Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-03-01


finding that he was still able to NOV
he turned his face to the east, know
ing that his only hope now was in be
ing able to reach the Des Moines river
along which he was sure to find set
tiers. All day Saturday he toiled OF
through the deep snow, suffering in
tensely from hunger, cold and loss OF
sleep. Whenever his strength CAV,
out and he stopped for moment ht
would fall asleep and tumble dow
into the snow, again awaken, rise NJ
and again push on. Night once more
came on, and found him still out or
the great prairie, with no shelter il
sight. Again did he pass another
night-the third one-on his feet
walking, stopping, falling asleep, tumb
ling down, awakening, rising up and
toiling on again.
Lost, starving and freezing, but still
undismayed, he watched patiently dur
ing the long hours of the night, for the
rising Of the sun Oh the morning of
Sunday, the fourth day out The sur
rose bright and clear, but it was in
tenSeIy cold the mercury at sixteen
degrees below zero, with a keen cut
ting wind from the north. He had
now, strange as it may seem, ceased
to suffer from hunger; and nervin4
himself for one more effort, he turned
his face eastward and again struggled
on. His progress was very slow, but
at about eleven o'clock his courage
was renewed by the sight of a grove
in the distance. Hope that had nev.
er entirely deserted him. now grew
strong, and all through the day he
strove with almost superhuman efforts
to reach the timber before dark, feel.
ing that he could not survive another
night on the prairie. But his strength
was too much exhausted, and although
striving with the energy of despair
he saw the sun go down and night
again close around him, while the
| friendly trees were shut out from
view, beyond his reach. Fearing that
if he attempted to travel after dark
he should lose sight of the grove, and
knowing that his weak and exhausted
condition he could not survive the
night on his feet, he finally sought out
a huge snow drift, and digging out a
large cavity with his hands, he crowd
ed in and buried himself beneath the
snow.
In this position he soon fell asleep
and slept for several hours, dreaming
that he had arrived in safety at Fort
Dodge, and was telling his compan
ions of his perilS and escapes from
freezing, But upon awakening Will
the first dawn of morning, he found
himself buried in ihe snow, out on the
| great prairie, so weak from hunger
and exhausted from the superhumaT
exertionS he had put forth during the
three terrible days and nights past
and so crippled from freezing that he
had hardly strength to crawl out Of hi.
icy bed. But by great excrtions hc
regained his feet, and could see Los
Grove about a mile ahead, Whel
he tried to walk, he found that hi
limbs had lost their vitality, and h,
could only move forward by reaching
down with his frozen hands, liftin;
his legs out of the snow and placin|
first one foot forward with his hands
and then the other. ethus manage
to move slowly toward the grove
After a long, toilsome struggle, i
which his indominable energy OF vii
triumphed over every obstacle, he a
last reached the grove, but only t
!, find it cold, cheerless and uninhabiteC
No signs Of life, food or shelter coul
be found. Still mdi5mayed his iro
> will again nerved him on to make on
more effort for life
Beyond the Grove, at distance {
; about one and half miles, he saw
house. Having by this time almos
entirely lost the use of his feet an
, legs, he began to crawl on his HAND
!; and knees through the deep snow ft
the house. Sometimes he would b
: able to rise to his feet and take a fe
= ! steps forward, when he would agai
:. fallinto the snow, drag himseltforwar
once more III this way he manage
at last to reach the house, having bee
= from daylight until two o'clock in Il
afternoon going two and half mile
= q He had reached the residence of NJ
- Hicks, five miles west of DAYTON, an
= about thirty miles southeast OF Il
! point where he lost the road. He ha
= = been out from Thursday at four o o'cloC
~ y until the next Monday at two o'cloc
- in the seyerest storm of the seaso
4 with the mercury ranging at abo
~ fourteen degrees below zero, and hs
y been on his feet during all of the tin
y ! but about twelve hours He h3
- gone four days and nights without
y morsel of food Of any kind and
= drink but snow. He had only sic
- about five hours in nearly five day
~ ~ When we Saw him he was almost {
. tirely helpless and very weak frc
=, his terrible sufferings. His face
- turned black, and pieces of flesh a
80 pealing off. His feet are territ
81 81 frozen, but the doctor hopes to sa
bt them from amputation by removi
~ ~ some of the toes. He will lose o
ID ear, and undoubtedly be badly or
ah h pied for life. We doubt whetf
e. there is another case on record
81 such fearful suffering, heroic end
or ance, determined energy and cool
an flinching courage, as has been suffer
Il and displayed by this stage driver
nd ~ ''-- -----------
wn When has lady more water in