Oppy - Noah
NOAH OPPY
Noah J. Oppy, a farmer residing in the Black Creek neighborhood saved his wife and two children from a watery grave yesterday. The Oppy family came to town yesterday morning and in crossing the little stream known as Black Creek remarked the swollen condition but had no trouble in fording it with their one horse vehicle, but while in the city the excessive rain raised the stream materially and when they left town in the afternoon they were greatly alarmed lest they should find the water impassible. Arriving at the creek their fears were realized. The channel naturally swift had risen to a considerable depth and the waves appeared black and sullen. However, the family knew they must make the ford, and with an encouraging word to the family mare, plunged into the rushing waves. For some distance no trouble was experienced, but when half way across the ford the mare suddenly floundered, the buggy swang around and tipped over. The entire family were thrown out and Mr. Oppy found himself battling for life with his wife, an infant child in her arms and a fie-year-old son. It was on their tip toes that the half-strangled victims were enabled to keep their heads above water and so swift was the current that they had the greatest difficulty in keepng their feet. The babe was entirely submerged as the buggy overturned, but the frantic mother succeeded in saving it from drowning and finally by the heroic efforts of the husband, brought his precious charges to the bank. In the meantime the horse had vanily struggled to get out of the harness and nearly drowned before the traces broke and let it free. - kbz