The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-04
DESTITUTION AND DEATH.
A Hunting Party Stricken Down by Disease
Death of Four Out Of Five Men.

Death Of Four Out Of Five Men.
The Boston Post has special despatch from
Bangor, Maine, conveying the following terrible
details reported at that place by one of the sur
vivors of hunting and fishing party, consisting
of five individuals (French Canadians) who
were stricken down by disease and perished in
their camp on the Canada side, not many miles
from the American border. The party (of which
was the informant, a Frenchman, who speaks
English imperfectly) set out with two horses
and a pung, about Christmas, upon hunting
and fishing expedition in the wilderness near
the American line. The party were well equip
ped with guns, traps fishing tackle, and provi-
sions, intending to spend month or two in that
uninhabited region.
The first two weeks they had good luck and
some fine sport, capturing several otter, mink,
sable, etc, and making good catch of trout in
the lakes Returning to camp one evening, one
Of the men complained of a sore throat Not
much was thought of it by the rest of the party
till towards the middle of the night the man
gave evidence of extreme suffering, his throat
being so swollen that he could not swallow. He
continued to grow worse during the night,
and when morning came was quite insensible.
He had been attacked by that most loathsome
and fatal disease, diphtheria, which is alike
malignant and terrible in the city and in the
forest. Without medicine of any description;
and nearly fifty miles from any human habita-
ton, they could but anxiously await the crisis.
They had not long to wait, for before night
set in the man was corpse. Before the first VIC
tim expired, however, another of the party began
to complain of the same difficulty, and on the
second day died of strangulation, or from the
filing up of the throat. The three SURVIVORS took
the two bodies out of the camp aud covered them
over with snow, for the purpose of preserving
them till they could carry them out of the forest.
Determined to break up camp the next day. and
return with their dead comrades, they were
doomed to disappointment, in consequence of
| two of the remaining three being prostrated by
| the same terrible agent. The last two
| survived about forty-eght hours, when they, in
4 turn, were carried out by the only one remain
| ing, to be buried in the snow. Alone in the
| wilderness, fifty miles from any human being
| excepting the grim, cold bodies of his lifeless
| companions, the sole survivor resolved to start
early in the morning for the abode of civiliza-
| tion, with his freight of pulseless humanity.
| But griefs never come singly. During the night
| the deadly contagiOn fastened upon himself.
| In his own words, he "felt the monster at his
throat" and resigned himself as we'll as he
| could to his fate. The poor fellow suffered the
| agonies of hundred Deaths alone and uncared
for, in literally howling wilderness, with the
| prospect of no one ever being able to tell the
borrid tale. He lay, he thinks, some four or five
| days before he awoke to consciousness of his
| fearful condition. The midness of the weather
and good supply of blankets and boughs saved
| him from freezing, in the absence of fire,
| which he was too weak to kindle
As soon as he could crawl, he went to the
| hovel, and to his amaZement and grief found
| both of the horses dead. They had died of star
| yation. Returning to his camp, he thought he
would take a look at his dead companions.
nearly eaten up by the wolves and other wild
beasts that inhabt that wild and desolate region.
Nothing now was left for him to do but to
make his way alone out of the forest. With q
pair of snow-shoes upon his feet and as much
provisions as his feeble frame could bear, he
started forth, and on the third day reached an
Indian camp, where he rested till he was able to
proceed on his journey.