Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-03-14
seF From the Albany Evening Journal.
PERlLOUs ADvENTuRE IN A ksNOW
DRIFT. 'Tl.7a "

DRIFT. -t1tn
One evening, about ten days ago. the mail
sleigh, four in hand, en- route from Binghsm,on /
to Utica, drove away from the village Of Nor.
wich in double quick time. The night was
heavenly-the moon shone bright as day-the |
sky was without coud--the air was clear and
calm. though cold--the sleighing excellent
and all combined to promise rapid and plea
sant drive to Utica, about fifty miles distant.
The passengers were four in number, three
gentlemen and one lady, called to Utica by in.
dispcnsable business. They were unknown to
each other, but were destined, as the sequel
showed. to become acquainted by an unexpec.
ted event
Nothing occurred Of moment until about three
o'clock in the morning, when the sky became
suddenly overcast, snow fell, and . Northwestern
set III, which increasing every moment, soon
blew a heavy gale, envelopng, at intervals, the
sleigh and team in cloud o! snow. and driving
its sparklings on the passengers, who were
seated inside ofa large deal box cover. with
oiskin curtains at the entrance. a
1t was soon apparent that the track was filling
up, and had become very heavy; the movement
Of four fine horses was slow and lnbored, and
the sleigh rolled and i,s joints and knees creak.
ed like those Of vessel in stormy sea-
| The moon had now set, and nothing could be
seen of the road but the top rails of the fences.
No body spoke word, but all felt that catas-
irophe was at hand. The team now bo,ed, and
the driver first rate fellow and fitted for any
emergency requested the gentlemen to aight.
as "he was fast in the snow Drift" They were
soon out in four feet of snow. The team then
started, and after wadng some fifty yards the
gentlemen resumed their seats. all the worse for
this exit. for they had filled their boots and over
shoes with snow, and were shivefing with cold,
not having obtained the glow which long con
iinued exercise, even in very cold atmosphere,
is sure TO give. ,..s.tf
They had proceeded very little farther
when, with bound and sudden lurch, the
sleigh heeled over and capsized down . slope.
All inside was fairly knocked into pi valises
and bandboxes, hands aod Get, heads and noses,
all eommingle1 in glorious confusion, e,ch per.
son mistaking his neighbor's limb for his own,
and the lady undernost- for in the philosophy
of stage upsetting the laws of specific gravity
are completely reversed, the lightest bodies be-
ing sure TO fall lowest. There she lay, go wrapt
up in furred cloaks that she might easily have
been taken for a carpet bag, we'll filled, and
passed over as baggage. s-st
The passengers found themselves encased in
square box five feet deep. dark as q dungeon,
with the outlets at the top. Through this the
gentlemen cambered with little difficulty. Eve.
ry effort was then made by the passengers and
driver to right the fallen vehicle, but to no pur.
pose, in truth. they were all too much paraly.
zed by the cold-snce ascertaihed TO be Is deg.
below zero--to do anything in that way. The
+ attempt was therefore abandoned. sv ~
A consultation was now held, and it was re.
solved to take refuge in the first habitaton that
! could be reached. But tue to American in.
stinct, sympathy for the helpless and distressed,
, the lady was not overlooked; she was carefully
extrcated from the sleigh and placed in charge
OF one Of the party, who pledged himself to con.
duct her to place Of safety. The driver mount.
ing one OF his wheel horses, plugged with his
team into the snow, bound to Paris Hill post
r Office. some two miles off, and the two young
passengers-the whole party being ignorant OF
the difficulties to be encountered, or they would
E lot have separated-started for the nearest
house, supposed to be about half q mile of /; they
found il long one.
The lady and her conductor were now alone,
entire strangers 10 each other, and thrown into
juxtapositon by an unforeseen event. which
made snow diff the place of their first ac-
f qusintsnce. 55ars ia Oil rse frs
The gentleman over his knees in snow, in
troduced himselfas J. S. v. r. of the city ofAl.
bany; the Indy. in no better plight, announced
herself % be Miss A. r. of Norwich, Chenango
county. His overture wss,brief and very cold
her reception as short and more chilling she
was freezing but what order could be expec-
ted in the frgid ceremonial OF q snow crifts
The prospect around was cheerless enough.
. Tbs ignorance Of Mr. " R. of the localities
the dsrkntss-the intense cod-the boundiess
waste Of deep and trsckless snow--ths great
distance 10 the nearest dwelling-and the Ger.
tainty that no assistance would come until dsy
light, full two hours oA--wers stern realities
| y hich were In ha mat .,.d ove,~xs...