River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-04-05
A PERlLoUs POSITION.

a chance to mine in the spring, in the
town Of Omega, Nevada County. Snow
fell in the town that winter to the
depth of eight feet. Three of us were
living in a cabin about half mile
out of town, near the head of Sour
KrOut Ravine. We were in the habit
of spending our evenings in the town,
or at the cabins of our brother miners.
generally remaining from home till
ten, eleven, or even as late as twelve
o'clock.
/ happened to be in town the very
first evening that the first great fall
of snow began. / saw that the
snow was coming down very fast, and
knew, before starting home, that the
trail would be hidden; but this gave
me no uneasineSs, as / knew the course
well, and could keep within few rods
of the trail the whole distance, If not
in il.
When finally started hOmeward it
was about 100 clock and there were six
or eight inches of snow on the ground,
and flakes coming down as big as sau-
GERS. Knowing my course, / rushed
along, paying but little attention to the
trail and, was within two hundred
yards of the cabin, when there was
a sudden breaking of twigs and brush
under my feet, and felt myself sink
ing into an open space. Instinctively
| stretched out both arms TO their full
est extent, and clutched the snow with
both hands. Instantly-in fact, be-
fore had fully settled into this posi-
toni knew where | was, and fully
cOmprehended the danger of my posi-
ton.
know that | was hanging over the
old BrOOkshire shaft-a shaft dug
some years before to undermine the
hill, and at least a hundred feet in
depth
Ii was but two or three rods below
the trail, and was covered by a few
pine and spruce boughs that were
thrown across its mouth when it was
abandoned. knew that there were
huge powders and sharped, jagged
rocks projecting everywhere along the
sides of the shaft, and that at the bot
tom was at least twenty feet of water;
for, in passing, | had once or twice
pushed the brUsh-cOvering aside, and
dropped into it pebbles and pieces of
lighted paper. / felt my body and
legs bangle in space, and, without
thinking OF the consequences, made
an effort to reach ont with one of my
feet to see if | could touch the wall of
the shaft. | had extended my leg
some distance without touching the
wall, when, to my horror, the dry and
rotten covering of the shaft began
cracking under my arm on the side
upon which my weight was thrown in
the attempt | had made to learn
something of my situation. Carefully
| swung back, till hung peTpendicu-
laTly over the fearful chasm. The
brush still cracking as | did SO. As
each twig snapped, / felt that there
was that much less between myself
and death each little rotten stick
that held was worth millions to me,
and for a stout beam under my feet |
would have given tens of millions.
The snow beat down necessarily up
on my head in immense damp flakes,
and | could feel it gradually piling
about my neck. Occasionally there
we've wild blasts of wind that rOared
among the tall pines, and swept the
light snow into my eyes. One of these
blasts took away my light felt hat, land
left my head exposed to the beating
storm. IS felt my hat gOing,I made
an involuntary movement to raise my
arm to catch il, but instantly the
cracking twigs warned me to desist.
This movement, the slightest in the
world, cost me half dozen twigs,
and, it seemed to me, greatly weaken
ed my support. The snow melting on
my head and face trickled into my
eyes, and almost blinded me. My hands
and arms seemed benumbed; and be-
gan TO fear would lose my hold upon
the brush covering of the shaft. When
ever this notion took possession of my
mind, | would extend my arms, and
even my fingers, till the joints of my
shoulders seemed starting from their
sockets.
BY straining my eyes, | could see
the dim outlines of our cabin on a lit
tie rise of ground above me. l could
see no light. however, and concluded
that my partners had either gone TO
bed, or had not yet returned from a
neighbOr' cabin, quarter OF mile
further down the Tavine, whittier |
knew they had gone to spend the even
ing. Once or twice | shouted, but the
effort caused the cracking of the twigs
supporting me, and desisted. deter
mining To wait till | could her the
voices of my cabin companions return
iRg. or see a light in the little window
of four small paneS. This, fortunate
Is, was on the side of the house next
TO me so, too, was the door by which
they must enter the cabin. | thought
OF all this and this gave me some hope.
several times, as the roaring wind
lulled for a moment, | thought l
heard the sound of voices and laugh.
ter, and my heart beat quick with
hope and JOY but the sounds were
not repeated, and doubtless were but
the creaklings of some stOrm-swayed
bOugh, or the gatherings of some dis
tant coyote.
I now began seriously to fear being
completely covered in the fast falling
and drifting snow. Ii seemed coming
down at the rate of an inch a minute,
and already covered my shoulders, and
was piling close up about my mouth.
/ dare not make the slightest move TO
rid myself of the drift that was about
TO bury me. Should the snow get over
nv ewes, | could nos see the light in
the cabin, and could only call out by
guess. As so slight an eXeTtiOn as
calling out in a loud tone set my rot
ten platform to cracking, l did not
wish to call for aid till | was certain
il was near.
As the snow began rising about my
mouth, discovered that could keep
it away with my breath. | saw that l
still had chance of keeping my eyes
free, and kept constantly at work
blowing away the accommodating flakes.
This gave me something to do, and
was a relief TO my mind, and so zeal
ously did keep guard that | would
hardly allow two flakes to lie before
my lips.
Thoughts of home. my friends, of
tho Ifftla I bad avar fnpa in tla world