The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-07-26
A Babe In the Woods.

The Village of Lordville Gust across the
river from Equinunk, this county,, in
Delaware County, N. Y, was the scene
of thrilling incident last Tuesday. A
fiiatn named Royal Adams was visiting his
father in that village, with his wife and
little boy aged five years. Monday morn
ing he went out fishing with his father,
aid on coming back, in an hour or so,
missed his little boy, whom he had left
behind. His wife had already missed the
boy, but supposed he was in company
with his father and grandfather. A neigh.
boris house was visited, where it was
learned that the child had been seen cross
Ing field teward the woods, which are
very dense, and cover large area of the
surrounding country. 80 close Is this
forest that it still affords protection to
many species of wild beasts, among
them the catamount and black bear. The
father of the child, expecting to find him
near by, went to the woods, but after quite
an extended search failed to find any trace
of him. He returned 10 the village, where
the alarm became general, as once before
a half grown boy had been lost in these
woods and never found, the supposition
being that he Was devoured by beasts
The whole village turned out in search of
the child. The hunt was kept up all day
Monday and all night Monday night.
During the night the most violent storm
Of rain and wind ever known in that vi
cipity broke over the Woods; The thunder
and lightning were terrific, and the wind
a perfect guile. Tree after tree was blown
down in tie woods, and lightning struck
on every hand. There were several mar
row escapes from falling trees and branch
es, but in spite of this and the terror born
of the phenomena of the storm, the search
for the lost child was not interrupted. 1t
was the opinion of a majority of the party
that the search would be ffditless, for il
seemed that the child must long since
have fallen victim to some one of the
many perils of the night.
About sunrise yesterday morning Mr..
Adams, the father Of the missing boy,
was prosecuting the search with q com.
panion high upon the mountain. two miles
from Lordville. He had given up the
hunt as hopeless, and was nearly distract
ed. They sat down by the side Of a
stump, and were discussing what had
best be done, whet1 they were startled by
voice calling out family, "Hallo, pa
pal" They jumped to their feet, and in
hollow in the stump, crouched the miss
ing boy. The next moment he was hang
ing about his faehe.'s neck, and they were
both almost crazed with joy. The little
fellow said he had gone to the woods to
pick flowers. He had wandered about all
day Monday trying to find his way back
home, and calling for his papa. At night
he crawled, frightened and almost dead
with fatigue, into the stump in which be
had been found. He kept calling for his
papa, but big dog, he said, came up to
the stump, and, growing at him, fright
encd him into silence. This was beyond
doubt bear. as was plainly indicated by
the tracks discovered. The boys flesh
and clothes were badly torn and lacerated.
Within distance of 100 feet three large
trees were blown down and one struck by
lightning. Broken branches lay all about
where the boy was found. He says he
heard strange noises all night, and was SO
filled with terror that he could not sleep.
The boy is prostrated with a nervous
fever, and lie is stiff and sore, but no seri-
GUS consequences are anticipated. .-Hcsox-
dale, Pa. (Jaiy 81, Cor. N. T. World.