The Cairo bulletin., 1912-01-30
ICE BUFFETS
SK|FF SEVEN
HOURS IN FOG
Ten Men in Small Boat, Lostin Miss
issippi Fog, Find Way 70 Shore
On Missouri Side
TELL OF THRILLING ESCAPE
Battled With Feet, Hands and Oars
to Keep Floes From Crushing
Frail Craft

Fighting huge Ice floes and crop
ing their way through dense fog
that shut off all view Of the river a
distance OF so feet away, for more
than seven hours. nine mel who
we're lost III the fog and ice OF the
Mississippi river Sunday afternoon,
landed at point -four miles below
Birds Point Mo They landed on
the Missouri bank and walked back
to their starting place. arriving
there at 10 O'Clock at night.
The men were T. r. Hughes Of
East Prairie. Mo-; w. B. Lynn and
brother, Clarence OF East Prairie:
John Fecse of Culver, Ind: Frank
Workam, the fcrfyman. Of Birds
Point; a negro Pullman porter from
the Cotton Belt train: p. J. o'ron-
nell Of Cairo. travelling salesman
for the Dcnisop-Gholaon Dry Goods
Company: L. L. Mas Of Mt. Vernon
Ind Robert Randolph of Mt. Ner-
non and William Bryant Of Para
gould, Ark, The men arrived la
Cairo at noon today
Started at Noon.
The. men arrived at Birds Point d.
iaeoR 4And engaged d fefryriarr tp ears
ry Them across Tie stream Tbey
etarted out in company with two
other boats and got to a poin, WITH
in 100 yards Of the bank, when an
ICE Zoe caught them and jammed the
boat againts another foe. Werkam.
the fsrryman, fought the ice off ami
managed Cd get away from the foes
but lost his way. He pulled ahoat
in the stream until long after dark.
when they came in sight Of the Mis-
aouri shore The men arrived in
Birds Point at II o'clock Sunday
night They said they landed about
10 O'clock
A story of an unequal battle he
tween men and the elements Is told
by all OF the men. Frightened and
not knowing when the end would
come, they put their trust in the
terryman and aided him as much as
possible. After a search an extra pair
of oars were found and the men took
turns about aiding the ferryman IN
breaking the ice ard rowing the
boat.
Act OF Providence.
D. j. OConnell, openly declares
that il Is an act Of Providence THAT
the lmperilled passengers ever sot
out
eve were bound to get across.
said O'Connell 81 did not thilk,
at first, that 1t could be done, but
several Of the men said they were
willing to risk IT, One man deelar-
ed he would get across If he had to
wade and walk on the ice. His father
was lying at the point OF death and
he wanted to get to him.
Finally, about twenty Of us .decid-
I'd we would try the trip. We found
three ferrymen who would carry ds.
Two Of the boats took FIVE each and
the ether, larger boat, took Mae
besides the oarsman
1--WE got out on the river and stay
ed close together until we got near
to the shore, when the ice closed tn
and forced us away from the othee
boats. Then the battle for life be-
gan. We could not see so feet
ahead of us. We shouted as loud as
we could and, for time, could hear
the shouts OF the men on the bnuk.
Finally their voices died away and
we were alone excepting for the hor-
rible grinding and crashing Of the
Ice and our own shouts.
Men Cursda and Prayed.
'I was not badly scared, because
the ferryman seemed sure that he
could make the trip to the Illinois
shore. He said he was not sure of
his position, but that he had made
the trip before and knew 1t could be
done some OF the men prayed and
others cursed.
EAT first We thought there was
only one pair Of oars and II looked
like there would he only single
oar to row the boat, as one was
needed to push the cakes out oi tlAe
n Z. AZ .-,r- -.-u~sauruuu,
Concluded On page aix.