The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-08
CANINE FIDELITY AND sAGACITY.

MELANCHOLY NARRATIVE FROM NEWFOUNDLAND.
About hour before dawn on the alth Of January,
father and three sons set out wood chopping
petition from the town Of Placcntia, Newfoundland,
which lies west OF ST. Johns. Such expeditions are
made with Esquimau dogs, which securely har
messed 10 rude sleds called scatamarans, account
OF their resemblance the RATS which the South Sea
Islanders use and call by that name. When the men
left their cabin was less frosty than II had been
several days BEFORE and In every way it seemed favor
able for tho wood cutters but before eight o'clock
terrific snow storm raging throughout Placcntia
Bay and great banks Of drift had blocked
the roads many directions. In such circumstances
there IS extreme anxiety in regard TO those who
are absent cutting wood IN the forests, as tho
gloomy records tell OF skeletons found be-
who had left their cabins in fair weather
by great SHOWS forms When Monday evening came
and the woodsmen did not return, the wife and
their safety. They should have been at home, no
matter how bad the roads heavy their loads at six
O'Clock on Monday evoning, had nothing
happened But the Wild snow storm was still swccpng
the bay and there every TO fear that
the worst had Deallcn them. About dawn next morn
ing Mrs. Partridge and her daughter aroused by
the bowling OF dogs, who paved tho threshold and
pounced upon the door in most vehement manner.
Mrs. Partridge at hrst rcjoce, believing that her hus
the dogs would not enter, but continued TO whine and
paw the ground mpatiently. The old woman then
but the only given the piteous whining and
yclpng oil the dogs After while many OF the neigh
bors gathered around the cabin and most OF them knew
we'll the narrowing that the brutes could
tell had they the faculty Of speech. Tho
dogs implacabc; neither food nor
resscs could quiet them. One old fisherman said
he would test the animals by moving in the
direction OF the woods He had no called them
and started that direction than they bounded past
him and led the way looking back every lew PAGES to
make that he was following. -Four young Usher
men then volunteered to follow the dogs, led
the part OF the woods where the men lay buried
the snow. Prodigious banks Of snow piled on the
regular road made tho way TO the fatal spot crcuifous
and difficult On the side OF mountain OF drilled
four dogs were found yelping dismaily and dig
ging the with their paws. The volunteers went
TO work. and after two hours search with shoyels
recovered the bodies OF all the men, but too late to
suscitatc them This remark able instance OF eagacty
and fidelity che trained draught dogs of Newiound
land not without precedent About four years ago
young man left Hearts Content with dog and
catanaran TOR the woods II was windy day. aud the
man was killed by the falling Of tree which he had
been chopping The dog being Embarrassed, as all
draught dogs reaching The woods, came home
alone night refused food and tho usual dismal
warnings, such as yelpng and paving the ground.
This animal also led the way TO the spot where his
masters corpse lay resting.