Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-11-01
HOAS 1T
SECOND SIGHT?
Observation-Disclosures

ciation.1
I'm only pilot, but there are things
l know as well 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. l don't know what
they are. But one thing do know,
and that Is something a good many
people that know lot more than dc
poOhpooh. / 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 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 I
was there running tug on the river
and lake, but 1t was nothing but stage
spectacle show compared with the Gal
weston flood. I'm not going to tell
about that, only an incident that &C.
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 pointer.
We were some time getting our
bearings after the storm was over, and
1t was week before we began to rec
onnoiter the gulf to find out what
wreckage from the harbor might be
floating around there. l was part own
er Of trim little steamer that wasn't
wrecked, and decided to go out to
see what I could find. There was a
good chance for salvage, though If one
saved anything there was no none :
left to pay us for doing it. Anyway, [
wanted to see what was out there.
The water was full Of driftwoOd and
wreckage, but there was nothing Of
any value, for most everything had
been split into kindling wood. Most Of
cabins that had lined the shore. Pref
ty soon one Of the men sighted gov
eminent buoy oven to the southwest.
1t was out in deep water and had evil
IDENTITY broken loose from its moor
hgs. The man who discovered 1t, ana
the others, for that matter, thought we
might turn an honest penny by going
10r 1t and towing 1t Tn.
Now, they were right about 1t. We
might go farther and fare worse.
There wasn't any sense In letting so
Of haul that was sure pay to hunt
for something that probably wouldn't
pay at all. The government was the
only owner that could be counted or.
| Nevertheless | refused to go for the
buoy. "Keep her straight ahead" /
said, and why | said it / 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 q raft. brought a
glass to bear on it, and after examin-
ing Il awhile / concluded It was the
| floor Of some cabin that the storm had
wrecked. But what startled me was q
boy on Ii. He was sitting with his
head hanging down on his breast
clutching the planks with his hands.
ran up to within sixty yards Of the
raft. The boy didn't change his posi-
ton. ard I didn't know whether he
was dead or asleep till l rang the bell
to stop her. Then he Strengthened up
and stared at us with his hollow, hun
CRY eyes. He had on no clothing but a
shirt, Indicating that he was In bed
when TIE storm swept down on him
and wax either alone or the others with
hini had been lost He sat there without
change Of position, staring at US while
we lowered boat and pulled for him.
When wo reached him he had strength
enough 20 climb into the boat. but be-
fore wa could get him into the ship be
tainted.
Not having a morsel Of food aboard
| headed for land. On the way we
hailed a fruiter and got some brandy
and a can Of condensed milk. A few
spoonfuIs Of the milk had very
STRENGTHENING effect on the boy. This
sufficed till we reached quarantine
where j 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 FISHERMAN
who lived on Grand isle and when the
/ storm came was alone In his fathers
, cabin. 1t tore the hut to pieces. but
left the boy on the floor unhurt Then
, came the waters and fiOated him on
! his raft. But how or when he drifted
/ away Is 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 ut the mercy Of the sea!
There are more things to be explain
ed I'm this case than any | have ever
met with Flow did the boy come to
be left on the floor Of a cabin wrecked
over his head by hurricane? How
did he escape the frightful waves that
hurricane stirred up? How did he
survive so long without food or water
shelter or, surviving, have the
strength to hold on while danced
about on the gulf? You may search
accounts of either land or sea disaster
and In neither will you find so remark
able an escape as this which purtains