another hour it was likely to
freshen into a gale. Before it the
gray fog was being swirled and
tossed and eddied, but still encom-
passing and dense--a huge wet
blanket that seemed writhing In the
agonies Of pain.
On all sides were the sounds OF fog
and danger, bell buoys, boat whis-
ties, occasional fog horns, the pound
ing and crushing Ice where some ves-
sci was forcing It's way through, and
now and then the ominous signal of
distress and call for help. Among
these came a sudden dull booming
toward the sea. and evidently at con-
siderable distance. The men who
were in looked at each other. their
faces paling.
"A big ship" one Of them said.
land on the bar"
Yes" assented the man nearest
him. nothing can get to 'em that
far out. not even scooters."
There was n peculiar grinding
sound near them. A scooter slid up
the beach and a man sprang out.
THE other fellows in YETI" he
asked.
only Carey. He brought a man
ashore and sent him up to the sta
ton, and then hurried back. He
said 1t was a coal barge, with two
men and a boy and a dog, and the
other scooters will bring them In.
The keeper ordered us to watch here
for other work. What was yours?"
Just sailboat, with two young
men. They called for help because
they didn't know their surroundings.
When | explained they decided to re-
main on board until the ice let them
out They have plenty of provisions
and a snug little cabin. | heard the
ships call from outside and hurried
back. | couldn't quite make out the
location in the fog. Anybody gomez"
Gomez" derisively. why, man
alive! That's on the bar three miles !
away. No scooter could ever get |
there, across the open channel Be-
sides the Ice has been piled up by |
the waves, She'll have to wait until |
the sea opens so we can use a life |
boat, or the fog lifts so we can
scooter out. No one-where are you
goingT'
For the man had swung the bow |
OF his craft into the fog and was
again hosting the sails.
"Out to the vessel. of course!"
quietly.
But It's sure death, Jack" re-
monstrated the life saver sharply. |
Don't be fool. You couldn't pick
your way through the fog with that
scooter and get back alive"