Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-01-20
CONTINUED from Ia pape

had been hitched to trees on the bank
Seeing that it was useless to try to land
the rats there, one Of the men sprang
into the stream and was pulled on board
The other fellow let his cable drop and
had to walk along the bank all nj ght to
pay for his hmidity. Then we cut the
RATS apart and let each crew find its own
landing place Minard and [ then
steered our raft to the left bank and
tried to find a safe landing place
1t was no 90, on account of the swift
ness of the stream. Darkness came ou
and oh how dark it got. The poor
people we had on board and their scanty
belongings were soaked through and
through. They did not utter a murmur
but We know they were suffering from
the wet and cold. We could stand it be-
cause we were used to thai kind of life.
We had no more food on board as we
and divided with the fatherless family
that noon, and | was afraid that one of
the grown sons, who had eaten scarcely
anything all day would faint from hun
ger and cold before we could reach
place where food could be obtained. Mi
nard and | were IN most uncomfortable
situation there In the dark and swollen
river, with four human lives 10 our keep
ing. If the worst came to the worst we
could let the raft go and swim for the
shore but such thing could not be
thought Of with those people on board
They had no idea that they were IN the
least danger and we did not dare to tell
them the true situation ior fear they
would become panic-stueEen and rush
lnto the water. 80 on we went until 1t
was nearly II O'Clock. MIpard, who
was still at his post on the forward end
OF the raft, then yelled back to me and
said that Queens Run dam was not far
ahead. The dam was twenly-oue feet
nigh, and ii we went over that we would
all be drowned.
The rain had let up little by that
time but 1t was as dark ascgeg. l stuck
"growser down into the water be-
tween two sections OF the raft and found
that we were IN shallow water. | then
yelled to MInard that / was going to
jump from the raft and see if l could
not find something on The bank 10 hitch
the cable to. Immediately leaped iu-
to the water that was breast deep, and
then ! teIt along and crawled up the
steep bank, keeping opposite the raft as
nea as | could Judge. Before long |
found that | was on railroad track at
the top OF the bank, and | tucked the
rope under rail and took hitch in it.
The raft was soon stopped and then Mi
nard waded ashore with another cable
and stick of timber, the latter we plac
ed on the ties. Then We dug hole un-
der the rail and fastened cable to this
stick OF timber, so that the rope would
not be cut in two if train should hap
pen to come along. | was just about
tuckered out by this time and my friend
Minard was in the same fix. But we
had saved the lives OF the four unfortu-
mates, and after having rested little we
got them off the raft. 1t was then about
midnight and as dark as tar. We were
all chilled to the hone and the next thing
for us do was to find house, if posi-
bic, where we eonld get warm. Minard
and | groped around in the dark for
while leaving the widow and her sons
huddled together near the railroad. We
found wagon road finally and then we
sept the woman and one Of her sons
ahead in search Of house, while we look
ed after the boy and the other son.
We lost track Of the latter for while
and then found that he had tainted
in the road. Nearly a mile down
the highway the woman found farm
house and soon aroused all the people in
it. We saw the light and went down
there at once. One of the good people
GOT us a lantern and some food and wa