St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-03-26
A Snow Storm in June.
A> "Ip MAN AND Eul LOST ~ THt
WOODS or rWo NIGHTS me Oh
MANS iEET FROZEN.

Al "Ip MAN AND Eol LOST ~ The
Wu"n> or rWo NIGHTS me OLD
MANS rEET FROZEN.
Sixty Wears ago the 9th of June urNt .
there occurred III the northern part al
Vermont the most remui hahic storm ui
which there Is ANY record III the Green
Mountain State. I'h, writer WIS tLen
living in the township. ~ town. rs such
land divisions We're called then. and has
4 pretty vivid recollection of that
snow ->r"rm. aud of some of the Incl
dents cnunrCtrd with 1t. TIA" season
WAS unusually cold and ckNard The
only fall crop WAS maple sugar. the sap
continuing Ia Iuu uutil about the mid
die of MAY. H. one sugar place close
to my fathers residence. II quantity
WIS ''sugared of" on the 10TH The
wind. when il blew fronI the north. ;Is
il did most nt the time. seemed To come
directly from the iceherg> III the Attic
regions. The grass aud the MaN-tioW =
els had hard struggle to get above
ground before the month Was out. The
spring birds camc and went ;is if doubt
ful il they had not made Il mistake in
nigratimgat the wrong season. The buds
leaves. and only attained their usual
size about Il fortnight later than usual.
Indian corn aud potatocs had been
planted. and grain >own. when on the
6th ~ June. l-lj. the great storm took
place. About II o'clock in the forenoon
on that day the SHOW began To fall: for
Il time it melted ;i> il came down. but
soon covered the ground and before
night lay six To eight inches deep on Il
level, and the next morning. III places.
the snow drifts We're IL foot to eighteen
inches deep.
On the afternoon of Friday. the day
of the storm. an old man named Walker.
about 40 years old. with Il boy of
twelve or thirteen. living III the south
west part of the township. close upon
the border of the forest, which then
extended six oI eight miles between
tn" settled portions of Peacham and
Plalnfirld. went to AN opening in the
forest To bring up Il flock of sheep. To
reach the opening they had to follow !,
path through the woods, about half Il
mile from the house. The SNOW WAS
falling fast and covered their tracks
soon after they were made. They
found the sheep and attempted to drive
them home, but the darkness was rap
idly approaching the path by which
they came was not to be found they
soon became bcwildered and were lost
Instead of taking the direction towards
home. they wandered farther and far
ther into the forests.
The wife of Mr.. Walker, urarly as
old as himself, became alarmed at the
I l. l.. 4 4 Il
lad. and went to some of the ncighbors.
who turned out with lanterns, and
spent most of the night in search for
the hapless wanderers. Early on Sat
urday morning messengers were sent
to the corner" Il couple of miles dis
tant, and into different parts of the
township tor assistance to search for
the old man aud boy. BY ten o'clock
nearly 300 men and boys had gathered
IN the clearing or sheep pasture.
They spent the principal part OF the
day i'll searching the woods in all di-
rections. The snow still covered the
ground and clnng to the leaves. so that
the clothes of those engaged in the
search were soon thoroughly soaked.
They persevered, however. till nearly
night, but no tidings of the lost ones
were obtained. The heart of the old
lady almost sank as the night closed i'll,
and the hope of seeing her husband
alive became very faint. The lad might
live for several days or even weeks. but
it was scarcely expected that the old
man would survive another night.
But before the men left for home it was
arranged to have Il grand sally OH the
I al l,a Ii, II.
Pcacham on that Sabbath were COM
posed chiefly of women and children
all the able bodied men and boys were
i'll the woods, and many OF the neigh
boring townships were represented in
the hunt. Probably not less than 400
| gathered early in the day. A line was