The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-05-11
AFLOAT ON THE
STORMY GULF
A Pulling incident Of the
Galveston Flood.

| j IL ouiA u piiots Dul LAc1c IA lnAA6S
l know as we'll as the biggest science
man. And this | know-that were
| affected by influences we don't see
| Some people call em spirits: others
| calls 'em TRANSMISSION. or something like
| that. Of thought | don't know what
| they are. But one thing do know,
| and that Is something good many
| people that know lot more than | do
| poohpooh | know these things that
| influence us are there. Can't nobody
fool me on that point. and why | know
| it Is this:
The biggest thing ever was let into
| was the hurricane that swept Calves
| ton in 1888 happened to be In Chi
cago during the great fire Of 1871. as l
was there running tug on the river
| and lake. but II 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 it 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
| onnoter the gulf to find out what
wreckage from the harbor might be
F., floating around there. l was part own
/ er of trim little steamer that wasn't
wrecked. and | decided to go out to
! see what | could find. There was a
F., good chance for salvage. though If one
| saved anything there was no money
left to pay us for doing 1t. 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
IDENTITY broken loose from its moor
!! ings. The man who discovered 1t. and
! the others for that matter. thought we
might turn an honest penny by going
for i and towing It in.
! Now, they were right about 1t. We
! might go farther and fare worse.
There wasn't any sense in letting go
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 go for the
buoy. Keep her straight ahead" l
J said. and why said it 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 I brought a
| glass to bear on 1t. and after examin-
ing 1t 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 bis
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 didn't know whether he
was dead or asleep till ! rang the beA
to stop her Then he Strengthened up
cry eyes. He had on no clothing but
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
ont change of position. staring at us
while we lowered boat and pulled
for him. When we reached him be
had strength enough to climb into the
boat. hut before we coud get him into
the ship be tainted.
Not having a morsel Of food aboard
headed for land. On the way we
hailed fruiter and got some brandy
ard can Of condensed milk. A few
spoonfuls Of the milk had very
Strengthening effect on the boy. This
suficed until we reached quarantine
where turned him over to the doc.
tor In week he was all right again.
4 He was the son Of an oysterman
who lived on Grand Isle and when the
storm came was alone in his fathers
cabin. II tore the hut TO pieces. but
left the boy on the floor unhurt. Then
came the waters and fioated him or
his raft But how or when he drifted
away is a mystery He could moi
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
i. food or water at the mercy Of the sea
Il There are more things to be explain
ed in this case than any l have evel
met with. How did the boy come tt
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 ht
survive SO long without food or wa
ter. 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 vou find so remark