Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-05-23
AFLOAT ON THE
STORMY GULF
A Puzzling Incident of the
Galveston Flood.

I'm only pilot. but there are things
| know as well as the biggest science
man. And this | know-that were
affected by influences we don't see.
Some people call 'em spirits; others
calls EN- TRANSMISSION, or something like
that. of thought. don't know what
they are. But one thing l do know,
and that Is something good many
people that know lot more than l do
poohpooh know these things that
influence us are there. Can't nobody
foo. me on that point, and why l know
it 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 |
was there running tug on the river
and lake. but 1t was nothing but stage
spectacle show compared with the Gal
weston food. I'm not going to tell
about that, only an incident that oc-
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 a 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. was part own
er Of trim little steamer that wasn't
wrecked. and decided to 90 out to
see what l could find. There was
good chance for salvage. though If one
saved anything there was no money
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
the stuff we saw was wreckage from
cabins that had lined the shore. Pref
ty soon one of the men sighted gov
eminent buoy over to the southwest.
1t was out in deep water and had evil
IDENTIFY broken loose from its moor
ings. The man who discovered it. and
the others for that matter. thought we
might turn an honest penny by going
for it and towing it in.
Now. they were right about it. We
might go farther and fare worse
There wasn't any sense In letting 60
Of a haul that was sure to pay to hunt
for something that probably wouldn't
pay at all. The government was the
only owner that could be counted on.
Nevertheless | refused to 60 for the
buoy. Keep her straight ahead"
said, and why said it I don't know.
AS have remarked. the thing to have
done was the other thing.
1t wasn't long before we saw among
the wreckage dead ahead something
that looked like a raft. brought a
glass to bear on it. and after examin-
ing it awhile l concluded it was the
floor Of some cabin that the storm had
wrecked. But what startled me was a
boy on it. 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. and l didn't know whether he
was dead or asleep till I rang the ben
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 the storm swept down on him.
and was either alone or the others with
him had been lost He sat there with
out change of position. staring at US
while we lowered a boat and pulled
for him. When we reached him he
had strength enough to climb Into the
boat. but before we coud get him into
the ship he tainted.
Not having a morsel of food aboard.
headed for land. On the way we
hailed fruiter and got some brandy
and a can Of condensed milk. A few
spUOnfuls of the milk had a very
strengthening effect on the boy. This
sufficed until we reached quarantine,
where l turned him over to the doc
tor. In week he was all right again.
He was the son of an oysterman
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 hoated him on
his raft. But how or when he drifted
away is n mystery He could not