Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-04
A FEARFUL STORY.
The Great storm, on the RrnIria.-a
Father and Daugk.eF IOst-The Esdy
THIRTY Henrs in a SNOW Erin.

From the New Hampton 1owal coarier Feb %
TIE age OF miracles surely has not passed.
The past few days has been fraught with a.
much of the fearful anxiety, hope, and thank-
fitness TO our people, as seldom falls tc the
] lot Of 4 community The storm OF Tuesday
night and Wednesday will long Be renseul-
eered as one of the utmost severity. and the
subloined narrative Of exposure and suffer
ing partakes so much Of the marvellous that
in its contemplation the mind is bewiIderes!.
and we are compelled TO acknowledge IL as
one of those interpOsitionsn sent 10 teach
US how wonderful are its ways who "marks
even the fall of asparrow"
On Tuesday evening. 18th instant, MI. T.
L. Runnion, Of our town, visited Jackson
vile, eight miles distant, on business, and
returning called at the residence OF w. T..
Beach, one mile this side, 20 see his daiigh-
Ter, Mrs. +. b. Weed. After supper Mrs.
| W. resolved 10 accompany the father home.
and hastily clad herself for the purpose.
Leaving Mr.. Weed in the house, father and
| daughter proceeded to where the horses had
been tied to find them gone. but vet in sight.
Pursuing the team for some distance and
finding it impossible to overtake il, Mr..
Runnion impiored his daughter to return.
while he would make his way home alone.
| This she would not consent 10 do feeling
| quite able to perform the Journey. unless
he should accompany her and remain for the
night This was between seven and eight
O'Clock. The weather was then comparative
| ly mild--with no wind, and light snow
falling. They pursued their Journey for A
time without difficulty, bat the night being
| quite dark and the snow haling obliterated
the track, they lost the road, bearing 10 the
south, on the uninhabited prairie.
Both were conscious thar they were lost.
yet neither breathed it to the other. During
the long hours from their departure from
Mr. Beach's house until twelve O'Clock, the
storm king had been gathering his strength,
which now burst forth in such fearful fury
from the northwest that it would seem inn
possible that any mere mortal could braveit
and live. Benumbed, lost upon the trackiess
waste, their steps followed by a pack Of
prairie wolves whose quick, sharp bark rose
frequently above the bowling winds, their
thoughts cannot be portrayed, each having
full consciousness Of their great peril, vet
concealing it, and encouraging each other.
AT last, exhausted nature could do no more,
both were tired out, and saw the folly Of
further contest with the storm till the day
should dawn, and lay down beneath snow
drift to watch for daylight The dawn
came, and with il the fury Of the storm in
creased. Mr. Runnion knew himselfto BE-
on Plum Greek, and resolved to strike for
the nearest house. some two miles Distant
but Mrs. Weed was so chilled that she could
not walk, and after being carried some thirty
or forty rods, she begged her father to leave
her and seek assistance. They sat down
and calmly talked the matter over, yet she
was freezing all the while.
To leave his child was bitter thought.
but what will not parent do 20 save his
cherished idol1 Knowing that she must
perish, and that speedily, unless succor
came, he sought place to leave her.
Breaking the ice, as he supposed, of a little
bayou from which the water had receded,
and making cavity of some two feet in
depth, and Of sufficient length, he laid her
in it, wrapping the blanket and shawl
around her, and the scarf about her face.
They kissed and parted. Then covering
her with snow, and marking the spot as best
he could, with heavy heart and y sad lock
at the spot where lay his treasure, he made
his way down the creek to the New Hampton
and Waucoma road, and thence 70 the house
of Mr.. Utley, about mile from town, ar
irving there near o'clock, A. NJ. Wetlnes-
day, exhausted, with hands and feet fruzen,
and nearly frantic. His story was soon
btth anu dlbiOhkl AIC stOTIu was IdElHK
fearfully, and the hope of finding the poor
girl, some three miles distant ON The bleak
prairie, seemed like hoping against hope,
the call Of holiest nature did not plead in
vain. Quickly team was harnessed, and
Mr.. Gilbert Vincent and Mr. NJ. NJ. Utley,
with Mr.. Runnion, started for the rescue,
finding the place where the party had lain
beneath the drift during the night. They
searched in vain until about o'clock, P. NJ,
passing almost directly over the SPOT where
she lay Finding the search vain, and Mr..
hunnlon last failing from exposure and ex-
haustiOn, with heavy hears tne party re-
turned at evening. Mr.. Runnion was taken
to the house Of Mr.. Utley, where both Mr..
and Mrs. Utley were assiduous in admins
lering to his comfort-the storm raging too
fearfdlly, and his system too much shattered
to think of bringing him home that nights
Thursday morning the storm had abated;
the sun shOne clear and bright ever the
driven snow the mercury had fallen from
fourteen the day before, 10 twenty-eight de-
grees below zero. Mr.. Runnion was brought
home by Mr.. Utley, and his fearful story
flew from house to house brave hearts and
willing hands were not wanting Several
sleigh loads Of men, accompanied BY DR.
Mixer, who was careful to have resoratives,
were swiftly on the search. Oh, such vibra-
tons Of the heart between hope and fear as
were visible in every face. Hope, that she
might be found alive, and fear that such
hope was vain. The party reached the SUD
posed locality where Mrs. Weed was left by
her father, and the search commenced, pass
ng ON either side of the creek, noting every
rack, and mark and twig. We had forgot
% state that Mr.. Il. had broken off some
nnall willows and stuck them in the snow
iirectly over his daughter; these were, how
ever, entirely covered by the snow which
mad drifted over the place. With only the
vague certainty that they might be near her,
hey persevered, guided alone by such in
'tructions as Mr. Runnion, in his enfeebled
md bewildered state, was able to give. At
about IL o'clock, one Of the party, stepping
directly over her, fell through the snow into
he cavity where she lay. Shewas found =
lliyel A joyous shout rang out, and in less
lime than we can pen the recital, oyercoats
md shawls wese spread upon the snow,
novels procured from a sleigh and she was
'aised insensible from the snowy bed where
he had lain for thirty hours.
Placed in a sleigh, shielding her as much
IS possible from contact with the air, the
,arty drove with all speed TO the nearest
rouse, that of Mr.. Jolly, where the skill and
lnremitting efforts Of DIR. Mixer were
rowned with SUCCESSIVE was saved We
re informed the reaction came slowly, the
hook TO the system being so great, and the
hiking Of the pulse 30 frequent, that for
ime the doctor felt doubtful Of a perfect
Late in the afternoon abe
Vas brought 10 town in semi-conseious
tate, but rallied in the evening and has
'een conscious ever since, though suffering
much from pain and extreme exhaustion.
Strange TO say. the lady, IL nothing un-
oreseen intervene, will recover. Her feet
nd ankles, and one Of her hands, are frozen,
he former badly, though her medical attend
mt lDr. Mixer thinks be will save her With
'robably slight "sloughing" Of parts Of the
esh. Altogether, this Is one Of the most
Eonderful cases we ever knew. II appears
ike something too Incredible for belief that
dr. Runnion could have even undergone 50
much exposure; but when we know that
frs. Weed was exposed 10 the wild storm 81
tuesday night, and lay for thirty hours be
eath the snow, and il yet alive, - marvel
us, and racks the comprehension. When
Dund she had mSved but little from where
Ier father had placed her. -
The ice upon which she laid had melted -
rom her bodily heat and when found she
ny in the bed Of the creek, nearly every part
4 her clothing being saturated with wttr.
Ter feet were doubtless frozen In the mora
ng befpF,. her father len her and 10 the