Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-12-16
A MORT aEHN ON The PLAINS.


The Kansas Pacific brought to this
city this evening two of the members of
a party of herders who were caught in
the recent terrible norther which swept
over the plains during the past week. A
Times reporter waited upon them at the
Laciede hotel, and from them obtained
the following particulars concerning
their journey from Plum Creek, Neb. !,
to Ellsworth, Kan:
The party consisted of five, including
Professor l.. P. Cooke, of Woolhamp.
ton, r. l. Sam Jones, of Los Angeles :
and three he, ders, named James Loyd,
IL. N. Grespy, and Sayers. The
party left the Platte Valley, near its
junction with Plum Greek, for the pur-
pose of striking across the country to.
wards Ellsworth, from which point it
was intended to prooeed to Texas. They
started out with ono wagon drawn by
two mules, Lloyd and Sayers being
mounted on two broncho ponies. Moth
ing transpired worthy of mention until
last Wednesday night. The party had
reached the north fork of the Solomon
river, and were encamped in ravine on
the southern side of that stream when
the severe snow.storm and hurricane of
last Wednesday night struck them.
Professor Cooke describes the storm as
one of the most terrific he ever expert
enced. The wind and snow commenced
to pelt down early in the evening, the
air became dark and murky as early as
four o'clock in the afternoon, and before
the party succeeded in reaching the
timber, they found it impossible to pro.
coed further, the trail was lost in the
drifting snow, and suddenly darkness
coming upon them they went into camp
beneath the shelter of a rocky bluff. An
attempt was made to kindle fire with
few weeds and dead willows, but the
force of the wind was so strong that it
was found impossible to keep fire
enough together to boil coffee. The
party resolved to wrap up in their blan,
kets and go to sleep, if such thing
were possible. The mules and horses
were left to shift for themselves. To
wards midnight the storm increased il
violence snow, mingled with sleet,
pelted down. the wagon cover was blown
from the bows, and the five men hud
died together in the wagon found them
selves freezing with cold, while thu
robes and bedding We're becoming {
winding-sh of ice.
1t was finally resolved, to save life, tc
get up and build fire, and to dc
this, the bed OF the wagon was taken of
and propped up as a shelter from the
pelting sleet, while few blows from
the axe made firewood of the wheels. A
fire was made, after some difficulty, an6
all crouched around to shelter it from
being blown away by the terrible blasts
sweeping over tho plains. Mr.. Cooke
states that the Geld was SO severe that il
was impossible to keep warm without
scorching the clothing from the body
He describes the nights suffering as the
most horrible he ever experienced. To
wards. morning the wind moderated
and daylight dawned upon q scene
dreary and uninviting. The party sue,
ceeded in cooking breakfast at the OK
pense of their wagon-bed, while Loyd
and Sayers started out to search for the
missing horses and mules, which had
been lett to seek shelter from the storm
as best they might.
It wos agreed that oil the party