St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-10-07
A WONDERFUL ESCAPE.

A WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
On Friday morning, July 81, 1882,
four little children living at Allouez
mine, started out with pals and baskets
to pick berries. They wandered along
the highway for about a quarter of 4
mile, and then turned on a new road,
which leads through the thick woods to
the new mine called the Wolverine.
All went well until the youngest, a
mite of a girl, and very small OF her
age, being but seven years old, com
! planned OF being tired and wanted to 90
home. Then for the first time, in their
| efforts to retrace their steps, they dis
covered that they had strayed from the
path and were lost in the thick woods.
where in many places the trees are but
a foot apart, and the underbrush grows
as high as FIVE feet. Vainly they sought
the right path till nightfall closed
around them-then, bruised and
scratched by the bushes, with head,
face and limbs bitten and badly swollen
by the nip of the wicked black-hy, the
two older children belonging to the
Finn settlement beyond the Allouez
proper), tired and frightened. lay down
and cried themselves to sleep, and were
found by anxious searchers the follow
ing day in woeful condition. When
these children were asked for their lit
tie companions, they replied: 1--WE
begged them to stay with us, but the
boy said he would 60 and find the way
to the road, and then come back for us,
but his little sister would not stay with
out him. and they pointed the way
they had gone. In that direction a
party of men searched all day, aided by
the half-crazed Norwegian father and
Finn mother of the lost little ones, and
all day the whistles of the Allouez and
Wolverine mines blew at intervals of
ten minutes to guide them to the
settlements.
Saturday night came and no children
found. The weary mother must return
to her babe, but the father with a few
men spent the night in fruitIess search.
Sunday we found the road full of
Swedes, Norwegians and Firms, while
large parties were in the woods, and
the whistles blew all day. Monday
came and the Calumet and Hecla joined
in the search, sending about four hun
dred men. Toward night, little foot
print was discovered, and piece of
the little girls dress. Tuesday more
men were sent out and success was
thought to be certain, but alas! no
children were found. At evening the
sky was full of dense black clouds.
The thunder was awful-never before
do | remember such rainfall and
tempest as ragged for few hours, while
the rest of the night and succeeding
day was sultry with drizzling rain and
Wednesday night another tempest.
Still the search continued Every day
the shouts of six hundred men or more
were making the woods alive. Friday
morning-one week from the children's
appearance-came, and the Calumet
and Hecla mine was closed and the
whole force together with the Allouez
men were stationed along the road
front, five feet apart. with orders to
break through the woods in that line as
best they could, to search every hollow
stump, to remove underbrush, to ex-
anime holes and make sure of leaving
no spot UNEMPLOYED, and yet night
brought nearly every man back with no
traces Of the children. Some stayed all
night at their almost hopeless task, and
some, a party of four Swedes. were
themselves lost, and here is their Won
derful story.
'At three o'clock Friday afternoon
we sat down by brook to rest. We
were tired and bewildered and shouted
loudly for our companions. to come to
us, when from heap of bushes came
boy saying: Where are you9 Who is
it?'' We, thinking he belonged to some
party OF searchers, asked: who are
you With?' His answer came: "My
sister Up we sprang to our feet, and
knew, even in our amazement, that the
lost children were found, and alive, and
in their right senses, although they had
been alone in the wood, amid lightning
and tempest, for eight days. with moth
ing to eat but berries. And the boy of
but nine years had built huts of brush
to cover them at night, had gathered
and loaded both himself and sister with |
great punches OF blueberries where they |
were to be found, and was trying to fol- |
low the tortuous course of the brook,
which, he remembered, emptied, into
Torch Lake. He was still brave. We
gave them small pieces of bread at in
tervals during the afternoon and night,
as we walked in or by the sides of the
streams as best we could with our joy
[ul burden, or lay down for little
needed rest, each two men with child !
between them to give warmth to the
little. chilled frame.' .
Saturday morning some one in the
street shouted to me: '.'They are found!
hey are found.' Il threw up the sash,
snd party of men were right in front !