Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-04-29
When the Waters
Ran Cold
By B. w. McKeen.

and father was driving a dray. j
was only four years old at tie time,
yet some of the circumstances am
shout to relate fastened themselves
indelibly on MY memory, and furnish
setting of remembrance round
which the story of fathers adventure,
as have often heard him describe it,
gathered until 1t became one distinct
whole.
Fathers dray was one of those two
wheeled vehicles still to be seen in
the eastern cities OF our country but
now very rare in the west old
Frank" fathers trusty dray- horse,
was a large bay, intelligent, faithful
and obedient
Father was kept very busy through.
out the forenoon Finally but single
job remained to be done before Old
Frank could be put in the barn and
father go to a belated dinner. Some
one wanted a load of ice.
Father drove to the bank of the riv-
er, above the DAM where the ice har.
vesters had been at work. The Cedar
river at Waterloo is considerable
stream, and is now crossed by several
fivespan iron bridges. At that time
it was crossed by but a single wood.
en- structure.
The place where father went for his
load was deserted by the ice-harvest.
ers. The river here stretched away
for mile or two to the northwest,
and down this stretch the wind, un.
hindered, seemed almost to double it's
speed and keenness
The bank sloped gently down to the
edge of the water. Here father backed
up his dray to within few feet of the
ice, and left his horse standing. while
he prepared to cut and load the ice.
1t was but a few inches thick where
he began splitting off cakes of it with
his ak.
He was making rapid Roadway with
his work and had secured and loaded
nearly as much as he wanted, when
considerably larger piece split off
than he had anticipated, including the
portion on which he stood. Taken by
surprise, he was precipitated into the
water, which at this point was ten
feet or more in depth, with a strong
current
He was clothed to the point of cum.
siness. He Wore heavy oyercoat,
with strap or belt tied round it, g
heavy cap. and pair OF thick sheep.
skin mittens
Although he was in plain sight
of the Touring mills on each side Of
the river, and within possible hailing
distance of the bridge which spanned
the river below the dam, and in sight
of perhaps dozen houses, no person
was visible. The small chance of any
| one appearing on this bitterly cold day
was even smaller at this particular
| time, as people generally We're al their
midday meal
Father made an effort to raise him.
self UP on the ice to which he was
clinging. But at once it broke, and he
was again submerged.
Several times, however, in the next
few desperate moments did the spin.
tering ice break his hold, and each
time he was fortunate enough to get
new hold before being drawn under.
While working thus he drew nearer,
| partly by design, 10 the river bank,
where the faithful old dray-horse was
standing
At last an inspiration seized him,
and knowing how well the horse
obeyed his least word he called to
Old Frank to back up. The horse
backed few steps in a slow and de.
liberate manner. Father watched
with keen anxiety, lest he back too
far, and dray, horse and all be pre-.
cipitated into the icy stream. But his
fears We're groundless, for when the
| dray was as near the edge of the ice
/ as father dared risk having it come,
the horse stopped at a word of com.
mand.
For the now thoroughly chilled man
to make a few desperate lunges to-
ward the shore and the wheel of the
dray did not require long. By great
| good fortune he succeeded in reach.
| ing the thicker ice near the shore
| without being wholly cast adrift from
the thinner ice in his progress shore.
ward. Then by one last supreme eff
1
| fort he lunged far enough forward to
grasp the dray-wheel with one hand.
| With that leverage he drew himself
| enough farther to get hold with the
other hand also Taking as firm a
| grasp of the wheel as possible, he
chirruped for the horse to go ahead,
and again the animal responded. and
| father was dragged from his icy bath.
| Summoning all his strength and
will-power, he succeeded in gaining
his feet. Knowing that he must get
home at once, and that If possible he
must walk rather than ride, in order
to avoid being utterly chilled and seri.
ously frozen, he started the horse
homeward and staggered along as best
he could. ] was at home, and hap.
| pened to be anxiously peering out of
the window in the hope of seeing ia
ther, whom we had been expecting
Finally my eyes beheld sight which
] shall never forget