The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-03-07
Terrible Incident of the Great Storm.

l THE PECULIAE QUALITY oF NIINSEsoTA FRI
/ GIDITY-How PEOPLE FREEZE BEFORE THEA
| Know IT.
Among the many sad incidents which
We have been called upon TO chronicle
during the last few days with regard tC
the terrible results of the late storm
none, perhaps, will excite more sorrow
and sympathy than the story of Mrs
! Mary Townsend, q young married lady
/ who recently came with her husband
/ from Central New York 10 take up theil
abode in our new State.
just after the holidays the young
couple left this city for a visit to an un-
Gle OF the bride, q gentleman named
! Murray, who resides some five or six
miles from Pennington. \ week ago
last Monday Mr.. Townsend and his wife
had occasion to visit Pennington, and
for this purpose a team attached TO a
! light cutter was furnished them by Mr..
Murray. They started off, saying, how
ever, that they might not return until
the next day.
They did not attempt TO return that
evening, but early on Tuesday morning
they We're on their way back. 1t was
very cold, and the horses were urged on,
but suddenly the wind arose, fine parti-
cles OF snow began to fall, and before
long the great storm burst upon them
with all its fury. For a while the strong
animals battled against the elements;
but, becoming exhausted at last, il was
found impossible to urge them onward.
In the meantime the violence Of the
storm increased. Great drifts were
forming around the sleigh, and il was
impossible to distinguish objects at
scarcely a rod distant
Ii was a terrible dilemma to be Dlaced
in, and the hearts of both occupants of
the sleigh beat fast with fear and anX-
iety. As hours passed on, with no abate-
ment OF the angry storm, the perils Of
their situation began TO increase, and
while each endeavorsd to cheer the
other, both felt that nothing but a mys-
terious interposition of Providence could
save them from the terrible fate of freez-
ing to death. At last night came, but
stlll the fierce winds howled over and
about them, the drifts grew larger and
the temperature colder. WraDDed in
their robes and blankets, they huddled
together at the bottom of the sleigh.
and passed the night in praying for de
liverance from that awful situation.
As soon as daylight appeared Mr..
Townsend signiiied his intention Of
making an attempt to find assistance if
possible. His wife made fearful rennon-
strances, fearing that lie would meet
with no success, and perhaps perish
with the cold. He cheered her as best
he could, however, and packing the
robes still closer around her, took one of
the horses, and mounting him, rode
away.
All day the lonely wife waited, her
heart beating faster with fear as the te-
dious hours went on, and her tears and
prayers falling together. Night came
again, but it did not bring her husband
nor relief Buried in the folds of blan-
kets and buffalo robes, she could hear
the wailing of the wild winds as they
swept over the lone prairie all through
the dismal hours. Exhausted, weary
and benumbed, she at last fell asleep, in
which condition she was found about
ten O'Clock on the morning of Thursday,
the 9Th inst, by a party who were in
search of missing ones.
She was, after considerable exertion,
aroused, and finding that her exhaustion
was caused by hunger and fatigue, and
that she was not frOst-bitten, the neigh
bors carried her to the residence of her
uncle, only half a mile distant. Here
she was provided with everything need
ful for her comfort, but when, upon the
next day, the body of her husband was
brought home frozen, and stiff and
stark, her grief gave way to the wild
rawlings of insanity. Before this she
had told her uncle all that had happened
up to the time Of her falling asleep. As
soon as possible physicians We're sent
for but at last accounts Mrs. Townsend
was failing rapidly, with no signs OF ra-
uonal improvement minneapolis
Times.