Smyrna times., 1881-02-23
Freezing to Death.
THE SENSATION EXPERIENCED Ri ONE WHO HAS
PASSED THROUGH THE ORDEAL.

A young man residing near Leadvillr
who was recently found on the mountain,
apparently frozen to death, and was will
difficulty restored, relates his experience to
\ reporter as follows:
was three miles up the gulch tho day
before, looking after some prospect holes
| had up there, and | didn't start for hon,.
until quite late. had not more thar
started when the snow began to fall, ann
IN 10 minutes the storm was in full fury, ]
knew the way we'll, but the ferceness OF
the storm alarmtd me, and the snow fell
so thick and fast that all landmarks were
soon 6lotted Out, and it was utterly impos.
-lsle to see more than 90 feet before ones
face. My principal guide had been the
trail made 10y the burro's feet, but the
thick white mantle that speedily covered
the earth so entirely obscurpd this that
had no earthly means of knowing whether
or not was on the right path.
After wandering bindly on for half an
hour became convinced that was not,
and, in fact, the extremely rough and
rocky nature Of the path gave me warning
that had strayed from the proper route.
Up to this time | had forced p+rsistentIy
'head, but there | stopped, my back to tho
susty wind, and tried to calmly consider
the situation. Taking the extreme suppo
sItlon that had walked in an exactly Oh.
posite direction from the right one, could
not be over four miles from home; but in
the binding snow had no assuranc.
whether would be right in walking back.
ward or forward, right or left, but finally
IT random chose the first. and confined
| my journey straight ahead.
Up to this time had felt no cold. I'm,
when | stopped to think, the warmth
created by my active exertions died away
and began to feel severely the biting air.
Besides this, the temperature was plninlv
FALLING lower. and even my warm breath
aegean TO CONCEAL in hittsr icicles on NV
"sard and on my scarf, Just in front of NV
mouth. Still | walked brskly on, bu,
somehow my utmost exertions failed IN
circulate my blood and warm me as il had
before. Ten minutes later began to feel
singing pains in my feet and hands and
the numbness that invariably follows ex.
trpme cold. 1t was abput this time tha,
noticed my eyes seemed swollen and the
Ilds so heavy that had difficulty in oneI
ing them.
when they were closed constant sue.
ceSslon OF brilliant lights ha.hed Lefor.
me- ana presently these lights began to ~ i.
pear when they were open. In every di.
rec'ion seemed to see them-green, pur.
pie, red, blue and golden-until with
iIih"ulty rOpld trace the outline af nv
"and as held it up before my face. If |
staggered before, ! reeled hlindly now.
and when passed my henumbed fingers
to my face found it covered with frozen
tears. AT this time the pain in nv limI,s
mi teet had grown to he the most intense
'g"ny. The pricking sensation felt at first
was gone now, and in it's place was lorg,
steady keen pain as from great op. n
wound,
At one time grooded my way to lite
sheltered place beneath some rocks and
pulled of my m;ttens in a vain attemp, to
warm my hands by friction. The flesh
was perfectly livid and blue in places, as if
1t had already begun to decompase. The
nails were deep blue, and quantities Of
blood seemed to have sOttlrd directly he.
death them. Finding it impossible to
| create any warmth, rose to my feet and
w"Iked' an, rfsolvine 20 die, if die must,
in desperate struggle
The prismatio colors had now faded he
fore my eyes to long parallel bars that
seemed to stretch from the borizon. Asl
walked faster | noted, too, with iov that
the pain in my feet was not so intense a.
""fnre. attributed this to the rapf,l cir.
"ulation of the blood, but was sadly de.
ceiV~d' for when | steoped down and
tn"h"d my feet 1t responded no more 10
the fingers than block Of marble. Il was
practically dead. Up TO this time nav
mental sutferings had equaled nv physi.
CAL but with my stiffenlng body my mina
seemed to grow dull and torpid, too.
Presently felt no mere pain, and heavy
and drowsy sensation substituted itself
This grew stronger, and felt rs though il
would he heaven itself to sink down into
one of those snowdrifts and pa to sleep.
most delicious sense of lnssitude and
tired ease began to creep over me, and it
seemed as il the warm breath Of the sum.
mer were playing in my face. l knew
dimly and vaguely, as one knows in a
'ream, that was freezing to death, but
had no care or anxiety ahout it whatever.
My outstreched hands struck somethins
II was the door of a cabin.-my own, nj.
though did not know it-and, falling in.
| rolled upon the floor.
The next thing ! remembered was n
scene OF awful pain. and opening my eyes
! could see people rubbing me down with
snow, aud screamed and begged tbsn IN
desi"t. The pain grew keener and more
intense, and it seemed as If my whole
frame was being resped apart. felt this
pain Tor days, and then they cut off my
feet. The doctors said that 10 minutes
more would have made me frozen corpse.
The Doctors disagree as to the best
methods and remedies, for tha cure Of
4 combination and disor,lara,i Iva. and liza