The West Virginia News

The following thrilling story is from last week's Webster Republican:

"With their escape cut off by a sudden rise in Elk river, following the heavy rain of Tuesday morning, Gerald Irwin, aged 13, and Lawrence Tracy, aged 17, were imprisoned on an island for five hours before their rescue was effected. The river bank was lined with three hundred people watching the rescuers at work.

The boys had gone to the isle to catch salamanders and fish for chubs, when they were caught in a rapid rise of three feet in fifteen minutes. The island is in the middle of the river a short distance below the power house dam at the southern end of the town, and is about 150 by forty feet. Only about twenty feet of the island was above water when the boys were rescued.

The plight of the boys was not discovered until about four p. m. Immediately the crowd began to assemble and rescue work commenced. The isle could not be reached by a boat on account of strong contrary currents, and the water was much too strong for wading, even with a rope.

It was not until eight o'clock that the boys left the island, their removal being effected by an improvised breeches buoy, such as is used in rescuing passengers from wrecked vessels on the sea.

A stone to which was tied a fishing line was cast to the boys with a casting rod. To this line was tied a cord, to the cord a light rope, and to this a heavier rope, each in turn being hauled in by the boys and the rope fastened to a tree. With a block and chair the means of escape was complete.

Hand over hand, in the fashion of a sailor, dragging a chair behind him, Thomas Liady, an able swimmer and experienced in rough waters, swung along the cable to the isle. The boys were fastened in the chair, and one at a time, removed from the isle.

Although the lads were in no immediate danger of drowning, as there are several trees on the island into which they could have climbed to safety, and their only danger that of exposure, they had a thrilling experience."