New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-12-15

thong hit, and the drivers believed, that
the storm would cease at twelve M,
and we, of course, trusted to their judy
ment. But, instead, the storm grew
fiercer, the snow fell more rapidly, and
the northwest gale increased in fury.
Before night so much snow had fallen
that if it had lain as it fell it would have
been at least one foot deep, but now it
had been piled into drifts so that our
poor mules stood with their feet nearly
as high as the wagon tops, and the
stove and furniture in our cooks tent
were completely hidden from view.
The night set in upon us gloomy and
awful. We had two light canvas tents,
in each of which slept four men, with
just blankets enough to keep them COM
Portable in ordinary weather. But now
we must provide for the guide, two
drivers and porter, who had usually
slept in the wagons, and as they were
but simply provided with clothing, we
must share our stock with them. So
into the larger tent we took them.
There was but little sleep in the tent
that night, for the cold was intense, and
the wind was so terrible in it's effects
that we feared every moment the larger
tent would fall, though we had strength
ened it by poles and cords in every con-
ceivable way. With the morning light
it seemed as if all the spirits of the air
where let loose, and all day long the
storm roared with ever-increasing fury.
The snow had so beaten in that when
we awoke we found ourselves buried
beneath it, and now we were obliged to
gather all our bedding into the middle
of the tent to keep it from being wet
through. No man could long endure
the storm outside, and we stood hud-
died together from morning till night,
stamping our feet to keep from suffer-
ing. Even then we could not keep
comfortable. For hours together we
stood with our backs braced against the
tent to keep it from giving way under
the great weight of the snow and the
terrific force of the gale. know of no
language which can be used to convey
to any person inexperienced in such
time any adequate conception of the
fury of the storm.
During the second day we succeeded
in digging our little stove out of the
snow drift, and setting it up at the
entrance to our tent we managed
to keep little fire through the rest of
the day and night. But our store of
wood was very small, and there was no
more to be had within we knew not
how many miles. The other tents
company had no stove and no fire.
During the second night of the storm it
was impossible that all should sleep ut
once, even if they could sleep despite
the cold, for what with the stove on
one side and all our provisions, brought
in from the wagons, on the other, there
was not room for all to lie down. Be-
sides it was necessary to keep the fire
going, lest we might all perish together.
So we stood bending over the stove all
night, two at a time, while the others
tried to sleep. 1t was an awful night.
10 add to our anxiety the guide and
drivers declared that the horses and
mules were likely to perish. They
were a pitiful sight, indeed. Two of
them had no blankets, and the others
were little better off. At times it was
difficult to conceive that the creatures
before us were horses, so literally coy
cred were they with a coating Of ice.
After two days and two nights the storm
ceased.
1t was now Sunday morning. We
knew not where we were, and we
doubted if the guide had more definite
knowledge than we. Every man was
desperate. Some declared it dangerous
to attempt to move through the snow,
and that our only safe course was to re-
main, and, in case of necessity, use the
wagons for fuel and the horses for food.
Others declared their purpose to move
at all hazards and without delay. Final
ly we determined to move. We threw
away all luggage that could be dis
pensed with, and in grim silence started
in the direction which we thought would
bring us to the nearest hut. 1t was diff
ficult travelling through the drifted
snow, and it was bitterly cold. But all
day long we pushed on, never stopping
to feed horse, breaking through the
drifts with our ponies SO that the teams
could follow, till about five p. m, when
we came in sight of hay stacks, in the
vicinity of which we knew there must
be a ranchman's hut. [ never saw q
happier set of men than were these
when it became certain that what we
saw were hay stacks, and not the terri
BILE sand hills which had 80 often de-
ceived us during the day. Grave men,
merchants of Worcester, swung their
hats aloft and shouted for JOY. It had
been march for life.-C0r. Worcester
| (Nass.) Spy.