Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-12
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proportions that we were afraid TO
attempt the crossing so we made our
way to a little clump of trees on a
high point on the island where we
laid flat on the ground in order to
lessen wind resistance.
I'VE stayed there until 2 o'clock
Saturday morning when we decided
70 make a desperate attempt to reach
the mainland, fearing that the island
was to be washed away.
1T was a slow job for US TO reach
the Laguna and we were blown 10 the
ground many times on the way.
when we did manage to reach the
Laguna, we uncoiled a rope we had
with us and ! took the lead end. All
Of US were holding on to the rope in
order to make the crossing less haz-
ardous- If one was swept down the
others could pull him back.
Return to Ranch
THE bay, which is usually only
knee deep at this point had reached a
depth of five feet and the breakers,
half the time, were crashing over our
heads.
ct is only about a half mile to the
mainland but IL took US five hours TO
make the crossing and reach our
wagon.
when we reached our conveyance
we all piled in and started back to
the ranch but we had only gone about
10 miles when IL became necessary
for us to abandon the wagon and
complete the remaining 10 miles on
foot. Roads had been washed out
and what were only dry gulleys were
raging torrents. We arrived at the
ranch house at 2 o'clock Sunday
morning, having been without food
and water since Friday afternoon.
"We rested at the ranch house
until late Sunday night when we
started afoot for the Soto La Marina
10 see what damage had been caused
there and TO find out Ii all had been
lost. We did not know that Maj. Law
had saved his plane and in fact we
were certain that all Of the members
of the Mum fishing village on the
island had been swept away BY the
storm.
Law To Rescue
"That 20 miles from the ranch 10
the Soto La Marina was made partly
On horseback and partly afoot- the
remaining ten miles being made the
latter way.
1T was about 1880 Sunday after
noon when we managed to get TO the
fishing camp and found that the boys
had just prepared some fish and
coffee for supper, all that they had
20 eat, the other food having been
washed away. They told me that
Law had managed to save his plane
and had returned to Brownsville for
food and medicinal supplies.
I'VE had just sat down to eat
when we sighted Laws plane. Ma
one can imagine what the sight OF
that plane meant to u.s."
Don L. Stewart joined Stones
party at the Chamsl ranch Sunday
and returned to the fishing camp
with them.
In telling his story, Stewart de-
clared that he left Brownsville
Thursday morning along with three
other men to take a truck load Of
groceries to the Soto La Marina fish
ing camp.
Has Narrow Escape
"Just before we got to the Chalou
ranch Friday after a two day battle
over roads drenched and washed out
by the %torrential rains, a Mexican
ranch man rode up to the truck and
told me that a plane was down on the
coast at q point about As miles from
where we were.
Il did not know whether IL was one
OF our planes or not or whether the
man was killed or was lying there
pinned in the wreckage. | did know
that | must make it to that plane in
- - -
Il spent that night, Friday, in an
adobe house on the Chalou ranch and
narrowly escaped death when the
wind blew in the end of the building
opposite me.
"At daybreak Saturday, I started
for the coast but was forced to turn
back. high water having vut me off
from the island which lies across La
guna Madre.
Both Resting
when I found that I could not
make the Island, ! started for the
Chamal Ranch, reaching there Sun
day evening. I found Stone and his
men and left that night with them for
the fishing camp"
IN his attempt to reach the coast,
Stewart was forced 10 swim his
horse, which he had borrowed mt the
Chalou ranch, across many swollen
streams and on many occasions ne
missed death by only a narrow mar
gin-
Both men are resting now and re-
operating from the strain of four
days during which time their lives
were constantly In danger and during
which time an anxious world awaited
word Of their fate.