Year: 1873

From the ST. Louis Democrat.


Whcn *he ice broke up at st. Louis Oh
Nas' James A. Smith, an ice dealer, his


'oh' stephen L. Smith, and a workman we've


engaged in cutting ice in tbe middle of the


NJ opp'','e 'he loot of North Market street.


ieopie oh SloFe hrst noticed the rise and


shouted to them to come on, but the warning


was either unheard OF unheeded FInol,Y


the ice along the bank began to cruul,o -,
| der the pressure, and prolonged sbon, =.


tracted the attention OF the men. Glancino
towards the shore, they saw the ragged edoass
Of the cakes tossed in the air, and recognizino
their danger, at once made preparations to
save themselves On the ice where they had
been working was frame platform sixteen
feet square, and this the elder Smith pro-
posed to remain by. He told his son that the
field of ice could not pass the bridge piers.
but that it must lodge against them, and that
they could then continue their work. The
son feared, and justly, that the ice would
break against the piers, and putting his
shoulder under the platform tore up two Of
the planks.


Telling the workman to gather up the tools
he took one plank, his father took another,
and all three started for the sho G. They
had Travelled about two thirds of the distance
when they found that the ice between them
and the bank was rapidly going to pieces, and
the elder Smith, preferriDg to take his
chances on the platform, returned to it. His
son and the workman kept on. and succeed
ed in reaching the shore without accident
When they again looked for Smith he was
standing on the platform, and was borne
down the river toward the bridge piers. These
he passed in safety, and although the cakes
surrounding him were crushed and broken
lntJ fragments, the one on which the plat
form rested retained its size. Further down,
however, the ice closed in on it and the edges
were ground and crushed off until less than
half its original size was lefl. When opposite
the foot of Poplar street the mad rush and
whirl of the swiftly moving food threw Smith
off his feet, and the spectators believed that
he was lost. His son, however, who hurried
along the bank, still saw him clinging to his
frail support, and hoping for some opportu-
nifty to rescue him, ran down the levee until
he passed the foot of Chouteau avenue, a
mile below the spot from which he started
He was Joined by two friends, Michael Lynch
a ID Mr.. O'Cennor, and the three kept up
the apparently useless chase until they reach
ed the dry docks.


There they found a skiff, and without hes
itation all three entered it and determined TO
risk their lives, in an effort to save that of
Smith. With great labor they finaly launch
ed it into the stream, but the ice was so
thick that on half dozen occasions they
were forced to get out on the other side. In
this way they worked through the turbulent
mass, until they reached the cake on which
Smith still remained. They took him into
the boat, and by almost superhuman exer-
tions reached the shore opposite the head Of
Arsenal Island. How the frail skif ever
avoided destruction is a mystery, and the
men are as much astonished at their miracu-
lous escape as were the spectators. Five
minutes after Smith was taken from
the platform the cake on which it
rested was swept into the narrow
channel between Arsenal Island and the
shore, aud in an instant was ground ard torn
to pieces till scarcely splinter remained.
Too much credit cannot be given to young
Smith and companions, who risked their lives
in fral boat where the owners of the strong
est ferry-boats would not have thought for an
instant of taking their crafts.