, 1873-12-12
A NORTHER ON THE PLAINS.
TerrIbIe Suffcrtngs of n Pnrty Of
Travellers on thu Solomon, nUtsvGcn
tho Two Pacific IkOntls.

Travellers an thu Solomon, lsUtsvccrt
thu Two Pacific nonis.
From tho Kansas city Tfmts.
Tho Knnsas paciac brought to this city thta
era who wore caught in tho recent orribo north
or Which awopt over tho p1ains dnring tho past
week, A Times reportur waited upon tl,on, at
tho I.actcde Hotel md from them obtnitted tho
following particn'1MTs concerning theE Journey
Tho party consisted Of flyo, including Prof.
L. 7. Coolte, Of Woohampton, II. l.; Sam
Jonoa, OF Los Angeles, md tllroo ho,dors,
named Jamcs Loya, H.. n. drespy and -
its It's tnnotion ,n With Plum Crock for tho Parposo
Of striking across tho country towards Els
worth, from which point 1t was Intended to pro-
coed to ToxaH. They started ont with ono
wagon drawn By two mulos Loya and i, ,s.t,, snyera
transplrod worthy of mcutlon until! last Wodnes.
dny night. Tho purity Ind reached tho north
fork Of tho Solomon River, md were oncamped
in a raYiuo on tho southern aldo Of that Htream,
last Wednesday, night struck thou1. Prot. Cookie
describes tho nturm as one Of tho most tor.
rifle ho over experienced. Tic wind md
snow commenced to poit down early in tho
early as O'Clock In tho afternoon. and before
tho party succeeded In roaohing timber, they
found 1t impossible to proceed further, tho trail
waa loas In tho drifting anow, aud Huddonly
darkness coming upon tho'n they wont into
camp beneath the sllol.er Of rocky bluff. An
attempt WAS mado to kindlo q fire with fow
wecds and dead willows, but tho force OF tho
wind was so strong tint It WAS found Impossible
to keep fire enough together to boil coffee. The
party resolved to wrap up In their blankets and
mu|eB aud horses wcro left to SHIFT for them
selves. Towards midnight tho storm increased
in violence, Hnow nsnglng with sleot pe!tcd
down. the wagon cover was blown from Tho bows,
found themselves fteoxing with cold, while tic
robes ard bedding ssas becoming awinding-shost
Of ice.
1t wns f,ually resolved to Hayo lfo to got up
and build 1lro, md, to do this. tho bed OF tho
wagon was takon oil and proprod up rs slleltor
tho nx made tlsowood Of the wheels.. A fire was
matle after aome difficulty, and all crouched
around it with blankets nnd robes drawn around
to shelter 1t from being blown away BY the ter
ribe blasts sweeping over tho plainH. Atr. Cooke
states that the cold was SO seyere that It was
found impossible to keep warm without scoroh-
ing tho clothing from tho body. Io describes
tho nights suffering rs the moBt horrible no
cycr experienced. Towards morning tho wind
moderated, md daylight dawnea upon sceno
cooking breakfast ut tho expense Of tlloir
wagon-bod, whi1o Lloyd and Bayors started out
to search for tho 1nisaing horses aud muleA,
which had been left to seek sholter from tho
It was agreed TINT al1 tho party should rem
dezyous Oh tho south fork OF tue Solomon,
wIlother tho stock WIS found OF not; 4 fair dis
tribution Of food mud whisky was lnado, mud
MeBars. Cooke, Col. Jamea and Groapy started
over tho snowy wnste toward South Fork. This
separation was fatal to 6aycrB; ho was never scon
aEain alive. Lloyd states that they got upon tho
t,nil of tho anin,alB which led thom down among
tic rocky bluffs Of tho North Solomon when
they becaue separated. and both became lost.
Lloyd nude fire in the creok bottoms and spont
tho following night; and noxt morning camo
upon tho mules grazing upon tho edge OF 2
snaall BOTTOM which was comparatively sheltered
1rom tho storm. Ile made scnrch for Sayors, hut
| finding no traces Of him. started acroaH tho d.
| vide for tho South Fork. lIe discovered, about
| two miles aouth OF the Solomon,
| what appeared to be tho re,nains Of man; tha
bones ssero entirely clean and scattered oyor thu
| drifted SNOW. Owing to tho cxtrcme cold, lo
wns obliged to abandon one Of tho mulcs, but
| tho animal followed Its mate to tho rendezvous
I on South Solomon, whero tho ba1ance Of the
| party wnA found IN comfortable camp. Tho four
reached tho KanBas Pacific, at Ellsworth, In
| safety. They were worry badly frostbltten and
ninllo all haste to this city and Lawrenco, two o1
| the party stopping tlloro on business,
Prof. Cooke describes tho ''northor" Which
Aas boon sweeping over tho plai1ls for the past
(! four or five days Oh very aoyore. It il utmost
impossible for animal lfo to exist out OF shelter
| Nothing could induce him to again peril his life
in an overland trip botwoen the two Pacific