The Red Cloud chief., 1877-10-11
Freezing tn Death

Will WdJCl tuO p~USGIudSttT.
Freezing to Death.
Many years ago. became a citizen of
of the West, and commenced opening
a new farm in a sparsely settled coun-
try. The place was about ten miles
from the nearest town, and M pleasant
day near the last of December, l went
to the latter In a light spring wagon to
get some supplies for Christmas festivi-
ties. The day was So mild that l did
not n,rnn u~OvcrCuaJ. ABOUT the
time l started home, which was a little
after sundown, it began to grow sud-
denly cold, and presently a storm almost
amounting to a hurricane broke from
the north. bringing with it the temper
AZURE of Nova Z.mbla In this region
of marked climatic vicissitudes l never
before or since knew any 50 great. The
murcury fell in an hour to forty de-
grees belOw zero. Under ordinary cir
cumstances 1 could have easily m ,de
the ride home in that time, but l was
going in the teeth of the wind; so that |
could make but little Over half the u.s.
ual speed. l suffered severely from
the cold. but not more than | had MANY
a time before, and have many times
since, but as you may imagin. =, was anx-
IOuS to get home dis soon as possible
When got within Il couple of miles of
there. found the weather growing
pleasant again. My ear that had been
stung and smarted with cold, no longer
troubled me. My hands, though still
numb. had a firm grip on the lines, and
seated in the bottom of the wagon,
with my back resting on the seat, l
would have been q ute comfortable, ex-
cept that | was SO drOwsy that 7 could
scarcely keep awake. l comfOrted N.Y.
self with the reflection that | would
soon he at home snugly tucked in bed,
where l could sleep to my hearts con-
tent. While INDUCING in this pleasing
revery dropped asleep. and what fol-
lowed only learned of my family.
They had concluded that ii ,ding the
sudden change in the temperature | had
determined To spend the night in
town, or had returned there for that
purpose in case had stared home be
fore the cold began. At eight o'clock,
having given me up they retired to bed
and to sleep. About nine O'Clock my
wife Was awakened by the repeated
whlnnying of a horse in front of the
house. She never suspected that it was
ours, but took 1t for a stray, and from
motives OF humanity called up one of
the men and ordered it put in the stable.
Il the man went out and found
that 1t was our own horse and that |
was In the wagon apparently dead and
frCZ N stiff, he made an Outcry that
soon brought out the household. For
t~unately my wife had lately been read. |
ing OF the proper m ID of treating per-
sons partially frozen, and therefore |
knew that l must not be taken into a
room. but must be rubbed with
'aow. Plenty of snow had fallen, and
Was stripped and we'll rubbed with it
Until l began to show signs of anima-
ion. Then frictions with coarse cloths
we're used until 1 was sufi GENTLY re-
'estOred to to scream with the torture
hey were putting me to. Every por.
Ion OF my body seemed as sensitive as
boil. l felt as if l had been stung all
Wei with wasps or hornets until l was
swollen pulp, ready to burst at any
'Oint like an Over-ripe cherry. The
olnts OF my fingers, toes, ankles and
wrists seemed as if screwd in rsd-hot
'lses till ths blood was ready to ooze
ut from the extremities. and could
carcely persuade myself that my fin
'er and toe nails were not being forced
II by the pressure. l Dol became de-
lrlous, and a raging fever set in, from
which l did not recover for weeks. But
Vhen l did rec )ver, my physical CON-
was better than ever before. /
ad been slim and almost pany before,
ut now [ became hearty and robust as
g me. SO that at sixty 1 am as
trong and active as most men are at
Orty. l attribute it to having been
rOzen to the verge of death.