Year: 1877

them iftbey could reach the shore alive.


Here she passed the day. Every drop


of water that struck the beach was par


ticle of ice in a moment.


Meantime the day was wearing on,


night was fast approaching, another OF


those awful nights in prospect, and no


other hope for succor than the faithful


woman watch on shore. Imagine the


terror of the scene; no abat<nent OF


the storm; it still ragged as feariully as


ever. Abigail knew that climax was


fast approaching; she knew that these


exposed men could not survive another


night, with chilled, inactive blood, cling


ing in the unsheltered rigging where


they had been so many hours. A happy


thought came to her; God sent y.
Massan..that DANGEROUS beach nlgHO
= = --SsIs.lTfsss u, rod insf,4-2S-ss-'ss-


weeh that happy thought o. 'ifow7to save


them. Their prayers were answered; ;


God had heard them cry for help and
succor, when man was powerless and not
able to save. Abigail waded out toward


them short distance TO attract their
sight toward her; she beckoned them to


lump over board and swim to shore, eX-
planning by pantomime that she would
catch and save them. These meATell knew
their great danger was when they reached


the shore. They could not land in their
exhausted state without human assistance
to aid them; the undertow and moving
quicksand would wash them back and
drown them. This was Capt. Hackett's
fear when he cried to the mate IN the
other rigging. Capt. Hackett, from the
other rigging, cries 70 his mate, jerome


q That is a good idea; it Is cur only
chance. I will try it; if am drowned,
you can risk your chances, remaining here
another night, or, if | am saved, you can
follow me, one by one" The mate says:
''If you go, viii follow" Captain an
swers: Don't you try it until you see
that get ashore" Capt. Hackett came
down the rigging, close to the water,
stripping off his overcoat. Looking fora
chance, he jumped aud swan for the
shore, watched by his comrades with in
tense interest. He did well until he
reached the backwater Of the quicksand,
which was the great point of danger.
The back wave overwhelmed him. his
blood chilled with long exposure,
he helplessly succumbed to his apparent
fate, and gave up, as far as hisown Efforts
went TO save himself At this critical
moment Abigail dashed in with impetU-
Gus spirit and speed. Grasping the
drowning man in her arms she quickly
bore him safely to the shore. and laid /
him by her great fire of logs, giving him /
hot tea. His young Scotch blood soon /
revived. But there was no time 10 lose /
The passing minutes were too precious /
with those lives yet imPeriIed. The mate
prepared TO try it, the captain says 80
will assist him when he gsts TO
the bad place. as he deemed it. 7
The mate came with the same
result, when reaching the back reactlng
waves. Against remonstrances Of Abb .
gail, Capt. Hackett pushed in attempt
ing to save him; the mate grasped the
captain with the desperate embrace OF
a drowning mar, pulling him down with
him. They were both exhausted and
helpless, locked together, pOwerless TO
1ave themselves. At this perilous moment
Abigail again rushed in; woman as she
was, she cid what not one man in q
thousand could have done. She picked .
uD these men with the strength Of a /
giantess and bore them safely to the I
shore in her strong arms. God gave her /
strength for the occasion, and in ike t
manner she saved each one of the crew; /
before the light of day had entirely /
passed they were all borne in safety to /
the shore by this heroic woman. Not 4 (
mouthful of food had passed her lips /
since the night before. So intent was her /
desire to save them that ali that day she
had passed on that beach without
thought of herself; her heroic soul had (
sustained her. She guided these men,
snatched from the jaws of death by her
hands, TO her humble shanty home; she
fed and cared for them three or four
days, the continuous storm preventing
them from leaving the island. When
they crossed over to the main land and
to their homes they did so with hearts
ofgratitude for their safety.


A few days after was at Port Rowan
to visit vessel that had been wrecked
the same night about that point. Capt.
Davis, an old friend of mine, told me
the story of AbigaiIs noble work The
bays were then frozen over. l hired
sleigh, and with Capt. Davis drove down
to her house Let me describe her. A
tall woman, over six feet high, straight
as an arrow, stout, well-proportioned,
never having worn a stay or a corset in
her life, ignorant OF the use of whalebone
or padding, bare-foothd, and all her
children SO. She stood up before me in
in all grace of noble, uncultivated woman
hood, her great blue eyes cleaning with
modest benignity. l could not forbear
expressing my great a admiration
for her noble deeds. She said she had not
done more than she ought to have done,
nor more than she should do again if
her help was wanted. When / arrived
home | had some shoes made for her
and the children, gotstoekings, and made
up box of things and sent her all that
/ was able to. l bought her bible,
inscribed her name in gold letters upon
it, and sent it with her package to her
Her oldest girl had white swelling on
herkn told her would get a steamer
to stop for her in the spring one that
ran up the shore of Canada, and, if she
would come to Buffalo with her girl.
would get her into the Sisters hospital
and DIR. Hamilton would cure her. She
came and stayed at my house and at Mr..
Aurelian Conkling's; her girl was put
into the hospital and cured went to
Mr.. Hodges, who kept the American
hotel, and asked him for his parlors for
a levee for Abigail. l went among the
people; ex-President Fillmore, Judge
Hall, and many prominent citizens
attended.


We collected over $1,000 for her in
IL