Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-01-13

lneSe Inlngs L remember out no
Others, until stood at the door OF q
log house at daylight the next
morning. / had been all night.
more than IL hours-walking three
miles. How i endured the effort OF
that night, Is more than / can tell.
1t appeared the next morning, when
Mr.. Welch went back over my track
to get my horse. that / had fallen in
the snow at every few steps, aud fire.
quently had fallen several times be-
fore / could advance a step. The
house at which ] had arrived was
some little distance Off the road, aud
30 located that it could not be seen
as it was approached from the west I;
yet, / had for some reason left the
main road and struck i'm direct line
FOR the house, until / partially rous.
ed and found myself standing at the
door. 1t appeared from my tracks
that l had walked completely around
the house. AS soon as realized that
/ was at a holse, / made an alarm
and was Immediately answered by
the inmates, and ON informing them
who was and that was freezing to
death, they sprang from their bed,
and opening the door, caught me as
L fell in, more dead than alive. As
soon as l could give directions, Mr..
Welsh brought in n tub of spring
water, in which I placed my feet
and hands. My shoes were so en-
cased i'm ice and frozen snow, that il
was impossible to get them off my
feet, and / was compelled to put
them in the water and keep them
there until the ice dropped off, and
when the shoes and stockings wer>
finally removed, my feet presented
a sight such as hope TO never look
upon again-they were frozen per-
fectly stiff. Words would fail to tell
the suffering that | endured during
the next three or four hours. The
pain of drawing the frost from my
frozen feet and frost bitten hands.
was more than ever mortal should
be called upon to suffer. Fortunate
ly for me, / was during portion of
the time insensible to pain and ev-
erythiDg else, and during nearly the
whole time, my kind hostess was
compelled to sit and hold me up, to
keep me from falling off my seat
AT last the terrible ordeal was over,
aud We could see to what extent /
was frozen-every finger had been
frozen so that the flesh would come
off more or less, although they would
not be materially injured; but 1t was
evident that my feet were hopelessly
injured-one, at least, must be sacri-
feed, and perhaps both. Mr.. and
Mrs. Welsh did all in their power to
relieve my suffering and to minister
To my comfort. Soon after day light,
Mr.. w. went after my horse, aud
after hard trip against the wind.
found him and brought him in.--
The horse, too, was badly frost bit
ten, and did not recover from the
effects of exposure for long time.
1T was OH Saturday morning that
reached Welsh's, and my next en-
deavor was to send messenger to
Fort Dodge. The storm was yet
raging, and no one could be found
who would undertake the journey.
1t was, Us they avowed, impossible
for anyone to Withstand the cold
On the next day, Mr.. w. started on
foot, and reached Fort Dodge at
night, and on Monday Doctor OIney
came with a team and cutter and re-
moved me TO Fort Dodge, where a
room had been prepared for Inc at
the hotel, with every comfort that
could be commanded. l remained
at Fort Dodge the remainder of the
winter, and during the whole time
received Mt the hands of friends,
every care and attention that 1t was
possible for them TO extend to me-
the memory of which will continue
while life lasts.
notwithstanding the most skilful
medical treatment, l was compelled
to submit to the amputations of one
foot and part of the other, which
were performed safely and skilfulIy
by my friend, DIR. S. b. Olney, assist.
ed by DIR. S. s. Pease and several of
my kind friends. Chlo-oform was
administered during the time Of the
amputation, aud although / suffered
tortures far beyond my ability TO de.
scribe, yet was not at any time cog
INFANT of what was progressing, and
even after was free from the effects
of the ehloroform, il was difficult to
persuade me that the amputations
had been performed.
My sensations while I was under
the influence of chloroform were PEI
cuIiar. and / will endeayor to des.
cribe them, or at least portion of
them: AT first the sensation was O
pleasant one, as though 1 was sink
ing into deep and refreshing sleep
but soon / was out on a vast prairie,
In mid summer, the bright sun was
pouring his rays full on me, and as
the sun reached its meridian, IL
seemed as though could withstand
1t no longer. Espying wide spread.
ing oak at 10 great distance, eager
ly sought its shade and laid myself
down to rest and soon fell into deep
sleep; but was soon awakened by
touch at my shoulder, when spring.
ing to my feet. 1 found myself In the
presence of his Satanic Majesty, who
informed me that he was very much
pleased to see me, that he had been
looking for me. / couldn't return
the greeting, but was compelled to
make the best could of the unex-
pected circumstances i'm which was
placed. He sat down and invited me
to do likewise. / sat me down and
the old gent entertained me with a
very pleasant chat In regard to the
weather, politics, DC. AS he did
most Of the talking, had an excel
lent opportunity to look at the old
chap and take u close inventory Of
his personal appearance. In statue
he was about IL feet. well made and
finally proportioned. His body,
arms and legs We're covered with