River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-21
HOW 1T FEELS TO FREEZE.
A Record of Personal ExpeTfen on the
crest ns-EnferfafnfDg Resso;ui
for summer Weather.

IL il II H
a Record of Personal Experien on the
Crest Iains-Entertafning Resasug
for summer weather
A writer in the New York Sun gives
graphic account of his experience during
a trip in February across one of the great
plains of British North America. He
accompanied by a stalwart French half
breed, and had for conveyance two sledg-
cs drawn by dogs. At first the journey
was pleasant enough, and unattended by
much inconvenience; but the weather
gradually became colder, and on the af-
ternoon of the sixth day they were COM
PEELED TO halt on the bare plain, with no
trees or other shelter handy. The writer
goes on to say:
1t was about six o'clock in the evening
when, after scooping hole in the snow,
and building about it a miniature en-
bankment of sledges and baggage, we
Law down in our overcoats and caps, with
the thermometer showing thiTty-one de-
grees below zero. Yeti had no fear, no
thought even, of freezing to death. Ly-
ing down, as we did, with stiffened limbs
and blistered feet, sleep came to us by
the sheer force of fatigue.
| did not awake until about eleven
o'clock, when was aroused by a sharp
blow from the half-breed, Lavie. He
told me that il was growing much colder,
and that the wind had veered. Hastily
rising, we shifted about, and then crept
back under the blankets, Lavie on the
windward side. / soon fell asleep.
awOke again, as nearly as | can judge,
about half past twelve o'clock, to gen
eral consciousness of increasing cold. /
found myself shivering all over. Upon
speaking to my companion, discovered
that he was wide awake; he had been
unable to sleep. He told me he had en-
deavored to coax the sledge dogs upon
the blankets; but, having been repeatedly
driven from that comfortable position ON
previous nights, they had refused his
overtures. The gale seemed to have in
creased in violence, and the minute par
ticles of snow interfered uncomfortably
with respiration. The cold was so in
tense as to produce singing sensation
in the nostrils and a dryness of the throat
whenever the head was exposed. | took
the thermometer from the snow by my
head, and found it indicating, as well as
could make out by the uncertain light,
forty-four degrees below zero. Covering
ourselves up as snugly as possible, and
living close to each other, we talked for
time about the severity of the storm, and
its probable duration; then gradually re-
lapsed into silence. / recall feeling the
skin on my arms and limbs; it was cold
to the touch. Nv bones, too, were cold,
and seemed to feel their articulation
distinctly over every portion of the body.
Of 1rrn
substance which had been introduced
somehow into the flesh, and which had
not as vet been raised to an equal temper
ature with the bodily tissues.
Soon | was conscious ofgrowing colder;
my limbs, especially, felt heavier and
chillier. A peculiar sensation, as if the
flesh for the depth of quarter or half
an inch was frozen solid and the CONCEAL
ment rapidly extending to the bone,
began to creep over me- The bones them
selves at times felt like red hot iron bars
then as suddenly became cold again. |
noticed, also an increased labor in the
action of the heart, and could distinguish
the pulsations very easily. At every
throb seemed TO feel the blood strike
the end of the veins and arteries in the
extremities. This after time produced
slight dizziness in the head and a
labored respiration.
As the leaden hours went on, the sensa-
| ton of surface freezing, felt before in the
limbs, extended to the trunk of the body.
Nv thoughts hitherto so versatile, grew
less contented, changing frequently from
subject to subject, and finally narrowing
down to my own sufferings. | noticed
that Lavie spoke to me more frequently
than before. and shook me repeatedly.
Yet even then / had not thought OF
danger.
During this whole time, covering a
period of two hours or more, l was shiv-
ering and shaking without intermission-
l repeatedly endeavored to control my
nerves, and lie quietly in one position; but
the effort, although determined, was ofno
avail; in few minutes | was shaking as
violently as before. At last / noticed
that | was becoming 9uieter, but that
the mental suffering was greater. My only
thought now was to get warm. No earth
ly possession was too dear now to be sac
rificed for heat.
After the lapse of an hour, l began to
get warm-that is, l had the sensation of
returning warmth and comfort. Pinch
ing the flesh in several places produced
only numb, prickly feeling, similar to
that when limb is asleep. But / was
comfortable and happy now, because l
was warm. ] grew angry with my com
paniOn because of his unwearied thumps
and the answers he required to his ques-
tons. He bored me. / wanted to be let
alone. | wanted to lie quite still and
dream. Fully conscious that if went to
sleep l should never awake, was per-
fectiy willing, anxious to go to sleep.
even recall picturing drowsily to myself
how | should look in the morning when |
was dead.
As grew warmer, l ceased to pay at
tention to the thumpings of my compan-
ion, or to his questions. / gathered my
self up and lay thinking how comfortable
l was. Pretty soon began to doze, then
to awake suddenly, when | received a
more severe blow than usual. | awOke
once more, to see the half breed sitting
up and bending eagerly over my face
and then / was dead. Sensation, volitiOn
and intelligence, had left me. In thirty
or forty minutes, an hour at most, the
paralvsis would extend from the brain in
to the spinal system, stopping the func-
ton ofrespiration, and the living action
would cease for good.
From this living death was aroused
by what seemed to me a most unprovoked
assault. The powerful half-breed, hold
ing me in an iron grasp by The collar,
was engaged in kicking and cutting my
limp body in the most savage manner.
Several times / became conscious of IN
dergoing this severe treatment. only to
drop down and fall asleep again the mo-
ment he relaxed his hold. At length,
however, he persistently kicked and
cuffed me until, annoyed beyond endu-
rance, began feebly to retaliate. Yet it
was fully half an hour before l began in
the least to comprehend that anything
extraordinary had occurred. True, | saw