The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1873-01-30
FOUR RDAYS INA SNOWDRIFT.
The Sunerings of Five Men In the Terri
BILE StOrm---Three Frozen TO. Death
and One Crippled for Life---A Wonder
full Case of Human Endurance.
rom lhe st. pnnl Press. lslh.I

49, AAA
this city by the Wllmar train,
one of the poor sufferers by the
late terrific storm. This man,
whose name is Charles 0Neil,
was taken to the Sisters Hos
pital, to undergo the operations
of amputation of both feet and
an arm.
His story, as gathered by a
Press reporter, is substantially as
follows: On the morning of the
terrible Tuesday, a party Of
five meu, Charles O'Neil and
his brothers John and Stephen,
and Mike and Thomas Holden,
started from Beaver Falls, Rem
vile County, with five loads CT
grain for Wilmar market. Will
mar is distant from Beaver Falls
about thirty-fVe miles of open
prairie, twenty of which is with
out a settler. Quite early in the
afternoon it began to snow, but
the wind was light and the par
ty pressed on, anxious to reach
Wilmar with no delay. When
within about eight miles of Will
mar the wind began to increase,
and blew directly in their faces.
They viewed the situation with
considerable disWay, and about
half concluded to turn about and
retreat to a house about eight
miles in the rear, and fortunate
would it have been had they
done so. But about a mile
ahead was the house of a man
named Meagher, and the party
finally determined to press on to
this refuge.
The storm continued to in
crease in violence, however, and
the wind hurled the falling and
drifting particles of ice against
and about them uutil thy were
obliged to turn their faces from
the storm and trust to the in
sticts of their animals to keep
the right direction. Drifts be-
gan to meet them, and their
horses could scarcely founder
through them. 1t was cow too
late, and equally too hazardous
to take the back track, and they
pushed on into the bitter hurri-
cane in the hope of reaching
Meagher's.
But now their horses gave out
and became stalled in a success.
sion Of deep drifts. 1t was
found impossible to extricate
the sleighs, and the only alterna-
tive was to build the best protec,
tion their circumstances would
allow. One sleigh box was set
up edgewayS, turned from the
wind, and another was leaned
against it to serve as a cover and
a brace. About this insecure
and flimsy shelter sacks of grain
were packed, and inside the five
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 a meager supply
of blankets. The snow, driven
across the prairieS like stunning
darts Of lightning, was forced
through every crevice, and pack
ed against and above the little
shelter, and in upon the men,
and with such force was it blown
that it was packed firm as sheets
of ice. Tuesday night passed,
and Wednesday Mike Holden
announced his intention of seek.
ing Meagher's house. He tried
to persuade the others to accom-
pany him, but they considered
themselves safest where they
were, and declined. He started
| ont and succeeded in reaching
the house, having both hand,
frozen o. the way. The storm
continued b. severe that no at
tempt could be made to rescue
the Others at that lime. They il
the meantime were s.'fferiug al
the pangs of cold and hunger,