Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-02-19
LOST In THE SNOW.
A Green Mountain Boys Adventure
in NOG theFn COIOraaO-A Night Of
Peril I'm u Fierce storm.

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Tuesday, the 23d of January, 1872
will long be remembered by the people
of Northern Colorado Snow covered
the ground, yet the weather was pleas
ant, and the mountains stood out grandly
in the sunlight. On the afternoon Of
this day, jeremiah Fisk left the Higley
coal mines with load Of coal for his
home in Greeley. The distance is four.
teen miles. Two teams had gone before
him, and others we're on their way TO
the mine. A little after four o'clock,
when in sight of town, he passed two Of
his neighbors, who were cutting ice in a
lake seven miles northwest Of Greeley.
The Cache la Poudre river lay at the
foot of the slope, about two miles due
south Of him, and the road leads almost
directly down to the river, and follows it
to the town limits. Not long after leav-
ing the lake he heard noise like the
roaring of a great water-spout. Instinct
lively he turned toward the mountains;
they were calm and beautiful as in the
morning, but northward, where the black
hills rise from the plains, he saw vast
wall of cloud approaching with the speed
of whirlwind. The roaring increased.
At this instant the frozen tidal-wave
touched the foot hills and chased the
sunbeams from the mountains like an
avalanche. The horses rushed forward
in terror, and a second later they were
in darkness, the storm sweeping over
them with resistless fury. Snow, finer
than the finest -four, filled the air so that
it was impossible to see hundred feet
in any direction. Fisk wrapped buffalo
robe around his neck and shoulders, and
nrged the trembling horses on, but they
could not keep the road, and in a short
time the plain was as trackless as the
sea. After the horses had left the beaten
way they could scarcely walk, and it was
mot long before they refused to move.
The darkness increased, and the mer-
curry was rapidly running down to zero.
No time must be lost. The traces
were unhitched, and, mounting the
strongest horse; Fisk attempted to urge
him forward, but he would not go. Then
he led them for time, but finding that
it required all his strength to keep the
buffalo robe from blowing away, he left
the team and pushed on before the
wind, for the wind was his only COM
pass. The storm increased in violence
every moment, and it soon became dark
and intensely cold. In many places the
snow was deep, and more than twenty
times the strong man was hurled into the
drifts, so terrible was the storm. BY
eight clock the mercury stood at ten
degrees below zero. The snow blew
from all points of the compass, and pen
etrated every stitch of his clothing that
was not protected by the buffalo robe.
He knew that several houses. were
near but how could he find sim
gle one of them, when on that very
night the engineers on the railroad were
unable to find the water-tan nix at Pierce
station, in the darknessP The man
knew that death was on his trail. His
strength was failing rapidly, and the
cold increasing with the fury of the
storm. All his garments were frozen
stiff, and his eye-lashes coated with ice.
1t seems that he crossed the river few
hundred feet below Boyds rancho, but
he has only faint recollection Of
stumbling down on bank, and of dream
ing that he might possibly be near
house. He felt that his time had almost
come. To go on was madness, yet he
could not stop, except to brush away the
frozen tears, for wife with her babes
are waiting and praying, not three miles
away from his sinking heart.
He managed to walk an hour longer,
when dizziness came on, and his brain
reeled like the storm. Then he began dig
ging hole in the deepest drift he could
find. 1t was like digging his own grave,
for he knew not how soon he might sink
with exhaustion, After working long
time the ground was reached, and then
drawing the robe over his head, he wait
ed for the snow to bury him. The wind
did its work well, and in an hour eigh-
teen inches of snow covered his roof OF
fur. Never did a man long to sleep
more than he, but he knew that if he
closed his eyes it wonld be forever He
fought with his senses like Bunyans
Christian Pilgrim, and kept awake.
Burning pains shot through his SWOLLEN
limbs, and his legs cramped, as If on the
rack aud finally something like nettles
prickled in his boots. Then he knew
that his feet were freezing. Was he to
die after all the hours of agony2 No, he
would keep his muscles moving, and he
did so long after his toes were frozen
stiff. Hour after hour this man from the
Green Mountains fought with death,
while snowy billows were rolling above
his head. f
At daylight he crawled out. Houses
we're near. Then he staggered and fell;
got up again, and dragged his frozen
limbs toward the limits of the town.
After walking an hour he reached Coop
ers ranehe-the summer residence OF
our town clerk=-and pushed in the back
door. Another hous gas consumed in
making a fire. Some matches, piece
of candle, and an old broad-ax were
found. Then he melted snow in pail
and thawed his frozen feet He also
found dry clothing and a pair Of cavalry
boots. Although eowpletely exhausted,
he started for Greeley, distance OF two
miles. The mercury was lS0 below
zero, and it took him an hour to walk a
single mile. Often he thought he would
fall to the ground. The houses seemed
to spin around ns he passed them, and
familiar streets, IN which he saw chill
dren playing the day before, we're but
the landmarks OF dream. At last be
reached his fathers gate and staggered
to the door. Then there was q rash and
a scream. aud the next instant a black
and bloated face was lying on womans
breast
Dead ana is Alive Again.