The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-11

a Terrible Calamity BefaIIs n Noun
taims,de village.
IT'S CITIZENS sNow.BoUSD ~ THEIR DWELL
IXos--AwfrL SUFFERING PROM COLD AND
HUNGER.
fssc,,, a,sra,cb 20 tho R.stou Herald. /

ESPECIAL dispatch 10 the Boston fiera'oJ
BERRYyuLE, CLARKE COUNTY. VA, JAN
uary Roger l.. Cooper. resident OF tue
little village OF Paris. situated on the SIDE
Of Blue Ridge Mountain, near the boundary
line between LoudouD and Clarke coun-
lie, arrived yesterday. bringing news
Of terrible calamity which had be-
fallen his native village. lie states
that when be left Paris the entire COM
munity OF 800 men. women. and cbi'drcn
were suffering terribly from intense cold.
while no less than five persons had been
literally frozen TO death. The snow COM
menced falling December 10th, ard conlin-
ned with undated fury until Christmas,
when The thermometer registered is degrees
below zero. Nearly every house IN The VII
lage, owing TO its peculiar situation on the
mouniajpsde, was buried 10 the roofs In
mammoth snowdrifts, compelling residents
10 cut tunnels I'M many Instances fifteen or
twenty feet lOng--to make exits. so COM
pletely was the country overwhelmed Win
snow that il was impossible To make any
Roadway in IL with The most powerful
horses. All communication being thus In
terdicted. Il became apparent that residents
would soon be IN imminent danger, for
WANT OF FOOD AND fCEE.
During Christmas day the able.bodied men
who had succeeded in cutting their way out
Of their houses were busiIy engaged in as
sisting many Of their neighbors to cut tun-
nels through TIE snow, which completely
enyelopcd many OF the smaller cottages.
The safety of fifty or seveuty-iive OF the
villagers could not be placed beyond doubt
until late in the afternoon, when they
emerged from the snow.bOund dwellings,
many suffering terribly from frosted hands
and feet, brought on by want Of fuel with
which TO keep their fires going. one coll
taee. occupied by Il widow, Mrs. hate
Whitman, and her two children, was the
last for which the kindly Offices OF
rescue. party were performed. Wben an
entrance to this house was finally ef-
iec:ed after several hours labor, the
unfortunate lady and one OF her
children were found dead upon bed,
frozen stiff One child aflerward revived.
aud, although terribly frost-bitteD. 1t VIII
probably recover. The next day Sunday
a meeting OF villagers was held IN tDe
school-bouse, when ii was resolved 10 ap.
point committee OF fifteen to take charge
of all the wood and provisions IN town.
This was accordingly done, not without
some opposition, and by Monday radical
change in affairs bad been effected. Inc
committee ruled The inhabitants with
strong hand, compelling them TO crowd in
about twenty houses, where fires were kept
going night and day. This was in order to
economic fuel. Each man, woman. and
child was given a supply Of provisions
twice day, while every morning party OF
men was sent out TO battle the terrible
snow and search for fuel and birds, the lat
ter being frozen 10 death by thousands.
Owing to the depth OF the snow and the
terrible cold, however. the parties
OFTEN RETURNED EMPTY HANDED.
On Tuesday three OF the men succumbcd
to the cold while mile from The village,
and the exhausted and disprted party was
compelled to abandon them 10 their fate
The number OF sick and frozen became 30
great on Tuesday that the committee con-
yerted dwellng.hOus into hospital,
whittier all the nvalids were removed aud
placed in charge Of body Of physicians
By Tuesday evening the number OF pa
tients 10 various stages Of sickness had
reached seventy.fye, while others were
coming in hourly. The committee then
determined to reduce ratiOn> and send a
message to Berryvlle to ask that assistance
be sent as soon as possible Mr. Cooper
volunteered for the journey, and left
the hamlet early Wednesday morning
mounted on a powerful plough borse
fIe succeeded in travelling until noon
next day without halt, when the no.
BILE animal lay down TO die. Cooper
bravely continued the journey on foot,
and reached here Yesterday in a half
idloiic state, being almost frozen stiff.
lie dropped on the road outside Of the VII
lage about dusk, and was found by farmer
who was attracted to the scene by his wild
singing. A sleigh containing quantity OF
medicine, a physician. clergyman. and
TWO men, left here Yesterday for the village
in order to give temporary relief to the un-
happy residents, and their return is hourly
expected. A. soon as snow ceases falling
and the roads become passable arellef party
VIII be dispatched to the 'cene.
"a considerable discount for eXaggera-
ton ought probably to be allowed on the
abOye.]