The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-07-16
The HIost FriYhtful Narrative OF Modern

Iuo1thty d9ScrlDeS atreah, and no DOUBT
with minute accuracy, chain Of events,
which for ghastly horror are probably
without equal in authentic records. The
tale realizes, in truth, the frightful de-
nunciation of Othello; for in it "on
horrors head horrors accumulate" and
surely imagination can picture nothing
in the way Of the piteous and awful more
extreme than what was suffered by the
unfortunates concerned. In various
forms, by books, newspapers, and more
frequently, by private report, the story
has been told; for it happened long ago
-iu 1S46-before Captain Sutter had
made his discovery, and before every old
whaler from Casco Bay TO Hatteras had
been fitted up, to bravo once more the
perils of Cape Horn. But many have
persisted in disbelieving it, 1t was too
horrible, they said, to believe. Aud it is
true that there seemed to be raw head
and bloody-bones mir about the nara
tive that more frequently attends fiction
than fact, and which, ut oil events, lent
warrant to the suspicion that it had been
expanded and embellished. There is,
however, no doubt about tho melancholy
truth of it; and tho minute account now
published is to be accepted rs the pro-
duct Of all the sifted and collated testi-
mony that it has been possible to obtain.
Donner Lake-named after the leader
OF the party who met their death hard
by-is one of the most picturesque and
lovely spots among the elevated valleys
Of the Sierra Nevada. ''Starvation
Camp"-the immediate scene of the
calamity-is is close at hand, aud by it
runs the railroad, q strange contrast in
the plenty and succor it suggests to the
helpless misery the spot once witnessed.
The Donncr party left their home for tho
Pacific slope in search of hcalthful and
eligible soil, and having penetrated this
great distance toward their promised
land, were 'snowcd up" near the lake.
Their Indian guide, one Truckee, warn
ed them ono afternoon that dreadful
weather was ut hand. and urged them to
push on. Bnt-for tho ground was as
yet uncovcred-they had found wood,
water and grass, and determined to halt
for tho night. In the morning, Il foot
OF snow had fallen, and their cattle had
wandered away SO that few of them
could be found. Alarmed, the way
farcrs began to build cabins and to take
such other measures as they could to
protect themselves from tho clements.
The snow continued to fall, and present
ly became impossible. In few days,
it was eight feet deep. During nearly
the whole Of November, the long storm
continued, and the snow on tho noun
tains ultimately reached depth of moro
than twenty feet.
There were eighty-two souls in the
party, thirty-two being women and
large proportion children. The Cap
tain, George Bonner, was man of some
sagacity and considerable wealth, and
his wife and children being with him,
had every incentive to prudence and ac-
tivity. But all efforts to escape from
their frightful situation proved vain. In
u short time everything in the shape of
wholesome food was gone. They dc.
voured their dogs, the hides OF tho cat
tlo they had saved and their own boots
aud shoes. Finally the miserable crea-
lures began to think of eating each other.
At this period death occurred thus
deferring the need for violence, and
horrible to relate, the corpse was eagerly
consumed. Other deaths followed, and
the survivors continued 70 sTbsist on the
flesh Of their dead companions. After
six weeks, the storH1a having subsidized,
eight men and five women, guided by
two Indians. set out to try to make their
way to California. The hopes of all that
ACLhhlhCtt AlNLt oii IhCil Cl1olto3 hu(t LucJ
struggled desperately to succeed But
in week, and before they had passed
the Divide, this forlorn hope was again
overwhelmed by snow. Three died al
most at once, and the rest ate their
bodies. Having" says the Overland
Monthly, "now been without morsel to
cat for four days, those wretchcd people
cut tho flesh from the bodies of the dead,
and having refreshed themselves upon u
portion of it and dried the balance for
future use. again pushed on. This was
their New Years feast, it now being the
first day of January, 1S47. Five days
later their food was again all gone, and
they had only tho strings of their snow
shoes left to eat"
The unhappy wretches then desired to
devour their Indian guides; but the lat
ter, seeing their intention, fled over the
hills and were seen no more. On the
18th of January all but three of the thir-
teen were dead, and of the survivors two
laid down to die. The third had fallen
in with u friendly Indian, who conduct
cd him to n settlement on Bear River.
There the story was told, and Immediate
l,,o