Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-01-10
a Village Buried In Snow.

:id,. partially i0sertbo ilom c3li SID terribly
euaciated. The stranger was ut otcs removed
10 Mr. Wards residence, where, alter he had
been revived aod hsd been supplied With food,
Which be Ge7oured 10 raTeu1us mauner, he
startled bis pre:erTer by oro of tic strarges.
and most thyIlog narratives Of human dia;r;ss
tina. has ever been chronced.
The Ean stated that bis pcms was Roger 8.
Cooper, and that be resided il The village OF
Paris, small town near tho summit Of the Bue
Ridge Mountaine, ca tie dividing liue between
Clarke and L:u1on counties. He had voIun
| teertd to come to B5rryville 70 urge the resi-.
denis By ell the tics OF humanity and manhood
to organize relief psTy and 80 to the assistance
OF tho VlllsgcTg, who Hera literally buried 10 tho
Stow, 81 to the tunher Of tb2ut 800 were iD
danger OF death from both co!d AID tu7gcr.
| The village ct Psris is On tto west side Of ihe
Blue Ridge. and IL Was directly exposed 10 the
! terrible DorthSeste1s gale Which bcgsl on the
night of December 20. As the villagers retired
| fer the night, the snow wss c9p1g down faster
than ever. Cooper aud bis family occupied a
| small Cottage n2sr tho western sore Of TIE
| plateau % Wbiah tho village Stands. Hs saya
that when be aToko Thursday morning be
fourG it g. i'll dask, AID supposed that tee aay
| had not yet dswned.
| Alter remaining in bed several hours, ssait-
lns dsybresk. be &c. up, and Lighting a lamp.
saw BY Tho clock that it was haif past TO-
| Somewhat przz ed he went TO the iroDt door,
| 1t ctfered reslstacc, to bis push. 10 his
| as!o6lshment be was c3tf.onttd BY Solid Wall
OF snow. His house had been buried ia deep
| DRIFT. His young vile aid ohi!d. Hhc1 i1-
formed Of the position of affairs, a! fist btc.nc
gfeat:y alarmed. but Tero 5000 sCoihed by bis
as3urarces of safety.
Cooper is baruy, handsome young fellow OF
25. he is evidently cool beaded. Intelligent
mao. He says that tho first thing he did was
! to EuId rtu'log fire, end to insist on having
breakfast betore doing ary king. TaAt,hrcus h
With, no took long haadIed shovel AID started
to cut his Way through the imprisooi0g Wall of
sucw. He made rapid Roadway ut FIRST, u: had
not penetrated FIVE feet before bo bagan to be
troubled ~ tho Snow taken flon tho tunoel
lilo bad thrown it bahiud him on the floor, but
it threatened soou 20 fiji the epiro isteror. 10
oGd to the difficulty. il began to melt udcr The
action Of tue fire, and Inside OF an hou1 toe
fycr rao with water,
| The husband and father struggled gslianily
ct his work. The saoW f,H from tho it'll.
IuoDel loto tho roou, where bis vile eudeav'
cred to pack it TO one side. By 3 o'clock 10 the
afternoon Cooper had cut narrow pathway fOf
ncarig - tCet without sceiOg any sigos OF day.
light. Suddenly the roof Of bis tunnel dropped,
aod BIO vas buried in tho snow. Putting forth
| desperate exertions. be struggled to exttcete
himself. The soow was light aud easily pcae-
rated. Following the track of tho tuoDyl hc
! hoally succeeded 10 bursting into the door4lg,
to find his wife lying serse!eas CD the A,or.
10 describing bis struggles through tho snow,
Cooper shuddtrtd. The feeling of suffJo,.
| finn b;ob o,p,, b. ~ r.
Three or four times, as PLACED biindIy along
striving to keep ia the course of the tra1eI, nv
head struck agHins! the hardened wall OF ,se
track | had cut through tee suow. lie relief
| experienced whea / burst ioso NV house il
lndsscrlbabIe. 1t was miracia that ever got
| out ullVe. When he recovered from hia Cx-
hau5l5n be succeeded in rr7vng his vie. Who
wSs now completely Frustrated ty c,ld SUD
anxiety.
By this time the fire ia tho house had I'D
ewaT, and tho floor vas coVerad with Gn icy
slush. Cooper made up his ui1d tia, tho at
| tempt TO cut through Lhc dgiie was impIectica
bic. 1t occurred to him 10 try TO get up the
chimney. Placing his wife aud child ia bed
aid c>va.l?g them W warmly, BIS mads the
attempt. Ho acoerd2d with easo until about
ten feet from the top. 8hera tho chimney ua.-
roWed and there be stuck. Flo desc,LdeI and
20! hs,chc. aud ohise. Rsasc:udrg the
obinney until 10 WAS above the level tf Tho
roof. hs Gu. his way through the brick wall.
| Alter 40 hou7 OF severe toll Go craWeG cut
upon tho peaked root ct Dis house. Bea!rilpg
| the ridge. be look survey OF the Stu sl0u
The snow had piled 10 an inmeasc diff, resoh.
| log 10 tho caves agalost tho front Of the hCusc
IIo could never have cut his Way cut from the
doorway. as 10 would hsvo had to pane.rase
uestly three Euodfed feet, only 10 fad hiusslf
&C the edge OF pr, cpos overhargiug sheer
fall o! seversl huudred fact toto sGla valley
forming the western Boundary tf tho plateau
GlaGoa which wey DO would nc SAY uothing bat
round, uabrOken mounds Of saoY, from macy
| Of which rose columns OF sack, Indicating that
| there were houses beneath.
| Cooper found that the mos. avaisb!a exit
would DO through tho secood Story iro1t via
| dow If Lis cottage, where the iocne of the
DAFT made The dlsaueo 10 &c cus through tho
suog only about len feet. Rosuuiug his la5crs
ia that direction, 10 about 40 hour hs hgd The
satisfaction of sesirg daylight through the cpec-
iog. ard eventually. with great difficulty, made
his way to the house OF hi3 father. which,
being in more sheltered position, bad SC sped
the worst tury Of the s!crn. Ihc nca cf the
family soon brought out Caopel's VITA and
obl:d in the samo way that be had hics:lf CO.,
ten cur. AID the family were s2on eijoyipg
warmth ord comfort egai1.
The STOW still dessondsd' Christmas Dsy
daTled cold and dreary, tripgiug DO sadnesa
to tie b=Ia.ed villagers. Ga Chris las night
tho suffering from c0ld, oaing to the scarcity Of
Iu:l. Was very grss', ADD early tie next day
there were not h .lf dtzsn fires in the village
Tho residents. 10 order to keep warm, wtr3
compelled 10 either remain 10 BID or eryelap
themselves 10 extra clothing CT blankets.
A. about II o'clock the buraomastcr, rhomas
Aldine. won't around and c,led for volunteers
to assist 10 cutting way iuto tho house Of q
pooE widow named Mrs. Kate Whitman, who,
with two Obidre5, occupied cottage 10 ono of
tho most exposed portions cf tho village. Noth.
ing bsd besn heard from her for several days,
and tbets Was 60 sign of fire from The chimney.
Within an tcur about forty men were gathered
around tho house of the uofurlunste widow.
and, armed With shcveIs end boss, q. q: hravely
to work 10 binding snow storm.
The first man to eoter the house WIS Mr.,
| Aldine, Stretched UPON the bid VS. Mrs