The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-02
Lost fEs The snow.

Tuesday. the 2Sd of January, 1912. win
long be remembered by the people of North
ern Colorado. Snow covered the ground, yet
the weather was pleasant, and the noun
tains stood out granGly in the sunlight. On
the afternoon OF this day. Jeremiah Fisk left
the Higlsy coal mine with load of coal for
his home in Greeley. The distance is four
teen miles. Two teams had gone bsfore him,
and others wero on their way to the mine.
A little after 4 O'Clock, when in sight of
town, he passed two of his neishbors who
were cutting ice in lake seven miles north
west 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 the river, and follows it to the
town limits. Not long after leaving the lake
40 heard a noise like the roaring of a great
water spout. ICstnctively be turned toward
the mountains; they were calm and beautiful
as in the morAing, but northward. where the
Black Hills rise from the plains, be saw a
vast wall of cloud approaching with the
speed ofaiwhirlwind. 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 hor
ses rushed forward IN terror, and second
later they wers in daIkners, the storm sweep
ing over them with resistless fury. Snow,
finer than the finest -four, filled the air, so
that it was i'm possible to see hundred feet
IL any direction. Fisk wrspt buffalo robe
around his neck and shoulders, and urged
tbs 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 not long before they re-
fused to move. The darkness increased. and
the mercury was rapidly running down to
zero.
No time must be lost The traces were
unhltched. and mounting the strongest horss,
Fisk attsmp pied to urge him forward, but he
would not 60. 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 it was his cnlv compass The storm
increased in violence every moment, and it
soon became dark and intensely colo. In
many places the snow was deep, and more
than twenty times the strong man was hurled
into the drifts. terrible was the storm
By O'Clock the mercury stood at ten de-
grees below zero. The snow blew from all
points of the compass, and penetrated 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 a
single one Of them. " hen on that very night
tho engineers on the railroad were unable to
find the water tank at Pierce station in the
darkness. The man knew that death was
on his trail. His strength was failing apidly
and the cold Increasing with the fury of tho
storm. All his garments were frozen stiff
and his eye lashes coated with ice. 1t seems
that be crossed the river q few hundred feet
below Boyd's rancho, but he has only faCt
recollection Of stumbling down bauk. and
of dreaming that he might possibly be near
a house He let that his time had almost
come. To 60 on was madness, yet he could
not stop. except to brush away ths frozen
tears, for a wife with her babes are waiting
and praying, not three miles away from his
sinking heart.
He managed to walk an hour longer, when
a dizziness came on, and his brain reeled like
the storm. Then he began digging a hole
in the deepest drift he could find It was
ike digging bis own grave. for he knew not
how soon he might sink with exhaustion
After working long Tins the ground was
reached, and then drawing the robs over his
head. he waited for the snow to bury him.
The wind did it's work well, aud in an hour
eight teen inches of snow covered his roof Of
snow. Never did man long to sleep more
eyes it would be forever. He fought with his
senses like Buuyan's 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 these hours Of agony 2 No, he would
keep his muscles moving. and he did so long
after bis toes were frozen stiff. Hour after
hour this man from the Green Mountains
fought with death. while snowy billows were
rolling above his head.
At daylight he crawled out. Houses were
near. Then he staggered and fell got up
again, and dragged bis frozen limbs towards
the limits of the town. After walking au
hour he reached COopcr's ranche-the sums
mer residence Of our Town Cerk-and push
ed in the back door. Another hour was con-
suned in making fro. Some matches. q
pecs of candle and an Old broad ak were
found. Then he matted Enow in a pail and
thawed his frozen feet. lie found dry cloth
ing ahi pair of cavalry boots Although
completely exhausted. he started fer Greeley
a distance of two miles. The mercury was
I9 degrees below zsro, and it took him Ar
hour to walk a single mile. Often he tho't
he would fall to the ground. The houses
seemed to spiA round as he passed them, and
familiar streets, in which he saw children
playing the day before, were but the land
marks of dream. At last he reached hi.
fathers gate aud staggered to the door,
Then there was rush aud a scream. anG
the next instant black and bloated fac.
was lying on a woman's breast.-Greeley
Colorado Tribune, January 81.
A MOST damaging expose of the doinss o