The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-01-30
Abandoned in a Storm.

Our citizens will remember the wbirl-
ing, boisterous snow-storm that pre-
vailed in Leadville on New Years Day,
and they can very easily imagine how
much more severe and binding the
storm must have been on the bleak
summit of Weston Pass. On that day
the stage line known as the South Park
Company had so large list of passen-
gers that an extra wagon was provided,
and il it four passengers took their
seats. When this comfortless vehicle
was within a mile or mile and a half
of the summit of the pass on the other
side, the passengers were told to walk
or else they could proceed no further.
The driver finally gave peremptory
commands to get out and walk. Two
of them hung on to the tail-board to
keep up and to obtain such slight pro-
lection from the driving snow as this
slight barricade afforded against the fu-
rious blasts coming squarely in their
faces. As there was room for only two
at the rear OF the wagon, the other two
passengers, Mcnamara and James
Burns, struggled and plodded along be-
hind in the deep snow as best they
could. One of them, Mr.. Burns, being
unaccustomed to the high altitude and
to such strain upon his not very Wig
orous constitution, began to lag and re-
!quire from his more robust companion
greater assistance than mere words of
encouragement. The driver agreed to
wait for them when the summit was
reached, and with this fond hope to ami
mate them they toiled forward, and in
a thoroughly exhausted condition gained
the top of the range only to experience
the keen disappointment of finding the
wagon gone and themselves abandoned
upon one Of the most exposed spots of
the Rocky Mountains in terrible
storm. The evidence in the suit which
is to follow this inhuman abandonment
will show that the driver waited only a
few moments for these two men, and
then deliberately proceeded on his way,
leaving them to make the next station,
or perish in the snow.
The wind had filled the track with
snow, and only with great difficulty and
delay could they keep the road by feel
ing with their feet for the beaten trail.
After struggling along for a mile on this
| side, they stopped for consultation
upon the desperate situation in which
they realized themselves to be. Being
strangers, and totally unfamiliar with
the surroundings, they had no idea that
Rocky Point Station was only three
miles from them, on a down grade
Knowing that there was station be
hind them, they finally decided to re
trace their steps, and actually toileG
back to the summit and down the
weary bleak eight miles to Platte Sta
| 81, II g..
and hospitable treatment. The coach
of Thursday brought them into Lead
vile, and the men actually report tha
some employee Of the stage company de
manded fare of them -
Mcnamara and Burns sought lega
advice, and have placed their suit fo
damages in4the hands of Judge Nevi
son, Of the firm of Tankersley & Nevi
son, of 'Leadyille. DIR. Law bein,
called in, examined the men and foun(
one of them had leg solidly frozen
The Doctor thrust needles into tn
: limb and the owner never fipched
One hand of the other is badly frozen
being somewhat more exposed by hold
ing blanket in front of his face. Tn
boys intend to push the suit to the bit
ter end. The damages sued for will b
some $4,000 Or O,00O each. -gT
New Uses for Glass.
As we had heard nothing for lon
time about the invention BY which glas
| was deprived of it's brittleness, we cor
; cluded that it was one of the ephemera
discoveries so frequent of late years, an
dismissed it from our mind. We no1
find something more surprising in tn
glass line. The Detroit Free Press ha
had translated for the use of its reader
from German paper the following pal
: ticulars of the new process of maxim
clothes out of glass: At Gnadenfrel tn
artist and glass spinner, A. Prengel, c
Vienna, has established his glass bus
ness, offering carpets, cuffs, collars, veil
etc., of glass. He not only spins, bu
y also weaves glass before the eyes of th
l people. The otherwise brittle glass h
changes into pliable threads and use
: them for making good, warm clothins
9 1t sounds like myth, but Mr.. sPrengt
!. introduces certain ingredients, which al
: his secret, and thereby changes the Ell
s tire nature of the glass. He has ju'
finished, white, curly glass mutf for
: lady in st. Petersburg; he charges fort
bHdicrs \tniTby uOlldrS) lor IHeW. AIS
Y ladies' hats, of glass, with glass feather
j. A remarkable feature of this glass M
: terial is that it is lighter than feather
t Wool made of glass can not be di
d tinguished from the genuine articl
/ Mr.. PrengePs glass inventions are som
/ thing so extraordinary and useful fc
/ clothing, etc, as glass is a non-co
n ductor, that it will probably cause an e
n fsro Il roao toriol
s. GENERAL GRANTS speech was twi
/ as long in Dublin as it has been an