Connecticut western news., 1909-03-11
AAAA 1 HOAS TT ] SECOND SIGHT?

I'm only pilot, but there are things I know as we'll as the biggest science man. And this l know-that we're af- fected by influences we don't see. Some people calls 'em spirits; others calls 'em transmission, or something like that. of thought. 1 don't know what they are. But one thing I do know, and that Is something a good many people that know a lot more than do poohpooh. l know these things that influences us are there. Can't nobody fool me on that point, and why know 1t is this:
 The biggest thing 1 ever was let into was the hurricane that swept Calves ton in 1893. l happened to be in Chi cago during the great fire of 1871, as was there running a tug on the river and lake, but it was nothing but stage spectacle show compared with the Gal weston flood. I'm not going to tell about that only an incident that oc- cured in connection with 1t which has made me dead sure ever since that something or other we don't see often steps in and gives us a pointer.
 We were some time getting our bearings after the storm was over, and 1t was a week before we began to rec onnoiter the gulf to find out what wreckage from the harbor might be floating around there. I was part own CT of trim little steamer that wasn't wrecked, and I decided to go out to see what I could find. There was good chance for salvage, though If crn saved anything there was no money 1 left to pay us for doing it. Anyway, wanted to see what was out there.
 The water was full of driftwood and wreckaGc. but there was nothing Of 1 any value, for most everything had been split into kindling wood. Most of the stuff we saw was wreckage from cabins that lad lined the shore. Pret- ty soon one of the men sighted a gov ernment buoy over to the southwest. It was out in deep water and had evil dently broken loose from Its moor ings. The man who discovered 1t, and the others, for that matter, thought we might turn an honest penny by going for it and towing 1t in.
 Now, they were right about 1t. We might go farther and fare worse. There wasn't any sense in letting go of a haul that was sure pay to hunt for something that probably wouldn't pay at all. The government was the only owner that Cou'd be counted on. Nevertheless I refused to go for the i buoy. "Keep her straight ahead" I said, and why I said 1t don't know. AS have remarked, the thing to have done was the other thing.
 ! It wasn't long before we saw among the wreckage dead ahead something that looked like a raft. I brought glass to bear on it, and after examin- ing it awhile I concluded it was the floor of some cabin that the storm had wrecked. But what startled me was a boy on it. He was sitting with h!s head hanging down on his breast, clutching the blanks with his hands.
 ran up to within sixty yards of the raft. The boy didn't change his posi- tion, and I didn't krow whether he was dead or asleep till I rang the bell to stop her. Then he strengthened up and stared at us with his hollow, hun gry eyes. He had on no clothing but shirt indicating that he was in bed when the storm swept down on him, and was either alone or the others with him had been lost. He sat there without change of position, staring at us while we lowered a boat and pulled for him. When we reached him he had strength enough to climb into the boat, but be fore we could get him into the ship he tainted.
 Not having morsel of food aboard, 1 headed for land. On the way we hailed a fruiter and got some brandy and a can of condensed milk. A few spoonfuls of the milk had q very strengthening effect on the boy. This sufficed till we reached quarantine, where I turned him over to the doc tor. In a week he was all right again. Then, his people having been discov- cred and notified, an uncle came for him and took him away.
 He was the son of an oysterman who lived on Grand isle and when the storm came was alone in his fathers cabin. It tore the hut to pieces, but leIl tue DOy Ol lHe HUT ihCh came the waters and floated him on his raft But how or when he drifted away Is a mystery. He could not have been in the turbulent waves dur ing the storm or he never could have kept his place. But think of the little fellow drifting for seven days without food or water at the mercy of the sea!
 There are more things to be explain ed in this case than any I have ever met with. How did the boy come to be left on the floor of a cabin wrecked | over his head by a hurricane? How did he escare the frightful waves that | hurricane stirred up? How did he survive SO long without food or water, shelter CT. surviving, have the l strength to hold on while danced ! about on the gulf? You may search | accounts of either land or sea disaster, l and in neither will you find so remark 1 able an escape as this which curtains I1t1 N1,YN