Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-01

Two Men Imprisoned On a sand bar
I'm the, Platte River for Twenty
Hanrs. -l.lc ~

Two Men Imprisoned ON a sand ba,
tn the Platte River for twenty
Hours. ttc %
The Fremont Tribune of March
26, gives the following exciting
account of perilous adven.
ture Of two. men in the Platte
river
Through the kindness of Mr. t.
j. Abbott, we are placed in posses
sion of the following facts. On
Saturday afternoon, DIR. Bell, who
is a young physician of promise,
recently, located at North Bend
received an urgent call to visit a
patient on the South side of Platte
river. Although the crossing was
highly dangerous, the doctor,
prompt to the call of duty, in
company with Mr.. d. f. Ransford,
as guide, started across on the ice.
The South bank was reached in
safety, and Sunday the doctor and
Mr.. Ransford started on their re-
turn.
twill be remembered that Sun
day was one of the coolest days of
the season, mercury stood five de-
grees below zero all day, to which
must be added a fierce wind from
the northwest and binding snow
drifts. Arriving at the Platte, the
crossing was found extremely haz-
ardous, as the previous thaw had
weakened the ice and the wind
threatened to force it loose from the
banks every minute; but the stream
must be crossed, and the two men
started. When little over half
the distance had been travelled it
was discovered that the ice had
broken loose from the northern
bank, and was then moving down
stream; here was q critical situa-
ton, and from which the only hope
of escape lay in retracing their
stops; back they started, only to
find that the ice on the southern
shore had also broken loose, and
themselves af1oat on the treacher-
GUS waters Of the Platte with only |
q few inches of rotten ice between
them and a watery grave.
In recrossing, q small sand bar,
about 20x3O feet surface, had been
noticed. Their only hope of es-
cape now directed their steps to it,
and after some little effort both |
were successful thereon. Aided by |
wind and current, the ice was soon |
down stream, and the two |
unfortunates, without fire, food, or |
but ordinary clothing 10
protect them from the bitter cold |
and piercing wind, found them
selves prisoners on a small sand
bar, with no probability of their
becoming known, or hope
Of succor reaching them even if
help stood on the bank.
The sufferings of these two men
from this time (about 2 P. NJ until
morning about 9 o'clock,
cannot be described but some idea i
may be formed of their perilous
several times during the
night the ice gorged, and the water
rose so as to cover the top Of the
bar from five to six inches deep,
and after thus wetting them, the
gorge would break and leave their
wet feet again exposed to the wind
and cold, and of course they would
freeze in few minutes. This &C.
cured several times during the
night.
Mr.. Ransford, who is a large and
powerful man, kept in motion all
he night long, but Or. Bell, who is
If rather delicate constitution, was
Unable to keep up violent exercise,
md it required all his erxertions
md Ransford's to prevent him from
reezing to death. AT daylight on
Monday Ransford decided to make
an attempt to procure aid, and
started to wade from the bar to
the south bank. The water was
found to be only up to his chin, but
at the shore some small pieces Of
ice still adhered; yet by persistent
he succeeded in getting
up the bank, and there he stood,
miles from help, and wet through.
His team was still standing where
he left it the day before, and hasti-
ly hitching up, proceeded to the
nearest house and secured assis-
lance, and about 9o'clock DR.. Bell
was resCured. |
The injuries of the two men are
quite severe. Dir. Bell had both
feet, ears, face and right hand badly |
frozen. Ransford's face and feet |
are also badly frozen, but, hopes are
that amputation will
not be necessary in either case.