The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-22
From the Baltimore .7nsricau.

We noted briefly, few days ago, the fact that a
mar had been frozen to death of the great
praries Of Illinois. The following touching state
ment of the particulars published in the Pittsburgh
Gazette:
A man oxen TO death The Prairies-When in
February lS40, we first stood on The borders of
of the immense praries of Illinois, and saw 1t stretch
ing away before far as the eye could reach, UNI
til lost In the distant horizon we rccoect the thrill
Of horror with which we heard that respectable
minister of The Gospe', OF the Cumberland Presb, te
rian Church. had been lost in storm and frozen
to death on the very prairie we were standing on,
few weeks previous Those only who have witnessed
the awful grandeur, and oariulHess of storm at sea-
can have any idea of storm the prairies. Without
the least obstruction that made by the rising
up of the mighty waves at sea- the storm riots IN un
comfortable fury.
The poor wretch who is caught on these vast de
serts has no resource but to brave its fury, lay
him down to die No shelter is near--no friendly
tree or rock, not even little hiock, to break
of the fury of the raging tempest The late fearful
snow storm, which has been destructive of human
life on the Lakes and the sea, has not passed over
The prairies without leaving death n its train.
From communication in the Cincinnati Gazette,
we learn that on the night of the 18th of November
a man named WILLIAM WELLS, citizen OF Lake
county, la, was lost on the prairie. The wind blew
gale, accompanied with snow. He had left home
with two horse wagon, to get grinding done OF Will
mugtOn, on the kanKak6e TNeT, aUOut ID mucs west
of his home and with the exception OF two or three
groves the whole distance is across the open, upcu-
I,vated Grand Prairie of Illinois, which extends from
the Ohio river to Lake Michigan. lie was expected
home on Thursday, the day the storm commenced,
and was looked for by his family with coDside
rable anxiety but as he did not come, it was natu-
rally sal posed that the storm had detained him, and
as il ncre sed on Friday, they conented themselves
that he had bestowed himself IN some settlers cabin
to await a calm.
Little did they imagine that the calm OF death had
forever closed over the head and protector of that
helpless household-that the husband and father
stiff and cold as the iccle that danged from the caves
of his late home, and now gtered IN the reflection
from the cheerful blaze Of his Sarm hresde. What
a bessing that the truth was still hid from Their
minds
Late on Saturday evening their anxiety began to
manifest itself How could the mother answer the
question, "why don't father come hone T. Again
on Sunday morning how IT thrilled 10 the heart, ''has
father come yet" But the day assed and he came
not. But like all Of us who put away an unpleasant
reflection ill more fitting day. she sirove to keep
thought of evil from her mind, and invented many
plausible reasons WI The absent one sill tarried
On Monday came n messenger Which struck terror
ir,o their h, arts The report was, that on Saturday
ev. ming the missing mar horses into a settle
ment rs miles towards the mill with halters and col
lars on. But hope whisper that they might
have broken away from some place where he had
stopped al d II at he might be seeking f,r them
The morning II was ascerlained that he bad I've,
seen on tho THURSDAY evening b,fJre, just as the
storm was commencing, passing certain grove, with
a stretch Of 20 miles of prairie before him. Then bofe
led and The whole neghborhood turned out to search
Tor the remains OF the unfortunate man.
On the evening Of the second day of the search the
frozen and c,covered corpse of the lost husband aDd
arher was rought to his late happy home, and to his
angulsh-sricken and heart-brokco wife, and weeping
children.
II vas conjectured that after passing the grove
where last seen alive that it came dark that he
s. uId not follow the road and the horses naturally
turned away from the wind 10 AVOID the force of the
om Finding himself s, and bew ldered, he un-
nitcbeJ the horses and s,t of the harn'ss, and ef
In the wagon. and unJc.took 10 reach some settle
on horseback and in the attempt got of, or pei
haps was thrown OF, af.er peung nearly helpless
with co d. Then found, he was lying upon hs lace
az though he bad pitched forward, while walking -