Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-02-06
FOUR DAYS IN a sNow- DRIFT.
The sunserings Of Five Men in The Terrible
Storm "A Wonderful Case Of human Endur-

) Yesterday there arrived in this city
by the Wilmar train one of the poor
sufferers by the la:e terrific storm. This
man, whose name is Charles O'Neil,
was taken to the Sisters Hospital to ur-
dergo the operations of amputation OF
both feet and an arrn.
his STORY,
as gathered by Press reporter, is sub
stantially as follows: On the morning OF
terrible Tuesdaya party Of five men
Charles O'Neil and his brothers John
and Stephen, and: Mike and Thomas
Holden-started from Beaver Falls.
Bentville county, with five loads OF
grain fer Wilmar market. Wilmar is
distant from Beaver Falls about thirty
five miles of open prairie, twenty OF
which are without a settler. Quite ear
ly in the afternoon it began to snow,
but the wind was light and the party
pressed ON, to reach Wilnar with no
delay. "a
When within about eight miles OF
Nilmar the wind began to increase, and
blew directE in their faces They
viewed the situation with considerable
dismay, and about half concluded TO
turn about and retreat to house about
eight miles in the rear, and fortunate
would it have been had they done SO.
But about mile ahead was the house
of Mr.. Meagher, and the party finally
determined to press on to this refuge.
THE STORM
continued to increase in violence. how
ever, and the wind hurled the falling
and drifting particles of ice against and
about them until they were obliged to
turn their faces from the storm and trust
to the instincts of their animals to keep
the right direction. Drifts began to
meet them, and their horses could scare
~ founder through them. 1t was now
too late and equally too hazardous to
take the back track, and they pushed
on into the bitter hurricane in the hope
'ofreachiag zaeaghers. But now their
HORSES GAVE OUT
and became stalled in succession of
deep drifts. It was found impossible
to extricate the sleighs, and the only
alternative was to build the best pro-
lection their circumstances would allow.
One sleigh-box was set up edgeways,
turned from the wind, and another was
leaned against it TO serve as cover and
brace. About this insecure and Himsy
shelter sacks Of grain were packed, and
inside the five men were crowded, after
having first cut loose the horses This
was about 's>-
FOUR O'CLOCK TUESDAY,
and of course they had no food and but
meagre supply Of blankets. The snow
driven across the praries like stunning
darts of lightning, was forced through
every creyice, and packed against and
above the little shelter and, in up
on the men, and with such force was it
hlAsun that If waa packed as firm as
sheets Of ice. Tuesday night passed,
and Wednesday Mike Holden announc-
ed his intention >sof seeking Meagre's
house. He tried to persuade the others
to accompany him, but they considered
themselves safest where they were, and
declined Mike started out and succeed
ed in reaching the house, having frozen
both hands on the way. The storm
continued so severe that no attempt
could be made to rescue the others at
that time. They in the meantime were
suffering all the pangs Of cold and hun
ger, and it is quite probable that sever
al of them became delirious, for when
found they were lying out Of and near
the shelter
THE DISCOVERY.
About 10 o'clock Friday morning a
man passing along the road with an OK
team heard shouts as Of some one in
distress, and upon making search dis
covered the little barricade covered
with packed snow, and was Mortified
upon disturbing several apparent knobs
in the vicinity to find that they con
tanned the dead bodies Of men. He
found the bodies of Thomas Holden,
Stephen. ONeil, and John ONeil-the
first two quite dead, and the latter with
life almost extinct. Upon searching
under the cover he discovered two feet
protruding from the snow, and break
ing away the crust he found Charles
O'Neil, .alive, but in
TERRIBLE CONDITION.
The bodies were at once logged to
his sled and conveyed to Meayhers sand
thence to Wilriar, John .O'Neil dying
before reaching that place. The details
of the safferings of Charles O'Neil are
horrifying and almost incredible. 1t
seems that he had lain down i'm,
mediately upon entering the cover, and
had, whilelin this position, been fasten-
ed down, by the terrible weight Of the
enoWwh1eh driffed upon him; or rather
upouthe upper portion of .lis body. It
was 50 heavy, he said, as to cause almost
unbaarable torture. After he found he
was unable to rise, and that the snow
was covering his head, he feared sdffo-
cation; and to4keep that member free
he constantly raised and lowered it, and
in this manner, while he could not pre-
vent the drift from forming over it, he
formed an air chamber, which prevented
sufocaticn. In his endeavor to free his
head the poor fellow actually. aai
TORE THE HAIR
almost entirely from the scalp. Here
he lay, with his feet exposed to the, air
and frozen stiff, and with the cruel
frost slowly creeping-up his limbs, and
unable to move scarce muscle of his
body, from Tuesday night until Friday
nnn1 a (sa,, 81 mora shi,,..rihla cit,.at i'm