The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-10
The Minnesota Storm Wave.

nluI uhHl Fhy wv eu! P"PSAt SAt
the poor sufferers by the late terrific
storm. This man, whose nalnc js Chas.
0'Neil, was taken to the Sisters Hos
pital 10 Undergo tile operations Of am
putation Of both fect atl at1 arm. His
story, as gathered by u reporter, Ia sib'
stantially as follows:
On tie morning Of the terrible Eues.
day party Of flve men-Charles 0'Neil
and his brothers John and Stephen, and
Mike and Thomas Holden-started from
Beaver Falls, Renville county, with five
loads Of grain for the Wilmar market.
Wilmar Is distant from Beaver Falls
about thirty.hye miles Of open prairie,
twenty OF which arc without settler.
Quite early in the afternoon II began TO
snow, but the wind was light, and the
party pressed on, anxious to reach VIII
mar with no delay.
When within about eight miles Of
Wilmar the wind began TO oinCrease, and
blew directly in ntheirfaces. They viewed
the situation with considerable dismay,
and about half concluded to turn about
and retreat to the house about eight
miles in the rear, aud fortunate would
it have been had they done SO. But
about mile ahead was the house OF a
Mr.. Meagher, and the party finally de-
termined 10 press on to this refuge. The
storm continued to increase in violence,
However, and the wind hurled the fall.
ing and drifting particles Of ice against
and about them until they were Obliged
to turn their faces from the storm and
trust to the instinct OF their animals 10
keep the right direction. Drifts began
to meet them, and their horses could
scarcely founder through them. II was
now too late and equally too hazardous
to take the back track, and they pushed
on into the bitter hurricane In tile hope
Of reaching Meaghor's. But now their
horses gave out and became stalled in q
succession Of deep drifts, TWAS found
impossible to extricate the sleighs, and
the only alternative was to build the
best protection their circumstances
would allow. One sleigh box was set
up edgeways, turned from the wind,
and another was leaned against It to
serve us q cover and bruce. About this
insecure and flinsy shelter sacks OF
grain were packed, and inside the fiye
men were crowded, after having first
cut loose the horses. This was about
four o'clock Tuesday, and Of course they
had no food and but meagre supplyof
blankets. The snow, driven across the
prairies like singing darts OF lightning,
was forced through every creyice and
packed against and above the little shell
ter and IN upon the men, md with such
force was it blown that 1t was packed
firm as sheets Of ice.
Tuesday night passed, and Wetlnes-
dny Mike Holden announced his inten-
tion Of seeking Meagher's house. He
tried TO persuade the others 10 accom-
pany him, but they considered them-
selves safest where they were and so
declined. Mike started out, and sue
ceeled in reaching the house, having
both hands frozen OH the why. The
storm continued 80 severe that no ut
tempt could be made to rescue the 9th.
ers at the time. They in the meantime
were suffering all the pangs OF cold and
hunger, and It is quite probable that
several OF them became delirious, for
when found they were lying out Of and
near the shelter.
About ten o'clock Friday morning a
man passing along the road with an OK
team heard shouts as Of some one III
distress, and upon making search dis
covered tie little bnrricadec covered with
packed snow, and was Mortified upon
disturbing several apparent knols in
tile vicinity to find that they contained
the dead bodies Of men. He found the
bodies OF Thomas Holden, Stephen
o'Neil and John 0'Neil, the first two
quite dead, and the laHer with life al.
most extinct. Upon searching under
the cover he discovered two feet pro-
truling from the SHOW, and breaking
away tie crust he found Charles o'Neil
alive, but III terrible condition. The
bodies were at once lugged to his sled
and conveyed 10 Meagher's, and thence
10 Wilmar, John o'Neil dying before
fencllnR tLlut plAce.
The details Of the sufterings Of Chas.
O'Neil are horrifying and almost in
credible. 1t seems that he lad lain
down Immediately upon entering the
cover, and Ind, 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, lie said,
as 10 cause almost unbearnble torture.
After he found that he was unable to
rise, and that the snow was covering his
head, he feared suiiocation, and TO Keep
that member free he constantly raised
and lowered It, and in this manner,
while lie could not preyeat the drift
from forming over IL, he formed mn nil
chamber, which prevented sufiocation.
In liis cndeayor to free his head the
poor fellow actually tore the hairalmost
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 M
able to move scarce o muscle OF his
body, from Tuesday night till nearly
Friday noon. Can q more horrible sit
,iation be imagined9 The poorfellow's
right arm is frozen TO the elbow, the
right leg to the knee and the left Lee
above the ankle. These members arr
thus far completely dead, and he hal
been lying at Wilmar until tho frs
train succeeded N getting through
Five OF the horses were frozen to death
and the others were found five mile
away, oil right, M
FooIlsu GlRIs.-About the cheelties
operation on record has Just beei