The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-02-15

member the terribleATG9l f
FRIDAY
that followed. Business. in town was
G entirely SUSPENDED. No. stages left
the stations. Streets We're blocked up
railroads all over the country were
buried beneath the great drifts, cattle
persisted With cold And out of the
midst Of a great, lblea kNprairie, alone
and lost, the driver of the Western
Stage watched anxiously for daylight.
When morning came fhestorm dark
Dened the sky SO completely that he
could not discern the direction of the
sun at any time during the day. Il
Early in the day the horses, which
had been travelling through the great
drifts for about eighteen hours, gave
out, and could go mo further. Mr..
Hale .hesitated nota moment, butun-
,ih1tchlng them from the sleigh;dhe
turned them loose, that they might if
: possible reach some settlement. He
was was now left entirely alone in the
midst of the most terrific storm of
the winter, the snow two feet deep,
and lying in immense q drifts, miles
and miles from the nearest habitation,
with no idea of which direction he
must travel, or what distance, to reach
the nearest shelter. Surprising that
he was north of the main road, he
started in the direction which he sup
posed to be south, in hopes that he
might discover the lost track. Hour
after hour did he wade through the
snow, with the fearful storm chilling
him through and through. Before
many hours he found that his ears,
face ands feet were frozen solid, and
his hands were beginning to freeze.
But still, strong In determinations
tor save himself, if in the range of
possibilities, he kept moving on.
through the long, cherries day. To-
wards might he suffered greatly from
hunger, as he had eaten nothing since
Thursday noon. When darkness
again closed around him, he felt that
the chances for surviving the night
were very slim indeed. He dare not
sit down to rest, fearing that he would
fall asleep and perish. All through
the second night he kept on his feet,
sometimes becoming SO exhausted
with cold, hunger, and his great ex-
ertIons to keep travelling that he,
would stop few moments to rest
HeIrepeatedly fell asleep while thus
standing, and was only awakened by
falling down into the snow Again
and again during Friday night did he
thus struggle on till daylight APP
peared. The wind had now ceased,
but the cold was intense. When the
sun came up on 4 aHol 9ia PIN 4ai "
ooe.F() ~ SATURDAY 4s6an Is9l
morning he was able for the first time
to- learn the directions. Looking
anxiously around on every side and
seeing no signs of settlement, grove
or road, he felt that stronger strug-
gle for lifeiwas almost hopeless. But
finding that he was still able to move,
he turned his face toward the east,
knowing that his only hope now was
In being able to reach the Des Nome
River, along which he was sure osind
settlers. All day Saturday he toiled
on through the deep snow, suffering |
intensely from. hunger, cold, and loss |
ofsleep. Whenever his strength gave
out, and he stopped for moment, he |
would fall asleep and tumble down
into the snow, again awaken, rise up. /
and again push on. Night once more |
came on, and found him still on the
great prairie, with no shelter in sight. |
Again did he pass another night-the I
thlrd ofle-on his feet, walking. stop
ping falling asleep, tumbling down
awakening, rising up, and ,toiling on
again Lost, starving and freezing.
but still undismayed, he watched
patiently during the long hours. of the
night for the rising of the sun In ON the I
- - = bnid gua 10 gHibiiud ~
.4e53G SUNDAY raiiG 5sUI (afHl
the fourth day out. The sun rose
bright and clear, but it was intensely
cold3 the mercury at sixteen degrees I
below zero, witha keen cutting wind I
from the north9 He had now, strange
as it may seem, ceased tosuffer from
hunger; andg nerving himself forlon
more effort, he turned his face east
ward, and again struggled on, His
progress was very slow, but at about
eleven o'clock his courage was re
newed by the sight of grove IN the
distance. Hope, that had never en-
tirely deserted him, now grew strong
er, and all through the day he strove
with almost superhuman efforts to
reach the timber before dark, feeling
that he could not survive another
night on the prairie But his strength
was too much exhausted, and, al
though striving with the energy of
despair, he saw the sun 60 down.
and night again close around
him, while the friendly trees |
were shut out from view and beyond +
his reach. Fearing that if he at-i
tempted to travel after dark heshould
lose sight of the grove, and knowing |
that IN his weak and exhausted condi-
ton he could not survive the night on |
his feet, he finally sought ont q huge