Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-03
LlFESAVFRS MAKE
HEROIC RESCUES
TWO WIDOWS AND SONS ARE
TAKEN FROM FLOOD
WORK OF VENICE MEN WORTHY
OF APPLAUSE
Sheriff HammeI and Deputies Lend
Helping Hand When ShiVerine
Unfortunates Wade Through
Flood to Land
1oontinush rrom Rare ono,

lily of five live. FOR a time MI. Moul-
ton was menaced but with the reced-
ing of the stream danger for him
passed When he was asked If he
wished to be taken to dry land he re-
piled in the negative. Although he
will be mired many times before he
reaches sound earth, he can walk from
his home to the road in ten minutes.
Women in Torrents Path
The women and boys however, were
located in the direct path OF the
stream. Their home was partly under
water, and with every minute rear was
felt that the force of the current would
carry away the little frame dwelling
Nobody could face the streams Jury,
and the position OF the Woilleh was
extremely perilous.
when all had been made ready, and
when a proper place on the bank mad
been found for launching the little
roWboat ToenjeS and McMahus'
dressed only in swimming trunks
stepped into the craft and were
whirled away down stream at twenty
five miles an hour. -,
Each of the five young men from
Venice was more than anxious TO go
out into the torrent, but Toen1es ana
McManus, the former second heuten-
ant and in charge of the party, were
the choice.
Fred Fair, Stanley Townsend ana
David Moreno were left on the Jain I.,r
r,he men all realized that they were
rislxine their lives by attempting 10
cross the raging stream, but that ana
NOT deter them from doing what 10
them seemed a simple task or duty.
Passage Was PerlIous
6 roenies and McManus pushed off
hnat
about like a thing of paper in gaze,
froenies held the oars and McMahus
s.uided to some extent with an liilpro
Vised paddle. 1t was only because oI
the great strength of the young niell
that the boat was kept from capslzliIs
several times. In order to make saIe
launching it was necessary TO go lhlo
the stream nearly half mile away
from the marooned people, and the trip
TO them was anything but pleasant
McManus finally, in order to aid IN the
navigation of the boat. stood bolt up
right, risking his life every time the
craft was tossed by the big waves
The first landing was made in shall
low. still water The two life-savers
managed to wade in water waist deep
and in mud which clung heavily to
their feet to reach Moulton's home hrst.
He declined to leave, although urged to
do so by his wife and aged mother,
He argued that he could get to safety
in a. few minutes and told the young
men to go, to the aid of the women
farther up the stream.
Second Start Made
once more the life-savers went out
into the icy, turbulent waters. BY this
time a dozen residents of the vicinity
had gathered on the bank, among them
Constable David Witherspoon of Dow
ney.
The periIous progress of Toenjes and
McManus was watched with almost
bated breath. Cries of "There they
are!" "They will be dashed to pieces!''
and other exclamations were uttered
almost constantly until a safe landing
was made at the Armstrong home.
Toenjes and McManus were chilled
to the marrow when they reached their
second landing. For fifteen minutes
they remained inside the house, where,
although there was no fire and water
ran on the floor, they were enabled to
get little warmth into their bodies.
At o'clock the boat was again put
Off this time with five passengers. Nc"
Manus swan and waded in order to
tighten the load and to aid in keeping
the boat from capsizing.
Journey Took an Hour
Toenjes remained in the boat to guide
it's progress. He is a muscular young
fellow and an expert on aquatics, and
it was largely due to his calm judg
ment that no harm came to his pas
sengers on their trip to the southeast
bank of the river. Part of the journey
was in the shallow water and over
strips of sticky mud, When the shall
low water was reached both the life
savers waded, towing the boat and
when the mud was encountered they
I,1 arfA 1,.oc
again into water.
1t is some 300 yards from the Arm
strong house to safety at Hunts cross
ing, but it took an hour to make the
journey. Half a hundred men had
gathered at the crossing to aid the res
cuers, and their efforts counted great
ly, for when the two young men finally
reached shore they were exhausted
with their battle against the stream
and stumbled forward into the waiting,
cheering crowd. BY land and bridge
it is nearly two miles from the point
where the boat entered the stream to
Hunts crossing.
Sheriff Saves McManus
At almost the last lap of the perilous
Sourney a serious accident threatened
McManus. He was standing in the
stream, fighting it with all his strength
and attempting to get to shore with the
tow rope. He lost his footing and fell
forward and would have been hurled
on down stream to his death had it not
been for the quick aid of Sheriff Ham
mel
AS McManus fell Sheriff Hammel
Jumped into the stream, caught the
young man and held him fast until
both were pulled to shore. McManus
would have been dashed to pieces had
it not been for the sheriff, and the sher-
iff risked his own life to save the
young mans.
A landing was made first at a point
twenty-five yards north of Hunts
crossing, but because of the deep mud
it was impossible to get the party to
safety there The boat was put out
into the stream and allowed to float
down. The current was so swift that
it was all ten men could do to keep it
from being carried away.
Faces Showed Suffering
Az the two women waded through
the mud to the road they showed in
their faces their relief and their suf-
fering. Each woman was supported
on either side by a deputy sheriff so
exhausted were they from their trials.
They were wet to the skin and chilled
through. 1t was with difficulty that