The sun., 1873-01-27
FOrR DAYS IN a SNOW DRIFT.
Five Men Caught In the Great Storm In
Minnesoin-Three Frozen TO Death and
Ose CpIppiea fep Life.

oae trteptod
Pom he 81. PIn Press, Jan. ls.
Yesterday there arrived in this city by
IN 9 wimar train one OF the poor sufferers by the
late terrific storm. This man WHOSE name 10
pital to undergo the operations OF amputation OF
both feet and AN arm.
is Substantially as follows: On the morn
ing Of the terrible Tuesday party Of Ave men,
and Mike and Thomas Holden, started from
Beaver Falls, hsnviile county NTH ave load. 81
distant In from beaver Fails about thirty-dSe mile:
OF open prairie, twenty OF which are without
settler. quite early IN the afternoon II began TO
pressed on, anxious to reach WilmG with no
delay.
When within about eight miles OF wilmar tho
wind began 20 increase, and blew directly in
their faces. They viewed the situation with
to turn about and retreat TO a house about eight
miles In the rear, and fortunate would II have
was the house OF a Mr.. Messher, and the party
finally determined to press on to THIS refuge,
however. We n and i the Wind huried the falling and
drifting particles OF Ice against and about them
the storm and trust TO the instincts OF their ami
mails TO keep the right direction. Drifts began
TO meet them, and their. horses could scarcely
and equally too hazardous to take the back
track and they pushed on into the bitter hurri.
now their horses gave out and became stalled In
a succession OF deep drifts. II was found im-
alternative was to build the best protection their
circumstances would allow. One sleigh box was
set up edgewavs, turned from the wind, and an
other was leaned against II to serve as a cover
and brace. About this
INSECURE AND FLIMsY SHELTER
sacks Of grain were packed, and inside the nv1
men were crowded, after having first cut loose
| the horses. This was about four o'clock Tues
| day, and OF course they bad no food, and but
| mcagre supply Of blankets. The snow, driven
the prairseS ike stunning uArtS OF light
ming, was forced through every crevlce, and
packed against & and above The little & shelter snd
blown that IL was packed firm as sheets of Ice
| Tuesday night passed, and Wednesday Mike
| Meaghers house. He tried 20 persuade tho
| others TO accompany him, but they considered
| Mike started out ana succeeded In reaching tho
house, having both hands frozen on the way.
could be made to rescue the others at that time.
| They In the mean timo were suffering all the
| Bile that several Of them became delirious, Tor
when found they were lying out of and near the
| shelter. -
| About 10 o'clock Friday morning a man pass
ing along the road with an ox-tcam heard shouts =
search discovered the little barricsde covered
| with packed snow, and was horrined upon dis
tur61R several spnspent saos n An tae Vicinity
| men. lie found the bodies Of Thomas Holden,
stephen o'Neil and John 3Seiii the ars, two
| tinct. Upon searching under the cover he dis
| covered two feet protruding from the snow, and
| breaking away the crust he found Charles
| O'Neil alive, but In a terrible condition, The
| bodies were at once lugged u his sled and con-
| yeyed to Meagher's, and thence to Wilmar John
o'Nell dying before reaching that place The
details OF
THE suFFERIHGs OF CHARLES 0'NEIL
arc almost incredible. II seems that he had lain
down Immediately upol entering the cover, and
had, while In this position, been fastened down
by the terrible weight Of the snow which drifted
| upon him, or rather upon the upper portion OF
| his body. II was so heavy, ho said, as to cause
| almost unbearable torture. After he found be
| was unable to rise, and that the snow was GOV.
| erng his head he feared sufocatlon, aud &c
| keep that member free, he constantly raised and
| lowered It, and In this manner while he could moi
nreyent the drift from forming over II, he formed
| an air chamber which prevented sufocaton. Ii
| his endeavoT to free his head the Door fellow
| actually tore the hair entirely from the scalp
Here he lay, with his feet exposed TO the air ant
| frozen stiff aud with the cruel frost sowl!
creeping up his limbs, and unable 10 move
scarce nusclo Of his body from Tuesday nigh
| until Friday noon. Can q more horrible sltua
tion be Imagined The poor fellows tight arm
is frozen 10 the elbow, the right leg 20 the knee
and the loft leg above the ankle. These mem
| hers arc thus far completely dead, and he ha
been lying at Wilmar until yesterday, when tn
first train succeeded In getting through.
| Five OF the horses were frozen TO death, am
, the others were found five mlles away all right
Weekly and monthly payments for fnrnitnr,