Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-04-07
From the Burlington Free Press.
Alive from the Dead.

-
remarkable escapes from starvation in
wilderness that we have ever heard Of
an escape achieved by a display of endu.
rance almost without parallel. Our
readers viii remember mention of Mr..
Everts' case, in our paper, last fall but
we did not begin to realize then its re-
markable features. These we learned
afresh from Mr.. Evarts' lips, and they
make story surprising in interest any
in fiction. Mr.. Evarts was one Of an ex-
ploring party, last September, in the
wild regions about the sources of the
Snake and Yellow Stone Rivers, in Mon
tana 1t was high region, over eight
thousand feetabove the level of the ocean
--one never visited before by white
man-and which even the Indians have
never inhabited. 1t was a wooded eoun-
try; its trackless wilds covered with fall
len timber, making travel very slow on
foot or horseback, The party scattered
in search of game one day, and Mr..
Evarts followed deers' trail till at night
fall he realized that he was lost in the
woods. He camped out that night, not
doubling that he could retrace his steps,
and rejoin the party the next day Start,
ing early next morning, little too early
to see clearly, he dismounted from his
horse to examine his trail more closely,
when the beast frightened by something,
started away on run, and he saw no
more Of him. Attached to the saddle
was his carbine, pistols, ammunition, fish
ing tackle, matches, everything in fact Of
his equipment, except the clothes on his
body. OF course be realized that it was
now serious business Thinking, how
ever, that some of the party would be
back to look for him, he remained in
that vicinity for day or two; but his
friends knowing that he was mounted on
a good horse, did not doubt that he
would soon overtake them, and had push
ed on two days journey before they stop
ped to wait or make search for him In
the meantime, the first snow of the sea-
son, two feet in depth, fell, making all
following Of trails or journeying on foot
impossible for Mr.. Evarts, and perilling
his life from exposure. 1t was saved by
a provision of nature not known in these
parts the hot springs, He remembered
that they had passed some of these, five
or six miles from the spot where he be-
came separated from his party, and sue
ceeded in making his way back to them.
He lay by these on the ground warmed
by the springs till the snow went off, sus-
tanning life by kind of thistle root,
which could be eaten when sodden in the
hot water Of the springs, though having
little nourishment in it. There was plen.
ty of elk and other game in the woods
and fish in the streams, but he was who'll
ly without any means to take them.-
Neither did he dare to leave there with
out some means Of kindling q fire, for
the nights were too cold to be without a
fire. How to get the first spark was the
problem. Fortunately he had with him
his field glass, and using its lenses as a
burning glass he succeeded on bright
day iu lighting a FIRE with some cotton
wood. He then started on the track of
the party, using his burning glass to make
a fire in bright weather, and carrying
brands in his hands from one stopping
place to another in cloudy days, burning
his fingers terribly in the process, in spite
Of all precautions. Two nights he had
to spend without fire, and with the ut
most difficulty kept himself alive by CON
slant motion and rubbing of his stifening
limbs. A single small bird and fish or
two gave him all the food he had except
the thistle roots. His boots gave out and
his feet became worn TO the bone. In spite
of all he pushed on, and thirty.eight
days from the day he was lost he met a
party coming to find not him but his life
less remains; for they had no hope Of
finding him alive. He had made his
way over q hundred miles towards civil.
zation. He had become reduced in
weight from 100 to so pounds but he
was alive, and is living and healthy
man to-day, though his feet have not yet
fully recovered from the terrible wear Of
that month of travel
| We remember no instance of iudur
ance surprising this, and we should be
glad if Mr.. Evarts, who is Vermonter
born in Bolton, and former resident O
burlington, would write out for our col
umns, in fuller details, the interesting
story of his struggle for life in the viii
derness.