Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-11-15
Barton Boy in Small Boat Adrift on
Sea at Night.

The following from Portland, Me-,
paper tells it's own story of the thrill
ing experience of a Barton boy, Ralph
Church, who was brought up at the
home of j. P. Teller.
"Driven ashore in a small Hamp-
ton fishing boat within half a mile of
their own home after having been
adrift in the open sea for nearly eight
hours, Ralph Church, age 21, and his
17-year-old wife, narrowly escaped
drowning at 2 o'clock this morning
(Oct. I'D Today the young couple
are confined to their Long Island
home suffering from exposure and
bruises received when they were
thrown on the ragged lodges on Long
Island.
''The young couple were in Port
land yesterday and about 4 in the
afternoon they started for their home
on the southeast side of Long Island
in the Hampton fishing boat owned
by Captain Herbert Johnson, the fa-
ther of Mrs. Church. At that time
the wind was blowing about 20 miles
an hour, but young Church did not
entertain any fear about reaching
home safely.
"When the boat got down by the
Breakwater light the engine COM
menced to act badly and shortly after
5 the boat drifted out Hussey's Sound
into the open sea. Every effort of
Church to start the gasoline motor
failed and as darkness came on the
young couple feared that they would
never be able to reach land.
"How far the boat drifted out to
sea Church could not tell today. He
says that he tried to make some head
way with the big oars and although
his hands became bhstered and sore
he kept at his task until the oarlock
broke and the oar was swept into the
sea.
GAS the little Hampton boat was
not provided with anything that
could be used as a sail both Church
and his young wife gave up all hope
of ever reaching land. For hours
their little boat was tossed about by
the tremendous seas. Huge waves
swept over the tiny craft. It was
shortly after midnight when the two
occupants of the boat heard the sea
breaking on the rocks. They did not
have the slightest idea where they
were, few minutes later the boat
was swept on the crest of a big wave
| onto the rocks.
| although Church was nearly ex-
hausted he grasped his wife in his
arms and was soon struggling in the
water. Several times he stumbled
and fell, but he swan on until his
| feet touched bottom and then he wa
ded ashore to find that they had been
driven ashore within half a mile of
their own home Chilled and suffer
| ing from their terrible exDerience the
young couple finally reached home
where they were met by relatives and
neighbors who had feared that the
young folks had been swept out to sea
or drowned.
while the boat containing Mr.. anC
Mrs. Church was drifting out to sea
their failure to return to the Island
from Portland aroused the anxiety OF
Captain Johnson and after learning
that his daughter and her husband
had started for home in the motor
boat he left home in another boat tx
search for them. He came up the bay
to Portland, but of course he did no
see anything of the missing boat ant
later returned home to find tha
searching parties there had not beer
able to find Mr.. and Mrs. Church O,
the boat in which they had left Port
land
To-day the boat in which Mr.. an,
Mrs. Church were swept ashore wa
left high and dry on the lodges by tn
outgoing tide. The craft was badl,
bat ttered by the pounding it had re
ceived on the rocks, but was floate
during the afternoon and will be re
paired"