Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1910 — A LABRADOR RESCUE. [ARTICLE]

A LABRADOR RESCUE.

In his work among the people of the Labrador coast Dr. Wilfred T. Grenfell has often imperiled his life. One such instance is given in his book, “Adrift on an Ice-Pan,” in which is told the story of his remarkable escape from death. What follows—an account of the rescue—is all the more impressive from being told in the homely words of one of the rescuers: One day about a week after Dr. Grenfell’s return two men came in from Griquet, fifteen miles away. They had walked all that distance, although the trail was heavy with snow. "We just felt we must see the'doctor and tell him what ’twould *a’ meant to us if he’d been lost,” said George Andrews. " ’Twas even when us knew ’e was on the ice. George Davis seen un first. ’E went to th’ cliff to look for seal. ’E got ’is spy-glass an’ made out a man an’ dogs on a pan, an’ knowed it war the doctor. "Us had a good strong boat an’ four oars, an’ took a* hot kettle of tea an’ ‘food for a week, for us thought ’ud have to go far, an’ p’r’aps lose th’ boat. I di’n’ hope to find the doctor alive, an’ kept lookin’ for a sign of un on th’ pans. ’Twa’ no’ easy gettin’ to th’ pans wi’ a big sea runnin’: "Us saw th’ doctor about twenty minutes afore us got t’ un. ’E was wavin’ Jis flag, an’ I seen ’im. ’E was on a pan no blgger’n this floe, an’ I dunno what ever kep’ un fro’ goin’ abroad, for ’twasn’t ice, ’twas packed snow. “Th’ pan was away from even th’ slob, floating by hisself, an’ th’ open water all aroun’, an’ ’twas just across fro’ Goose Gove, an’ outside o’ that there’d been no hope. “I think th’ way th’ pan held together was on account o’ th’ dogs’ bodies meltin’ it, an’t froze hard during the night. ’E was level wi’ th’ water, an’ th’ sea washing over us all th‘ time.

“ 'E 'ad ripped the dog harnesses an’ stuffed the oakum in th’ leg o’ 'is pants to keep un warm. ’E showed it to we. An’ ’e cut off th’ tops o’ ’is boots to keep th’ draft from ’is back. ’E must ’a’ worked ’ard all night. ’E said 'e droled off once or twice, but th’ night seemed wonderfu’ long. “Us took un off th’ pan at about .naif-past seven, an’ ’ad a ’ard fight jettin’ in, the sea still runnin’ ’igh. E z said ’e was proud to see us cornin’ ’or un. And so ’e might, for it grew wonderfu’ cold in th’ day, an’ th’ sea so ’igh th’ pan couldn’t ’a’ lived out- . side. —wouldn’t stop when—US—got ishore, but must go right on, an’ vhen 'e ’ad dry clothes an’ was a bit warm us sent un to St. Anthony with a team.” DROPPING FROM THE CLOUDS. Aeronaut Describes How It Feels to Descend with a Parachute. How it feels to drop from the clouds in a parachute is thrillingly described in Popular Mechanics by Captain Penfold, famous Australian aeronaut. He says: “Glancing up at your parachute to see if the cords are disentangled, you grasp your trapeze rope by one hand, your cutaway line with the other, cross your legs around your trapeze bar, collect your thoughts, and pull the knife. At once the wind rushes past you, the trapeze seems not to hold your weight, you fall as if pushed, unprepared, from a high stage into the water at the baths. You look overhead to see the parachute open, the parachute cloth is dropping in a bundle to reach you as it were, but before it does, your weight tells and pulls the cords straight, the wind catches under the cloth of your canopy. you have a few anxious moments as it slowly unfolds like a huge umbrella and with a slight tug as if a fish were running away with your fishing line you are supported like a feather, and you experience a feeling of satisfaction and safety. Down you float to terra firms like a bird on outstretched wings, and if it is a calm day, your ttmo&i vmicaS at tbe nt® of eight to ten feet a second. When nearing the ground the earth seems to rush up to meet you, and what at a height of 1,000 feet seemed a small box in an allotment, turns out now to be a good-sized house. You reach the ground as if in a free drop from ■ height of about four feet"