The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-20
Showed Under.

d. 80 III ~
which. driven by a northwest gale, soon
formed deep drifts. For three day. the
snow continued to fall, and % the morn
Ing ofThursday. December %, many OF
the houses in the little village Of Parls,
which lies on the west sIae OF q Tldge
near the summit, were buried 10 inc
drift. Roger :. Cooper, a stalW&rt ana
hardy man Of p. living ID q cottage u
an exposed situation, awoke t. Lnl
every thing dark, though the CLOCK
showed him, BY the assistance OF a lamp
that 1t was 1870 a. IL. Alter brtah-
fasting be set out 70 tunDe from Hl5
front door. -hoveliug the sDow INSIDE
while his wife packed u away ID the
house. After working til 8 .. N, he
had tunneiled thirty feet, when the drltt
fell In and he had a narrow escape "ltb
his life He then decided 70 Try ahptA
er means OF exit. and cliuBluS Up NE
chimney az far a. he could le broke d
hole with a chise. and through tue
SIDE Of the chimney ana emerged upon
the roof. An uubroken waste OI snow
met his ewes. he saw that he couIo
never have got out By the plan hTet
tried. a. the drift extended al least 80
feet In that direction 10 the very edge
Of a precipiece Of several hun1re1 ieeI
fall overlooking a valley. He managed
70 tunnel out from a window and reach
his fathers house, which was more
fortunately located, and whence he got
help TO remove his wife and children
The snow continued to fall, and for two
DAYS nothing was done By the villagers
but 10 care for themselves D families.
On Christmas day some OF the men
made their way - the cottage, Ia a Sc
Guided place. where lived Mrs. Nate
Whitman, widow, and two children. The
wonan was found In bed, frozen 10
death, and beside her her Oldest daugh-
ter, also dead. An infant OF Is months
was bundled up III the bedclothes SO
warmly that il was alive. though lnoen-
sible. It was cared for and restored
Next dav a meeting # villagers was
held in the school house, when a Com
mittee Of Safety composed OF fifteen
men headed by a Mr.. Wright, was form
ed, and full power given 1t. The peo-
pie were all brought together into about
twenty houses nearest the school house,
and all the fuel and provisions III the
vlllrge were brought TO tins common
centre, and daily ratous served u to
each house by the committee, while
foragiug parties were daily sent out to
search for wood aud the birds which
were lying frozen in the woods. On
TUESDAY, January !, Cooper, whose
narrow escape is mentioned above, was
dispatched To Berryville for help lie
started Oh horseback. with a package 81
provisions and u flask Of whisky. On
Wednesday the horse gave out and
Cooper continued his journey on foot.
On Thursday evening Cooper was found
insensible iu d snow drift near the out
skirts Of this village by Mr.. Richard \.
Ward, living near by, who resuscited
him, and heard with alnazement his
story. On Friday a party Of three men
IL asleigh drawn by four horses started
from Berryyille 70 the relief OF the nov
buried village. This relief party sue
ceeded IL making their way to the scene,
contrary TO general expectation. On
their arrival they found the inhabitants
nearly all prisoners in their houses.
which We're almost covered with 0
BY advice Of the committee Of fifteen
the men had ceased all efforts 70 keep
an open pathway from their houses, it
iN+LS Ht-IlG4 GHlrt-L 4'I llttul ~ lax
their strength Ia this way. The relief
party, who lost Two Of the four horses
attached to their sled on the road were
warmly welcomed.
There were only four cords of woss 10
the town, and but little prospect Of OBJ
tanning more, as the snow almost com
pletely cut of communication with the
outer world. The men each GAY were
IN the habit OF for4ging for supplies,
but 50 many Of their number had been
frost-bitten and disabled that it has
been deemed best to abandon all efforts
to obtain either fuel or provisions. OF
the 800 men, women and children in
the village nearly all were sick liz the
eXtempOrIzed hospital, and eight or tep
would have one or more limbs amplt.-
ted, owing to their being frozen. The con
mlttee had established a number Of laws
Ct It's own, and had also seized the stock
Of the two grocery stores In the village
and appropriated the provisions to the
common fund.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
BALTIMORE, January 9.-The detail.
Of a shocking discovery Illustrative Of
the suffering caused by the recent heavy
SHOW fall have inst been received here.
1t occurred near Niddleburg, Virginia,
last week. Mrs. Ann Pritchard, living
At the foot Of the Blue Ridge. and her
grandson were both frozen to death,
after having been literally buried alive
in the snow which formed in a huge
drift over their house, hiding it from
view. The first intimation of her stu
alton was learned by travellers on the
road seeing a large shawl projecting
from what was apparently a huge snow
drift and waving violently. A neigh
boring farmer attention was called TO
the phenomenon, and he at once per-
ceived that the drift had formed on
Mira. Prichards house. and that the
shawl was a signal Of distress from the !
chimney. The gentleman made an
effort to communicate with the pris-
oners, but although mounted on q
stout horse he could not get within a
hundred yards Of the dwelling. The
was given and the next day the
farmers commenced cutting !
a tunnel into the house. Meanwhile |
the shawl had disappeared and when an {
was effected the two occupants :