Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-09-20
glimpse of what was transpiriDg


The air was thick with the fast-fall- |
ing snow, and made still more dense
by the fierce winds bringing 1t in hpgel
showers from-the Stops m the leuges.
down through the rsvine, where IL set
tied, layer upon layer, threatening tol
fill it up even with the tops OF the noun
tains.
But we were as yet undi5mayed. We
had good shelter and plenty Of provis-
Ions, and il they sheuldfaiL there were
the cattle. which would afford uS sus-
tenance for an indefinite length OF time;
but old Jose was an exception to our
Eotherwise cheerful party.
a seven days storm, senores,' salu
he, and probably this place will hold
all that is left of US; for you see, we Cant
Ieet on, even hit should hold urfnow.
ltiod help us, and be- merciful 10 my
little oDes!
There were eight OF US, all told, and
we took turns endeavoring to keep the
mouth of the cavern clear-a difficult
and tedious operation; for no sooner
was a hule cut through into daylight
than the drifting banks would close it
up again; but by dint of steady perse-
4 NtEf61CCy ~ A1---@<4<<>4.
| free ventilation.
Five days ran their course, and yet
1tne storm howled with unabated fury.
but now our fuel was gone, and ouf
scant stock of grain for the cattle,
| " hich we had doled out by the HAND
full, was fast disappearing.
CifgenteS saw that his herd, or al
i - e o E.n
/ His men were called up, and fully one
half of the animals were slain. fheir
carcasses furnished US with both meat
and heat, and although the fDprovised
fuel WIS anything but odoreus. the
heat was agreeable to our half-stlf1ened
i bodies. NT - - ~
fsThree are two hundred Of then. left
i yet, said Gfuentes, as he threw on
fresh quarter of beef to replenlsh the
| fires: and when they are gone, there's
fthe sixty mules to help us out. I'VE
are good for the whole winters siege.
What do you say, Jose? How long
twill this thing last?a. l't. / i
Remember senior, that l told you IL
was a seven days storm; and that, just
at the beginning of the season, means
imprisonment here for nearly month
and perhaps six
The storm finally abated, and we
ventured out to see what was the pros
pect tfor an, early start.eess s--s
Even thefaintest trace of our path
twss. entirely ohliterated. The rayine,
hundreds of feet in depth, was hlled
Iaearly to a level with our retreat. 1t
was dreary outlook. Our only chance
for renewal of our journey lay in the
hope that it might rain, and the SUD-
sequent frost form crust on the sur
ffacesufiieiently stroug to hold us. For
this event 10 happen We waited and
watched forty eight long. dreary days.
RAISING the interval in endeavoring to
keep warm oversthe sickening, fire OF
| homes and flesh; but finally the much
desired rain storm set in, and we made
| all preparaticns for a departure.
Our remaining stock of cattle and
mules had been killed long since, and
We were compelled to leave behind US
everything except twhat was actually
necessary for our subsistence on the
road. ..., ,i ....-r ,.i.............. ...,.,...
AT the break of day we started for
tour rframp%The snow crust was hard
lysHeng enough to bear US. AT near
lyeyery step some one of the party
Eddm sink ID, which would cause q
delay untHeheSN as extrieated.
The fist day's travel only gave US
ten niles asc accomplished; but Jose
fbade us!be ofXood cheer, as probably
the mkt tMentysaour h ours would
bring us to The hut OF the Puno bridge
keeper where we could rest and Re-
cruif.~ AZ 4St -
A place was selected in which to
pass the hight:s Thesnow was 10 be
excavated Sufficiently deep and wide
Ito afford shelter for us al Yhey ap-
fplied themselves etheIask, while l
engaged in rounding off the top of our
1 dug OUT They had nearly gained the
desired depth, when suddenly Cifuen-
ties sank from views ;sand then, the 9TH
hersz grasping at the yielding mass,
which was now sliding in on all sides.
! followed shouting for me to help them
to throw rope; but they were out of
sight in an instant of time, and l was
forced back from the edge to avoid
sharing the same fate. The small fun
nel-shaped hole through which they
had disappeared was fast assuming gi-
gantic proportions. l turned and ran,
fearing at every step to be engulfed, but
finally IventuTed back, and listened
for some signs of life. Not a sound
could hear. AS 1 could do nothing
myself. 1 bethought me of the bridge
keepers hut, and though worn Out
with my days tramp, determined to
try and reach it, still hoping against
hope to rescue my companions.
How | reached there, or whether l
gave correct account of what had
happened, knew not then. For six
weeks was confined to my bed, deli
rious, and with raging fever; but, as
slowly recovered, my hospitable host
Irecounted how had arrived there, eX
hausted, but by signs had given him
TO understand what had occurred. He,
with his three sons, went to the place
and succeeded in getting at the dead
bodies. He said we had chosen for our
eEcampment spot directly over a
narrow chasm, and as the snow was
removed little by little, ii finally gave
way, precipitating the party down to
the very bottom, and dashing them
against the craggy sides.
CObleigh's Mother Takes the
Tramp In Hand.
Tramps calling at the Cobleigh man.
there was anything to give them. Mrs.
Cobleigh's mother is visiting her SON.
in-law. When she discovered that
tramps called and were fed, she pro-
tested against the extravaganza.
why said she, with a plying
laugh, Il should no more think of feed.
ing tramps for nothing than of feeding
an army for nothing. The good for
nothing, lazy things, they can work
just as well rs you can work. They'd
never get anything for it, can tell W
that -r
oh, that's well enough in theory
observed the soft hearted Cobleigh, |
but is too troublesome to reduce toll
practice. 1t is only a bite we can give
,em. ANYWAY and that's not enough to