Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1882 — STORIES OF THE FLOOD; [ARTICLE]

STORIES OF THE FLOOD;

A Wolf in the Boat—Heroism of an indian. A funeral In boats—Other Incidents Many incidents, of which some are pathetic, others thrilling, a few humorous and all interesting, may be found m the newspaper accounts of the Mississippi floods. Last Monday the backwater got to be so threatening on the Trask plantation, nearEfelena, Ark., that William Ware and Westly Hendricks started for a more secure abiding place. They were paddling leisurely along iu a dugout when out of the water and into the boat sprang a gray wolf. The beast was a big fellow, and, as the glaring green of his eyes betokened, was ravenous for food. The occupants of the boat were taken aback so completely that they did not know which way to turn, butthe wolf quickly made them act by springing at the throat of Hendricks. The latter’s paddle fortunately came down upon the wolfs head, and it was well that the shock stunned the animal, which was thrown quivering into the water. But the blow overturned the boat also, and an exciting struggle to right the dugout before the wolf could recover followed. This the men succeeded in doing, and, in the language of the Irish bull-maker, - before the wolf recovered his senses he lost them altogether. Having removed the slain, which was five feet from tip to tii> the men paddled without further adventure to Ht-leua.

An Indian, who lives some fifty miles below Memphis, is mentioned by many people of the neighborhood as the hero of the occasion. One of bis good acts was the rescue of a widow and her two little children near Commerce, Miss. The widow’s house was a short way from a levee, which broke aud let in a roaring flood. The occupants of the house succeeded in climbing to the roof, but they-were not safe there, as the spectators on a w harf-;boat not far off knew, for the c irrent was strong enough to sweep the dwelling a.vay. Several persons volunteered to go to what seemed almost certain death in an effort to rescue the family One young man put out in a skiff, but the skiff was capsized and the bold adventurer was drowned. Shortly afterwards the Indian came down the river in his boat. He saw the situation, and directing his skiff into the flood and raising one oar to steer he managed to throw the boat against the house. The. woman and children got in. As he pushed off the boat was whirled round and round in an eddy, but drifted into calm water and finally reached a place of safety. Little Lulu Stone died at New Madlid a lew days ago. The streets of the town were submerged, but as the cemetery on a knoll wa# high aud dry it was decided to bury the child there. It was impossible to use carriages and therefore the friends of the family came to the house of mourning in boats. The funeral procession is described as the saddest sight ever witnessed in the town. The fi-st skiff contained the casket, with Senator Morrison, the grand father, and an oarsman; iu the second boat was the stricken mother and her other children, with a stout oarsman, aud then came a Ibng line of boats, loaded with friends and relatives. Trie procession moved slowly down Main street to Water street and thence to the knoll, where the little one was left.

A corresppondent of the Chicago Times took a ride in a skiff last Tuesday among the submerged plantation near McGee’s Station, just below Memphis. At one place he found a farmer walking upon stilts around his yard, in about two feet of water. While the reporter was talking to the man a splash attracted the attention of both. When the reporter saw that the splash had been caused by a child falling from a second story window into the water he was alarmed. “Nevermind,” said the father,quietly “that’s Jim; but he won’t get drownded; he’s got four gourds on.” The reporter was much interested to learn that most of the little ones in the neighborhood had similar rude lifepreservers tied to their persons As a rescuing party from Helena were rowing across the neighboring bottom lands, last Wednesday, they saw a large box moored to the branches of a tree. When the boat had approached within earshot the gray wool of an*old darkey popped inti view. The rescuers said: “What are ye doin’ hear, old hoss?” “I’se ole Noah an’ dis am de a’k,” was the reply: “de rain had been a failin’ fur fo’ty days an’ fo’ty nights, but de Lo’d sabed ole Noah.” The rescuers thought that the darkey was joking. When hey took him into the boat., however, they soon learned that the poor fellow wa s daft. Fear and exposure had overturned a mind already weakened by age. A colony was established recently at Six Mile Lake in Tuniqa county, Miss., The colonists knew nothing of the habits of the erratic Father of Waters and the flood caught them napping. The first warning was the sound of the torient breaking through tho levee. All who were at home got upon the tops of the houses, but several men who happened to be in the fields climbed trees. Four men were imprisoned in that way for twenty hours, the angry water lapping their feet as it swayed the branches to which they clung. Rescue came at last in the shape of a steamboat that

happened to be swept through the break in the levee, A resident _of Caruthersvill* went ’* a bbat last Wedqesday co look after some cattle which he had placed upon a platform in a swam\>. In paddling through the swamp the voyager Baw eighteen deer on a narrow strip of dry land. He wantonly shot every one of the poor brutes and gained the curses of his neighbors for his pains.