The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-11-10
a sEGzar rzsE WILDERNESS
An ADvENTURE IN ELK COTNTY.

were VISITED by three gentlemen. MessTS. j ..
+. Talbot, Horace JONES' and Alex. Smith.
residents Of PHILADELPHIA. who gave Us a
thrilling description Of their adventures in
the hemlock forests OF Elk county a few
weeks ago. The story Of their trials and pri-
Vations in that fearfully Wild and iRhospita.
bic region, sounds more like romance than
actual fact, but they assure as that nothing
Is described bat What actually occurred 1t
Is well known that those deep, dark. and
almost impepetrablu forests arc dangerous
places for travellers To get lost in. but the
reader can hardly realjz, that the danger is
as great IS that experienced by these gentle
men. Mr. Talbot. it appears. recently made
purchase cf several hundred acres If tim
Der land IL Elk county, aud ~ the 25th day
Of August be left Philadelphia IL c. mlany
with his two frieT Is. Smith and Jones. Tor
TIE purpose of examining his purchase. with
yirw ~ firing some # IL ioT sale. They
arrived safe IT st Mary's in due season
anu as ti.t lands lay about twenty-five miles
from that place, they concluded to 90 Oh
foot, carrying nothing but India rubber
blankets aud provisions sufficient to last them
four or i've days, together with long rife
each. On the 2oih of August they left the
little village and struck out boldly into the
wilderness. At night they kiuded fire at
the foot of wide spreading hemlock near
stream Of water, partoUk of their holnely
fare, and then Com posed themselves Tor rest
under their blankets The darkness and
gloom seemed penetrable-all was dniet
as the grave, save the occasional boot Of an
owl. In the morning they resumed their
journey and trudged on through the wilder
hess. Occasionally a frightened deer started
up and bounded away, but nothing else oc-
CURED 10 give them any Cause of alarm. TIE
on III ! 4.
travelling over 1t fer many milSs, they began
10 Tetrace their steps towards the settlement
which they hoped to reach about the first or
second day OF September. Late In the after
nOen OF the fourth day terrific tbuuder
storm came up, and they were compelled to
seek shelter under the branches of a yeuera-
Die hem!ock, whose moss covered trunk and
thick foliage gave evidence Of great age
Ihe storm soon burst upon them with fear
ful fury. The very air grew thick and
darkness set in. The lightnirg flashed. and
II it up the whole forest in a most one con-
tInu9us glare OF binding light while the
thunder crashed, Toared and reverb berated
ihrou9h those gloomy raviBes az if il would
snake the mighty trees from heir roots and
hurl them at their feet The wind bIev n
hurricane, and the crashing If falliuo trees
as they were leveled, caused a feeling of uro.
not the moment the old monarch under which
they stood would fall before the driving blast
and crush them in its ruins. bIin6iuo
flash OF lightning, followed by one Of the
most tremendous peals of thunder they ever
heard, caused them to crouch closer to tn,
trunk OF the old tree, while the splinters If
another, not forty feet from where tboy stood
were rained around them. The bolt had
struck and shivereG it into a thousand small
fragments, but they luckily escared. onIv
being considerably stunned by the force ,f
the electric current
The storm continued with uuabated fnrv
Tor Two hours or more, and they found il
lnpoSsloie To proceed any further that night.
CWinS 70 the uFenching rain they were un-
able to kindle FIRE. This was unfortunate
as those gloomy forests abound with wild
cats, and N the absence of fire they do moi
hesitate to attack any one. They connoee5
themselves as best they could at the foot of
the tree, not daring to close a eye in sleep.
as they knew not at what moment a wild
cat might spring upon them. All went well
until about eleven O'Clock, when they heard
a slight sound in the brush, and pee6ino ont
In the darkness they discovered two 6arv
eyes glaring upon them They knew that
wild cat was approaching, and their rifles
were Srasped more firmly The fierce ami,
mai walked three times around the tree as
u meoltstlng how to attack them, gradually
drawing nearer each time. At last il ston-
pea directly IN front of them and seemed
cloucnihg as II TO spring upon them. At
tins critical juncture Talbot DISCHARGED bic
rlHe directly at the animal. Win q fa,rfnI
screech that filed them with fear the villa
cat boLnded into the brush. and when tho
echoes OF the rife had died away all was stiU !
and deeper and more imponebable gloom |
'etteo down upon them. An hour had
scarcely elapsed however when 10 their bor- |
TOR the merry eyeballs of two more wild cats (
suddenly flashed upon them out of the tbick /
musky darkness. Thev stood erect and (
grasped their arms in the attitude of charge (
oayonets. The animals slowly approaches I
and seemed intent upon doing mischief IA I
lhey conid not see to reload their rifles and 4
us 1aiCots gun was discharged. they were /
cohpeiled fo-exercise the greatest caution in /
orpef 10 make their FIRE effective in the event .
of spring from the animals. The wild cats 1
"aiKed around several minutes-tben ston- /
ped an instant-wheA, Quick as ,bouobt /
one oil them. giving low growl, sprapg at I
the appalled, adventures. As lnck w0pId
nave H. smith caught the animal on the end
oi MS rlhe, and, pulling the trigger al tba,
'npheht, sent ball through its heart. IT
rolled OH. uttering frightful veil. and nv
the Kicking and scratching in the bushes
lhey knew 1t was wounded. At the same
moment they all yelled as loud as thew conLI
%hlcn seemed to frighten the other and !,
20 pounded into the bushes and disappeared
1hey were not disturbed again dprino The
p,eh'. They left The place as soon as possj-
o. o,e ana hastened to the Alpine Hopse 81
Mary's. well nigh exhausted with the nightsc
watching. and GLAD TO get out Of the horn.
Die wilderness. So great was the excitement
Inroagh which they had passed that terrible
niSht. that the reaction caused each one to
be attacked with Illness. which lasted tI,eo
1ays oetcTe they were able 10 travel. Ola
Hunters informed :bem that they made
i"n pieao'h escape, as those animals are
usually very fer0eioDs in the absence of s-o
ne three adVenturers left Cd the evening
yam ior Philadeiphia. fully saiis fed that
nlgh' ID the wilderness OF Elk county. under
such Circumstances. rs any thing but pleasant
DT romantic. That night Of horror .vfIl 80
Dc ehaced from their memories. and il Is
loaofini whether they will ever sttemnt
M