Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-04-05
Captain Garland and Men From
Chicago Do Fine Work at
Fort Wayne.
LEADERS STORY IS GRAPHIC
FIv. Boatloads Of Children Taken
Safely Across Mile OF Rushing
water-Incrdents OF the Flood
at Peru.

tain Garland and six life savers II
turned 10 Chicago from Fort Wayne .
with their surf boat, but immediately
dcparted for Terre Ilaute to continue
their rescue work.
Captain Carland's story was GRAPHIC.
He told how ne and his men arrived
at the asylum just after four chiIdreh
/ had met death when an attempt was
made 70 rescue them. Five trips 10
tho ASYLUM were made by Captain
Garland and each time a boatload was
token safely across half a mile OF
swiftly flowing water. BESIDES 'he
children four matrons ana SIX me"
were rescued from the building.
Garland Tells Story.
eve arrived at Fort Wayne when
tho water was highest" said Captain
Garland. mo sooner had we arrived
when a report reached us mat the
children were marooned I'm the orphan
Asvlum. one attempt had been MADE
10 rescue them which ended dlsas-
trouslv for four of the children ana
two brave men. The small rowboat
in which the "oulu-b' i'''"'
reached the building overturned after
four of the children had been taken
from a secondstory window. All were
drowned.
conditions in the asylum were aw-
ful when six men and myself hnally
reached the building. In one small
room, huddled together half frozen
and hungry. were toe little girls and
boys with their attendants.
'Nanv were crying, few were
asleep from exhaustion. One OF the
women had tainted.
Afraid to Trust Boats.
"At first fhey refused to trust then
lives 10 our boats. They had witnessed
the fate of the first boat and were
afraid. We finally carried twelve o
the little ones out of the second-stor!
window and then our fight back start
ed. II needed the combined strehg'l
of every man on the boat Il
fight the current and prevent tn
boat from overturning. Then W.
were hampered by the cries OF tn
. children and at times the one matrol
we took with us would become PAM
stricken. After getting to shore III
children were placed in the care c
merchants of the town, and we wen
back for another load.
I'VE received different reception
our second arrival at the asylum.
It shout of Joy went up when they hear
f that the first load had been lande
safely. A little confusion resulte
from the natural anxiety of the tots
get into the boat. No one was hur
however. and after five trips we su
ceeded in removing all the chlldre
and their attendants to safety.
n Children Go Hungry.
NC "The merchants thanked us II
IL what we had done. One OF the m
irons told us the children had not n;
dc a full meal for AS hours. They mad RI
no out of coal and were breaking up q
III furniture in the place for fire voc
The fire they kindled ia the middle
'io the room. Drawing the danger OF
, entire building burning up"
Iie Brings 200 Peru Children.
LII Charles II. Thatcher and his WI
who live at 1860 Groveland aven'
arrived here from Peru, Ind. with
Peru children, many of them N
81 orphans.
'sr A man in Peru, having boat.
manded $50 from Thacher to take
two away. There was another VIC
an in the marooned house. and
rafucod IN take her
Mac, "A shot was fired and the man
EN-. out of the boat, dead" said Mr.. Tina
or. Mr. Thatcher escaped with his W
ne and the other woman In the boat.
second man, DR.. Hupp, offered DC
. man 500 to take his wife to hospl
m there being imminent visit from
stork. The man refused and the q
, tor knocked him out of the boat W
49,. q brick. A Winona college stud
Nh rowed the doctors wife to the I
ar pital. where a baby was born. mot
the aud child being saved.
by Trio in Stolen Boat Drowned.
hey Three unknown men were drowI
do at Peru when leaky boat. which {
not had stolen, sank. The boat was o
do ed by Oliver Wilson, farmer
ions lives near. the water line of the in
ON urban tracks Wilson discovered
con theft when the three men were
10 yards from shore. When they
anu gone a half mile, they appeared
aw distress. The Wilson family waite
quo the men struggle in the water
Nen' disappear. No effort has been m
N to recover the bodies.
into At Logansport heroic work
done by the crew sent from L
. Bluff and by the cadets from Gu
he Military academy in saving lives
Many pathetic incidents marked
D.. work of rescue.
ing In all more THAI 5000 persons v
81 rescued from marooned homes
FEN taken to safety in rowboats. NJ
cry lost everything they posses
Y. Horses. cattle and other animals '
. killed by the hundreds.