Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-12-22
HARDsHIP ON THE PLAINs
Great stsrm On iSe BanaIs Gressd.
-iIany Peroons Rr0xen 70 Death.

ON THE P1.AIN1,
Great storm On tSe BanaIs Grouad.
-nany Psrsons Rrsxen 70 Death.
A correspondent of the Junction
City Kansas Union, writing from
Concordia under date Of the 9th Of
November, gives an account of the
snow-storm In which Max Alwens was
caught, aud the narrow escape Of his
party from freezing to death. The
writer says:
The severe storm which passed over
the western portion Of the State on the
18th and 18th instants. has, perhaps,
never been equalled In severity aud
suffering for years past. This evening
a party Of buffalo hunters returned
from q three weeks hunt after the
Gibson Of the plains" and report au-
chemically the hardships endured by
the many who had gone through this
growing town during the past few
weeks. The party Of huntersI speak
of consisted OF j. Sallinger, E. Slaght,
II. Decker of Clyde, the we'll known
Max Alwens Of Atchison, and Sol
Walling of Wagonda-men who are
we'll known throughout the western
portion Of Kansas. They had ended
the hunt and were preparing to re-
turn, having travelled into Graham
county, where the great buffalo grounds
lie. On the morning Of the 18th inst.
a fall Of snow commenced, mingled
with 'sleet, and continued to increase
In fury until midday, when the party
besought themselves to sheek shelter
In brushwood growing In the ravlnes
so numerous In that section. With
the increasing storm the wind became
more b~oisterOus and the air intensely
cold. Camping for the night, and
sheltsring themselves as best they
could, Saturday morning, the 18th
inst, found the party In snow four
feet In depth-the fall during the
night-the cold still more intense, and
the wind not quieted. The camping
place not being properly defended
from chilling blasts, q new start fol
better security was made. Falling In
with another party, consisting OF R,
Lake and brother. Frank Smith, Geo,
Steele and - Carnes, Of Atchison
county, Mo-, who were also on the
road for the same motive; they all
united, and soon succeeded In selecting
q place, where a "dug-out" six feet
square was made, and Into which the
entire party gathered, half frozen,
with barely life enough in any Of
them to start the fire ablaze. Three
armfuls Of wood was the quantity at
hand with which to keep the blood In
q state Of warmth.
In this "dug-out," until the storm
abated, did they remain, each one en-
deavorlng to enliven the spirits Of the
other, that sleep, arising from the
cold, might not possess them, that the
final sleep Of death should be made In
tho rude hut. Sunday morning, the
10th inst. the storm began to cease,
and the sun, cheerfully dissolving the
clouds, gave hope and much cheer,
that with vigor they began their home
ward march. Not M Of the entire
party, but what had served In the army
for three years, and endured the hard
ships and fatigues Of campaigns incl
dent thereto /; but as they state, the
severest Of them all bears no COMPARE
ION with the sufferings Of those two
days on the plains Of tho great West.
During the time spent In the "dug-
out" frequent firings were heard In
different directions, indicating that
there were others In condition equal
to their own. Approaching the settle
ments and returning, they learned
that n party Of seven who had prevl-
ously gone out had five Of their num-
Der frozen to death, the two remaining
having their hands and feet frozen.
A party of Texas herders had found
one man in q "dug-out" frozen to
death, and his comrade over a smoul-
dering blaze with o portion Of his
hands burned Off in his efforts to keep
up life. Another party, three In num-
Der, two men and a boy Of sixteen,
were found in a wagon dead. This
latter party were from somewhere In
Nebraska, and the wagon they had
was ofthe Excelsior /" make. Names
unknown. The number, to this date,
known to have persisted Is twelve.
Two Of the returning party were badly
frozen, but will recover.
Many will wonder why, at this sea-
son Of the year, parties 60 In search Of
buffalo; but old hunters, following
the habits OF. the Indians, look upon
the month of November as tho best In
the year for securing good robes.
More have gone to the buffalo grounds
this year than ever known before, and
how many were caught In the storm
1t Is difficult to determine. Certain 1t
Is that many have gone to a long home,
and who they are, or where they came
from, will perhaps never be s~atisfac-
torily answered.
There are parties out now, your cor
respondent understands, endeayoring
to discover the remains Of others.
Further news, as developed, will be
communicated.