The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-12-01
4 NARROW ESCAPE
DUGK HUNTERS CAME NEAR BE.
ING DROWNED,

ING DROWNED
1nsthss ErrbaIent MIurky Waters
ofsthsi santee River ry. Their Boat
springing a, leak.
Mayor Floyd, Of spartanburg. and
a party OF. friends. who came down
to enjoy duck hunt on the Santees
river, came near getting drowned.
near Remini, where the A. c. l..
Railway crosses the Santee riv-
er on its way from ,Orangebnrg to
Sumter, on last Friday morning.
The house, boat in which the, party
sailed sprang leak Thursday night
while all on board were asleep, and
before day Friday morning they
were awakened by the cry that, the
boat was fast sinking by one of the
party who had fortunately aWoke
ana gave IuS dldl LII.
By hard and quick work the party
succeeded in tightening the boat by
throwing overheard several weighty
parcels, thus enabling them to get
the boat near enough to the bank
so as they could put into the water
their small launch and save them
selves. 1t took GOODNESS and delib-
Grafton to accomplish this especially
as they had to work in the dark, as
it was not daylight yet when the
alarm was given. BY good luck the,
entire party reached the bank of the
river and was saved. The boat went
on the bottom, carrying with it ev-
erything but the clothing the mem-
bers of the party had on.
Mayor Floyd reached Spartanburg
Saturday and in speaking. with
Herald representatives concerning
the accident said that he thought
that his time had. come, as it looked
for a while as if saving themselves
was an impossibility. He said on
Friday morning he was awakened
with the cry that the boat had
sprung leak. He grabbed his shoes
first by the side of the bed, but they
were full of water and he could
not put them on.
Then he thought of his boots. In
side of hi" boots he found his hunt
ing shoes and these he slipped on.
The members of the party got to
work throwing out the load Of the
boat. They worked strenuously in
water up to their breasts until the
cry was sounded to leave the boat
as it was sinking. 1t is needless
to say that the members Of the par
ty lost no time in leaving the sinking
craft and striking out for land.
Aiaycr Floyd said he sprang into
the small launch, which was making
for. the bank. Nearing the; bank he
discovered in the darkness limbs of
a willow tree bending over the wa
ter. He grabbed hold Of one. of
these and swung clear OF the
launch. High above the limb he was
clinging to he felt another limb, and
with almost superhuman effort he
grabbed hold of this higher limb and
thus got clear of the, water.
Still higher above his perch Mayor
Floyd discovered third limb of the
willow he was on. He got hold Of
this limb and swung himself clear Of
the water. Once out of the water.
he had time to think calmly. He
found himself close to the body Of
the willow, so he slid down to IT
and then Skinned it to terra frma.
Mayor Floyd, in throwing things
from the sinking house boat, took
the precaution to throw out on the
bank a bundle of his clothing, so
when he reached land himself he
found a change Of clothing compara-
lively dry. Other members of the
party had not taken like precau-,
tion, and were in a dreadful plight
on landing.
After getting safe on land. but
in wet and forlorn condition, the
members of the party began search
for matches in their clothing with
which to start fire, but sad to re-
late, there was not one to be foun1.
Mayor Floyd then went through the
pockets of his dry clothing which
he had thrown in a bundle to the
bank before he left the boat, and
to the delight of the entire party
he found the head of match in
one of the pockets. Luckily, he
also found in one of the pockets
some scraps of dry paper. This
match head and the small bit of
paper were their only dependence
for fire in the black swamps, and
you can imagine how precious they
were in the sight of the wet, shiv-
ering hunters.
Carefully handling the small
scraps of dry paper, Mayor Floyd
struck with great care the head of
the match. The paper was ignited.
The blaze kindled up. Trash was
thrown on; then sticks and limbs.
Directly a great bonfire was the re-
suit, and all sat down to warm and
dry as best they could their wet
clothing. When daylight came they
made their way to Columbia and
there fitted themselves out in such