The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-05-10
A FEARFUL ADVENTCRC

The Missouri Hepubi;can, in a letter from
a Kansas correspondent, has the following
AT ~. Joseph's saw Mr.. A. r. Gorm.n
OF New ork, who had Just come in from ,y,,,
mountains IN such a state of pro,tra,;on and
ailclion as could only have been ccc,s;onnJ
ov ,uch exposure, hardship and SUFFERING A.
perhaps, no othet man ever survived In
company with a Canadian Frencbm,n .na
two kentuckIans. he left the country ,f ,ho
biackieet Indians last Fall, to join Cnlverson
and Yarty at Fort Pierre and accomn,nv
them to the States. They arrived At Eor,
li'rre Two days after Culvcrson's departnr.
and FASTENED ON after in the hope of oyert,.
KIM him.
on the third day, one ofthoSe snow. storms
known Oh Y in those bleak and elevated -.
"Io">. opened upon them. 1t cam. down in
>o!lI MASSES to the depth Of four feet and
WAS blown about by drifting winds ,.v.,;n,,
uneven places penetrating and filling their
wagon and clothes and ob,tructin they prog.
re>S. Evening was approaching and tbev
resolved to make one effort to reach mor,
protected place before the NIGHT set in Th.v
urged :ht'r horses forward, but had NOT nro.
cerdtd more than few hundred wards. Cor
man being mounted on one of the tc,ms,.rs
anu MS companions IN the waron-wh,.n
suddeh1y he text himself precipita;cd, he knew
not no" Tar, INTO an ABYSS Of snow. He was
completely covered over and could not tel,
which way to turn. He struggled on how.
ever making slow and tedious wav. until
he came to the surface he supposed a lun.
drcd yards from where he sank lie looked
around for his companions, but neither they
nor the wagon could be seen. Tn. place
where they had fallen into tn. cha>m was
>moothrd over. and presented plain of snow
lle cried aloud for them, but was only An.
swercd hv Wild and waiting winds
y feeling OF dread and de>ola,ion and H..
spar came over him, and he was abou, ~
yield himself to that death which seemed in.
evitable. Already had the cold penetrated
his frame darkness was covering the skies
the IN r"a>Ia" winds whirIrd the f,lin, snow
more iunou>ly; he was alone in vast. in
h">l'ltab!t. unknown country, without nrnv;>.
ions. without shelter, without arms or ammu.
milton. and he WIS fearful TO t,k.a Sion IN
any direction, lest he should hr hur;;.i IN
some deep ahy>S. His manhood was >,lJu.
ed, he wept like a child; the memories Of III.
happy home. ard Of his mother. came. fr,.>I
upon him: hc knew the many anx,ons honrs
the miserable wears that his unknown t,,.
would cau>- her If he could orlv send he,
one word OF ailrc,Iona'c adlcu, he could III,
III peace; bat that could not be. and h, mus,
rouse himself
lie offered his first PRAYER for hravcnl,
All; he arose aud moved forward ,hr,p, J.
the darkness and the drifts II. sometime.
fell from exhaustion. and felt inclined 70 r..
pose; but he knew that one moment, r,use
was fatal. and he struggled on Tn, mex,
day he saw some bushes. which cave him
hope of rest and warmth. but when h, rca u
ell them he found. TO his di>nay. that tn,
matches IN his Po"krt Were wet and spoiled
and could not.bc i-uit,I. His feet had be-.
come SO sore aud swollen from con,tan
walking, As to burst the >olcS from his shoes
and he WAS compelled to crawl and tumhl.
along. Thus he worked his way SLOWLY br
increasingly thro the next night ard the mex
day. becoming more FAINT each hour. and sut
tcrIn- 'hon>an deaths from hunrr-. thirst
frosted limbs. sore feet, wcarlnr,, and draw
>IncsS, when he described hut A short wa,
off.
Suddenly revived, like a candle tlickerin,
III the socket, he >prauy and ran forward
few steps aud screamed for help, and trl
>en>clc>> IN the snow. Some Indians AT III,
hut heard ana saw him. and went and 5rourh
HIM IN. and used all their re,;orativrs no,
HIM but 1t was several DAYS before he. turn
ed to Consciousness, and six Iona weeks b.
tore he lett his bed. He lost several Of b
toes ana IS otherwise permanently injured. tut
through the assistance of some generous c.n
tlemcn OF st. jo>eph he will be enabled I,
reach home.
His companions have never been heard Of
The p ace where they persisted MIR. Gorma,
asrertalnrd to be about thirty miles from
where the steamer White Cloud lies but th
snow was still deep in the "u!rhrs when h
lett there. lie gave their names, but | re
gret they have escaped my memory
Yours, &c, T.