Year: 1870

Freshet in the James River.


From Appleton's Journal.l


The recent terrible freshets in the
James, the Shenandoah, and other Vir.
ginia rivers, recall to my memory an eX-
citing incident which Witnessed at Rich.
mond more than. twenty years ago.


1t occurred at " the falls opposite
which the city stands-a point at which
the river, rushing over bed of rocks
more or less elevated above the surface
forms variety of rapid streams, in
which it was at that time the habit oi
boys to swim. When the river is low
these streams are comparatively safe to
the bather, if he is good swimmer, but
when the current is swollen. by rains
they become very violent and dangerous
so dangerous, indeed, that the best
swimmers make haste to get to shore.


At the time mentioned 1 was bathing
in the falls, when the sudden rising OF
the stream warned me of the coming
danger, and hurried from the water.
In an ineonceivable brief space the river
rose several feet; and, half an hour after
ward, the whole breadth of the falls was
a roaring, raging, foaming mass of waves,
dashed against the jagged rocks, to fall
back in clouds of foam. The spectacle
was at once beautiful and terrible. The
citizens had hastened down to witness
the sight; crowds lined the bank, and all
eyes were directed toward Mayo's Bridge,
against which the waves were beating
with ever increasing force, when sud
denly intelligence ran through the crowd
that boy, who had been swimming, was
caught on mass of rock in mid-current,
in the falls above.


With the rest hurried to the point Of
interest, and reached the banks opposite
the rock upon which the boy had taken
refuge. 1t rose about fifty yards from
the shore, and was already environed by
the raging current which boiled around
it, throwing up clouds Of foam. The
boy was about sixteen, slender, entirely
naked, for his clothes had been washed
away, and we could see that he was white
with the anticipation of swift-coming
destruction. He clung to a mass of
shrubs growing out of the rock, and his
eyes were alternately turned upon the
furious torrent around him and upon the
crowd on shore.


Many hundred persons had quickly
assembled, and each one hurriedly sug-
gested some means of rescue. None
seemed possible. No boat could live for
a moment in such torrent-the waves
would have dashed it to pieces against
the rocks. The only possible means Of
saving the boys life seemed to be for
some one to swim to him with a rope;
but to attempt that appeared to be going
to certain death, and, intense as the pity
and sympathy of the crowd had become,
no one seemed willing to essay the des-
perate enterprise. Meanwhile the water
steadily rose higher, and grew ever more
threatening. Rocks in the current, one
large ons especially, which moment
before had been visible just beneath the
surface, now entirely disappeared; the
roaring waters steadily crawled up the
sides Of the mass upon which the boy
stood, and at last the angry waves washed
his very feet as he clung despairingly to
the swaying shrubs. A few moments
now, all saw plainly, would end the trag-
edy. The unhappy lad would quickly
be washed away or submerged. In either
event he would be swept to the jagged
lodges below, and his frail form dashed
to pieces,


fhe excitement Of the crowd had now
become intense. Every one held his
breath, paralyzed by this spectacle Of
a human being about TO be swept 10 de-
struction All at once, however, loud
shout arose. Every one fastened to the
spot where man was throwing off his
clothes. A brave spirit had resolved to
attemIt the rescue of the boy, and |
hurried, with the rest 10 look at him. As
l reached him he had stripped naked for
the desperate wrestle He was a tall,
powerful formed young man, Of twenty
two or three apparently, an employs, IT
was said, in one the great manufactures
on the river, and his clear, brave eyes
gave no sign Of fear Without a word he
addressed himself 10 his perilous work.
Going up the river bank one or two hun
dred yards, no tied the end Of q ball OF
twine to his body, mounted upon a ledge,
made a vigorous dive to reach the open
current, aud rising, struck out vigorously
amid the huge waves. The crowd
shouted and then held their breath, gaz-
ing at the hgure Of the swimmer, who
seemed a mere leaf upon the furious
current. He was swept along like light
ming, dashed over the huge hidden rock
that | have mentioned, and through the