The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-03-01
LOSTIN THE SNOW.

eTdtulu W cll IauA4AdA WAtA pOAlSuouic
luxury.
LOSTN THE SNOW.
Tuesday, the 23d of January, 1872,
will long be remembered by the peo-
pie of Northern Colorado. Snow
covered the ground, yet the weather
was pleasant, and the mountains stood
out grandly In the sunlight. On the
afternoon of this day, Jeremiah Fisk
left the Highley coal mine with load
of coal for his hoUe in Greeley. The
distance is fourteen miles Two
teams had gone before him, and 9TH
ers were on the way to the mine. A
little after 4 O'Clock, when in sight of
town, he passed two OF his neighbors
cutting ice in lake seven miles north
west OF Greeley. The Cache Ia Pou-
Dire River lay at the foot of the slope,
about two miles south of him, and the
road leads almost directly down to
the river, and follows it to the town
limits. Not long after leaving the
lake he heard a noise like the roaring
of great waterspout. Instinctively
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 a vast wall of cloud approaching
with the speed of q whirlwind. The
roaring increased. At this moment
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, fin
er than the finest -four, filed the air
so that it was impossible to see hun
dred feet in any direction. Fisk
wrapped a buffalo robe around his
neck and shoulders, and urged the
trembling horses forward, but they
could not keep the road, and in few
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
to move. The darkness in
and the mercury was rapid
ly running down to zero.
No time must be lost. The traces
were unlocked, and mounting the
strongest horse, Fisk attempted to
urge him forward; but he would not
90 on. Then he led them for time,
but lacking strength to keep the
buffalo robe from blowing awsy, he
left the team and pushed on before
the wind, for the wind was his only
compass. 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
8 o'clock the mureury stood at ten
degrees below zero. The snow blew
from all points OF the compass, and
penetrated every stitch of his cloth
ing that was not protected by the
robe. The man knew that death was
on his trail. His strength was failing
and the cold increasing with
the fury of the storm. All his gar
sses coated sfaf viii Ics 1taa Seems a fEss
he crossed the river a few hundred
feet below Boyd's rancho but he has
only faint recollection of stumbling
down a bank, and of dreaming 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.
He managed to walk an hour longer
when dizziness came on, and his brain
reeled like the storm. Then he began
digging 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 q long time the ground was
reached, and, then drawing the robe
over his head, he waited for the snow
to bury him. The wind did its work
well, and in an hour eighteen inches
OF snow covered his roof of fur
Neuer did a man long to sleep more
than he, but he knew that if he clos
ed his eyes it would be forever
Burning pains shot through his swol-
len limbs, and his legs cramped as if
onthe rsch, and, and finally something
like nettles prickled in his boots
Then he knew that his feet were freez-
ing. Was he to die after all the
hours of agony? No, he would keep
his muscles moving, and he did 30
long after his toes were frozen stiff.
Hour after hour this man fought with
death.
At daylight he crawled out
Houses were near. Then he stagger-
ed and fell; got up sgain, and then
his frozen limbs toward the
limits of the town. After walking for
an hour he reached Cooper's Rancho
the summer residence of our Town
Clerk-snd pushed in the back door.
Another hour was consumed in nak-
ing fire Some matches, a piece Of
candle and an old broad-axe were
found. Then he melted snow in an
old pail and thawed his frozen feet.
He also found dry clothing and pair
OF cavalry boots. Although COM
pletely exhausted, he started for
Greeley distance of two miles. The
was eighteen degrees below
zero, and it took him an hour to walk
q single mile. Often he thought he
would fall to the ground The hous-
es seemed to spin around as he passed
them, and familiar steets, in which he
saw children playing the day before,
were but the land marks of q dream.
At last he reached his fathers gate
and staggered to the door. Then
there Was a rush and scream, and
the next instant black and bloated
face was lying on womsn's breast
.Greeley Tribune.