Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-02-04
Freezing to Death.
THE SENSATIONS THAT A MAN FEELS
WHEN He DIES OF COLD.

THE SENSATIONS THAT A MAN FEEL
WHEN He DIES OF COLD.
The readers of the "Chronicle' will re
member that nearly q month ago mai
was found in an unconscious condition In
little cabin in California gulch. He
Swas at first thought dead, but those who
lifted him up found that he was still alive
| but almost frozen. In this condition he
| was taken to the Sisters Hospital, where it
| was found necessary to save his life, to
amputate his right foot at the ankle and
the.toe of the left. He stood the opera
ton bravely, and in spite of a great ner-
vous prostration he rallied and was dis
charged few days ago to battle on crutch-
es with the wide, wide wOrld-an uneven
warfare, indeed. While ne still lay at the
hospital ''Chronicle" reporter, on his
rounds one day, happened in the building.
and ultimately found himself at the bed
side of the man who bad so narrowly es-
capped frozen death. The sufferer was a
quick, intelligent young man, and seemed
glad to enter into conversation. In the
course of this he narrated in a graphic
way bis experience in the lonely cabin. In
substance, he said:
II was three miles up the gulch the af-
ternoon before, looking after some pros
pect holes had up there, and didn't start
for home until quite late. had no more
than started when the snow began to fall,
and in fifteen minutes the storm was in
full fury. knew the way well, but the
ferceness of the storm alarmed me, and
landmarks were soon blotted out, and it
was impossible to see more than twenty
feet before ones face. My principal guide
had been the trail made by the burros
feet, but the thick white mantle that spec
Oily covered the earth so entirely obscured
this that had no earthly means of know
ing whether or not was on the right path.
After wandering blindly 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
1 had strayed far from the proper route.
Up to this time had forced persistently
ahead, but there stopped, my back to the
gusty wind, and tried to calmly consider
the situation. Taking the extreme suppo-
sitloD that I had walked in an exactly op-
posite direction from the right one, could
not be over four miles from home, but in
the binding storm I had no assurance
MI ofhor T xxOIlI1 q rirhf in II Io y
or forward, right or left, but finally at
random chose the first, and continued my
journey straight ahead. Up to this time
had felt no cold, but when 1 stopped to
think, the warmth created by my active
exertions died away and l began to feel
severely the biting air. Besides this the
temperature was plainly falling lower, and
even my warm breath began to CONCEAL in
just in front of my mouth. Still walked
briskly on, but some how my utmost ex-
ertions failed to circulate my blood and
warm me as it had before. Ten minutes
later began to feel singing pains in my
feet and hands and the numbness that IN
variably follows extreme cold. It was
about this time that l noticed my eyes
seemed swollen and the lids so heavy that
l had difficulty in opening them.
When they were closed constant sue
cession of brilliant lights flashed before me
and presently these lights began to appear
when they we're open. In every direction
[ seemed to See them-green, purple, red,
blue and golden-until with difficulty
could trace the outline of my hand as
held it before my face. If staggered be-
fore, 1 reeled blindly now, and when l
pressed my benumbed fingers to my face
found it covered with frozen tears. BY
this time the pain in my limbs and feet
had grown to the most intense agony. The
prickling sensation felt at first was gone
now, and in it's place long, steady keen
pain as from great open wound. AT one
time CROPPED my way to little sheltered
place beneath some rocks and pulled my
mittens off in vain attempt to warm my
hands by friction. The flesh was perfectly
livid and blue in places, as if it had already
begun to decompose. The nails were deep
blue and quantities of blood seemed to
have settled beneath them. Finding it
to create any warmth, rose to
my feet aid walked on. resolved to die, if
| must die, in desperate struggle.
The prismatic colors had now faded be-
fore my eyes to long parallel bars that
seemed to stretch from the horizon. AS |
walked faster noted, too, with joy, that
tense as before. attributed This to the
rapid circulation of blood, but was sadly
deceived, for when l stopped down and
touched my foot it responded no more to
the fingers than block of marble. 1t was
dead. Up to this time my men,
tai sufferings had equalled my physical, but
with my stlffening limbs by mind seemed to
grow dull aud torpid too. Presently l felt
no more pain and heavy and drowsy
sensation substituted ITSELF This grew
stronger and felt as though it would be
heaven itself to sink down into one of the
snow drifts and go to sleep. A most de-
licious sense of lassitude and tired ease be-
gan 60 creep over me, and it seemed as If
the warm breath of summer were playing
in my face. knew dimlY and vaguely,
as one knows things in dream. that was
freezing to death, but had no care or anx-
iety about it whatever, My outstretched
hands struck against something. 1t was
the door Of a cabin-my own, although /
did not know it,and falling in, / rolled |
upon the floor
The next thing remember was sense
of awful pain, and, opening my eyes, l
could see people rubbing me with snow,
and Iscreamed and begged them to desist.
The pain grew kennar and mora intanso