Year: 1878

OoO Va uo hSpe a ohdtP iOOhOuI llOui


the bow. 1t was then all chance as
to keeping the current, and we went
drifting along, our hearts in our
mouths, fully recognizing that a col
iision meant certain death in that
angry rush of waters. When it be-
came quite dark we were suddenly
hailed from the left somewhat in the
gloom, inquiring where the boat was
from and where bound. We answer
ed, and the voice cried, "All right!
Good bye! Keep to the right!"
Good bye" was ominous, but we
trusted that it was not en- i'll omen.
In little while we came to place
where the waters seemed to divide,
and we couldn't tell which way the
current went Keep to the right"
was our motto, and few minutes
afterward showed how good was the
advice Of the unknown friend up the
river. On the right bank, or where
the right bank usually is, we saw
something through the cleaning that
resembled an old-fashion corduroy
road. | tell you it looked queer. and
as it seemed to extend up and down
the river for an interminable distance
we couldn't tell what it was. Just as
we had about concluded that it was
an optical illusion, two lights were
deserted moving about on it. and
We hailed them. A response was
received, and we pulled toward
the voice. When near enough
we saw that our corduroy road was
raft OF logs, which some adventur-
Gus lumbermen were taking down the
river. and which had been tied up for
the night at GRANVILLE. Oh, how
glad we were to hear that a resting
place was near by! We fastened the
skiff to the raft, and started up the
bank to the town. 1t was next to
impossible for me to walk, my feet
were so swollen and blistered by the
suns rays, but we at last reached the
tavern. A curious crowd surrounded
us, and would not believe us when
told that we had come that day from
Vincennes. 1t was 105 miles they
said, and declared that it was impos-
sible to make that distance in twelve
hours. ct was then about 10 o'clock
1 suppose if we hadn't made the trip
ourselves we should have been skep-
tical regarding its accomplishment.
We left them discussing the ride and
retired, but not to sleep, We were
so exhausted that sleep could not
come to us; and had it rot been so,
bedbues and Wabash mosquitoes
(gallinippers), would have prevented
US"


"Still sore and weary, the next
morning at o'clock we proceeded
on our voyage, and reached Mt. Car
mel before noon. Part OF our ride
was through tree tops, the water
covering the trunks and lower
branches. At Mt. Carmel we saw a
steamer which had. the day before,
been out in the country picking up
the people who had taken refuge in
the trees after their houses had been
washed away and other means of es-
cape were impossible. Forty or fifty
persons had thus been saved who
would otherwise have undoubtedly
perished. Up in this:part of the state
people have no idea of the vast
amount of suffering and destruction
experienced along the lower Wabash
valley. The air that day was filed
with terrible stencil arising from
the dead bodies OF animals that had
been for several days in the water
aud were then masses Of corruption" !"


In the afternoon we saw two
warehouses standing out in the midst
OF the waters and wondered what
they were.. In the midst OF our won
derment We came near being carried
beyond our destination; but fortuna
tely We remembered that our brother
had two warehouses on the river
bank and we pulled right Justify for
the house in their rear. We went up
as far as the front gate and there tied
the boat. The day before we could
have rowed directly into the porch.
Our ride was finished, and it had not
been in vain. We were able to
render brother material and aid as.
sistance, not by personal exertions
however; we were beyond that. In a
day or two We made the return trip
home overland, but it was two weeks
before We recovered from the effects
of that fearful ride. We afterwards
learned that Eve young men started
from Vincennes the day after we did
and three OF them were drowned al
though the river was lower"