Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-06-11
FROM PlKE,S PEAK.
Great Suffering OF Ehligrants.
Horror Of the Smoky nnl n cute.

From the Rocky Mountain News, Nay l7thl
Every day we meet men arriving
from the States by the above route
most Of them in an almost famishing
condition. A few days ago man ar
rived at kusseIlvile, aud reported that
lis comprehensive in number-had
given up and lain down upon the prairie
some miles distant. A relief party was
sent out, who found one of the number
dead from actual starvation, and two
others SO far gone that they died soon
after reaching the settlement.
A few DAYS later party of thirteen
reached here, who had followed the
Smoky Hill as far as practicable, and
then struck across the divide to the
Platte, by which route they reached
here nearly starved, having been
obliged to kill their pack horse and
subsist for days upon his flesh.
Three days ago nine men reached
Font st. Nraln, whilst we were there,
mere tottering skeletons. They stated
that they had not tasted bread for
more than ten days, part ct which
time they had lived upon the flesh OF a
dead OK, which they found upon the
prairie, but partially devonrcd by the
wolves, and for four days they had
nothing but roots. They stated that
they travelled more than one hundred
miles without finding water, and must
have persisted of thirst but for some
snow squalls that occurred.
All these men tell the same story !;
that they were induced to take the
Smoky Hill route by the representa-
lions of certain parties in eastern Kan
sas, who employ runners on the steam
boats to mislead emigrants by their
representations, and by distributing
circulars and cards purporting to be
guides over this lonte, representing it
as good, plain road, with good camps,
and two hundred and fifty miles shorter
than any other route. They are thus
induced to start out with short supply
of provisions, and learn, when too late,
that all the above statements are false
that there is no road at all, and but
little wood or water; that instead OF
being $50 miles, it is full 800, and 600
of it without any trail or track of any
kind. Great restitution prevails all
along the latter part OF the ronte. En-
igrants are wandering over the plains
in all directions, discouraged and be-
wildered. Some are striking for the
Arkansas, some for the Platte, and
others still searching for what does not
cxist-the Smoky Hill road. Men
leave their trains to search for road,
and are never seen more; others lie
down and die, and become food for
wolves.
One man tells us he knows of seven.
teen men who have thus persisted OF
disappeared; another says the remains
of one hundred may be seen along the
track they have followed.
We hope the reports are greatly ex-
aggerated, and that time will show that
the missing are not lost, but we greatly
fear the worst, and give the reports
precisely as they were given to us.
This much is certain-the protrudine
eyes, the sunken cheeks, the trembling
knees and cracked voices Of many OF
those We have seen do not lie. Since
writing the above, we have seen two
tootmen who have just arrived via the
Smoky Hill route. They appear to
have suffered severely from hunger and
thirst. They report having passed
some ten or fifteen dead bodies un-
buried, lone of them was that of man
named Carpenter and many new made
graves, also many cattle turned loose
upon the plains, wagons deserted, and
some burned. These men say thew
lived for nine days on prickly pears
and one hawk.
On the evening Of the 5th inst, the
pioneer Train" Capt. A. Hess, arriy-
ed. The party numbers thirty-two,
and left Leavenworth on the Sd OF
March, being sixty-three days on the
road. We have the following report
from G. A. Fox, Of Huron Co., Ohio,
and N. 0. Ames, Of Lorain Co., Ohio.
I'VE had q good road to Saline, l72
miles from Leavenworth, after which
we had no road at all, having to make
the first track great Of the way. We
Travelled twelve days without seeing
i wood, and $50 miles without water,
except from melting anow, which for
tunately for - fell twice during the
time.
We also had sixty miles Of oost;uu.
ess aaa vsey ailloslt nd hilla nm
i pon1ia4 sse6 vklsA ~ ~ ~ . 49,
~ ~ 7 ~; ~ = - e. -: -.
al III