The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-03-16
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
"A f"rty OF Four Men Come Within am Ace
Of Freezing to Death. !

Yesterdays stage from Helena picked I'm
d. the Park Station all unfortunate man
named VIM. Hayes, whose feet were ~fearfully
lfostbltten an Thursday afternoon. The story
which he relates is as strange as his escape is
remarkable. ltSappears that a party of four
men, of which lie was one, started on We'd
nesday from Helena, intending to walk to
this city. AT the time oftheir leaving Helena
the weather was not particularly cold, nor
were there any indications of a storm. But
no sooner had they struck the Park than they
encountered a gale of wind and snow of I'M
exampled severity. 1t became intensely
cold, but feeling sure they could make the
station before the night would be far
advanced they continued their journey with
doSged determination. 1t was a desperate
undertaking, but they made gradual head
way through the deep snow in the face of a
bitterly cold wind and for d few hours tseem,-
ed that the trip could be made without seri-
Gus results. Subsequent events, however,
soon changed the aspect of affairs. The
track soon became obliterated by the drifting
snow, the air grew colder and the wind blew
more fiercely.
The exhaustion of one Of the party soon
became painfully apparent. He could hardly
keep his feet, and it soon became evident that
he could go no further without su%ccumbingto
cold and fatigue. His companions disliked
to desert him on that bleak and desolate
waste, but they had no alternative. foreman
was certain death for the whole party, while
for those who could proceed there was a faint
hope OF reaching the station. The other
three then came to a novel determination,
which was none other than to bury their en-
haustcd comrade in the snow and trust to
Providence for his safe deliverance. He
accordingly lay down and the rest
of the party speedily enveloped him in a
snowy shroud from which, however, they
scarcely dared to expect lie would ever
emerge alive. He expressed himself as COM
fortably fixed under the circumstances, and
wished his friends good bye, perhaps forever.
Then they resumed their toilsome march
with the thermometer not less than thirty de-
grees below zero. The suffering of the party
| vas lllCClloVS oop Why WIN AAoASN W. A"tN
ship and continued their weary way with
words of mutual encouragement. It was
about three o'clock in the afternoon when
they entered the Park and about eight
o'clock in the evening when on the point OF
giving up and succumbing to what appeared
to be inevitable, they discovered a light a
short distance ahead. One of the remaining
three had almost lost control of his muscles
and his feet were already frost bitten to sucE
an extent that he could scarcely stand up
Nerved by the prospect of saving his life.
however, he staggered forward and a few
minutes after the light was first discovered
the party arrived at the station and were ad'
mitted by the keeper, and allowed TO pass the
night i'll the house. The idea of succorins
the man who was left buried in the snow was
out of the question, as the travellers, besides
being thoroughly exhausted, were seriously
frostbitten and no one else, even if so dis
posed, could find the place where the man was
left. Early yesterday morning a party lef
the station and went to the rescue Of the mai
who was left in the snow the night previous
but they went prepared to bring in a corpse foI
it seemed impossible that lie should survive tin
terrors Of so fearful a storm. Judge of thei
surprise, therefore, when OH arriving at tin
mound, or the grave as they supposed, the,
uncovered a man in apparently sound health
and who, though a little chilly, had passe'
the night in comfortable security! He wa
not frozen in any part of his body, which il
ascribed to the fact that when left by hi
companions the night before they took til
plecaution to cut his boots of, and in S
, doing accidentally made incisions in his fee
with u knife. During the night the fec
| began to bleed, and the circulation Of tn
blood was sufficient to prevent his freezing
l The party at once returned to the station
where the man whose feet were frozen til
night before, remained and remedies wei
applied to relieve his agony. When til
Helena coach arrived he was taken aboard b
the passengers and was brought to this cit,
where his injuries arc being attended to
: Dr. Thompson. His feet were very seriousI
affected by the frost and are highly discolore'
There is 4 bare possibility that they may |
r saved, but it IS quite likely that amputatio
S will be necessary.
Taken altogether, the occurrence
e a most remarkable one. 1t was only by tt
S most miraculous good fortune that the entil
party escaped with their lives.
e Late Ceach-Chinanncn Frozen.