The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-19

In which b. WIS working, ncar Chalk Kanco,
last Friday, ID not dead. Sunday forenoon
about eleven o'clock his chilled body wae
hauled out Of tho shaft where II had lain foe
iorty-egh. hours under twenty'six feet Of
psckcd snow, and Wilson will live 10 tell to
wondering listeners tale Is thrilling, terrible
and pathetic o. any ever told BY Dumas OF
Hugo John Wilson 10 u Colorado miner iyine
In cabin near Chalk Ranch, thanking God
for thc brave, true friends who dared ana
did 80 much TO rescue him from the grave
where nc Vas buried alive. Mr.. John Vtr'
Riu, IN officer Of the Citizens Mining and
Investment Company, OF this city. returned
last night from the cabin beyond Chalk
Ranch, where Wilson now lies, and gives
graphic account Of the perils which surround
ed tho expedition going from this city to VIII
sons rescue. and also the facts OF the rescue
itself. Mr. Virgin owns the claim, the Alice
Logan, on which Wilson and bic partner, W.
c. Chapman, were working. and when MI.
Chapman brought tho newS OF the snow.slide
On Friday night, Mr.. Virgin, accompanied BY
bic three friends, g. W. Crews. Leslie Caldwell
and ]. NJ. Downing, oil OF whom he'd known
Wilson 10 Illinois, vt once started ON horse
back for the scene. II wa night Of Storm
and snow, and four men were going out 10 IL,
we'll knowing the peril OF tho trip. Out o.
termined to do oil that ~as possible In h'a'
man uature to rescue the poor fellow IT.
Ing Ia the shaft. They believed fully. -
oil others did, that Wilson was dead. and
that the work of rescue would be but the work
Of disinterring corpse. The four men trav'
elcd oil neht along Z trackless course through
snow from three to i've feet deep, blinded BY
the storm which beat In their faces, at ono
place struggling for three ho1rs IN the deep
| eft snow to make distance OF half 00e.
| They rot to Chalk Ranch ct I've o'clock Sasur.
day morning. utterly exhsus "a. and. after \
short rest, went ON, leaving their horses 10
| hind. From Chalk Ranch 10 the cabin the
snow was from five to seven. feet deep. and
three o'clock in the afternoon 6efOre they
made the three miles to the cabin. TAs
storm was whirling the snow u ihsil
faces, and at times some Of the party would
sink down to sleep. Indifferent from
exhaustion to the peril Of such course. and
others would drag them up wheu teey
reached the foot Of the bill on which the
cabin stands, Virgin and Downing fell down
in the snow and were asleep IN IN instant
Crows and Caldwell started up the hill to ths
cabin, aud several times the former fell for
ward asleep, only u he kicked anil c06et
into renewed efforts by Caldwell, and WheT
they reached the cabin Crews Wa alulo i u
; the condition Of the poor. pallid object iylnl
in ghastly slumbcr IN the shaft near by uuds
twcntyEix feet of snow. Caldwell made
Are, and, returning to the foot OF the bill
aroused the sleepers there and guided thou
!. to tho cabin. 1t was impossible for men u
their condition to do any work that Afternoon
and 1t was not until next morning that tb
! four could make their way to the shaft up ID
steep mountain side through seven feet q
4 snow. Chapman and another man came u
during the night and the six went to work
! ret the snow out of the shaft. They fastene
q gunny sack TO the rope and. filling the sac|
3 cleaned out the shaft as rapidly as possible
(, When near tho bottom Chapman's show
q broke through q crust Ut snow, md ther
crouched in one corner with his head fallt
!. forward, resting on the point Of Il pick. W
poor Wilson. my God he's alive" crit
70 Chapman, ~ he fell back faint and sick.
low moan issued from the blue lirs
d the crouching object. The men work
h With frNntic energy. and, tying 70
under Wilson's arms. drew him out
l. the shaft. and with great difficulty 4
~ him down the hin to the cabin. The body "
nt CALLED and damp. the eyes swollen and clos
~ and the teeth clenchcd. The limbs were rig
d. but not frozen. The faint moan conf
N through the clenched teeth was the only 81
:. Of life, and while one man went for doc'