The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-03-17
SOME SEVERE WINTERS.
NOTABLE STORMS AND sTNeINe COLDS

/ NOTABLE STORMS AND sTINGING COLDS
In the course of the winter of 1914,
not only was the list of persons who per-
! ished in the snow painfully long one,
/ but many animals were lost, particular
/ ly sheep. There were, however, some
! remarkable instances of the latter being
! rescued, after protracted entombment
( One belonging to gentleman from the
/ south Of Scotland was rescued after hav-
! ing been buried for six weeks. 1t was
not much the worse for the imprison-
| ment for, after little stumbling it
was able to walk home before its shep-
| herd, and by and by was as strong as
the rest of the flock. On the 22d of
February, sheep belonging to a farmer
IN Berwlckshire was dug out, after hav-
ing been entombed for fourteen days in
the snow
Neither are instances wanting of the
almost miraculous preservation of hu-
man beings when buried in a diff
wreath. Few more remarkable than
the following will be found, which oc-
Cured at the village of Impington,
about three miles from Cambridge On
the "a of February, 1899, Mrs. Eliza
beth Woodcock, a respectable resident
OF the village, on returning home from
Lying down beside hedge, she was inn
mediately envelOped, and remained
there until the 10th Of the month-a pe
ROD OF eight days and eight nights. Dur
ing the interval one of the villagers is
SAID TO have dreamed on three different
occasions, that hare was to be found
at particular spot at the roadside near
the village. Immediately after the last
occasion he resolved to go and see and
on doing so, he discovered a handker-
chief In hole in the snow and on fur
ther search, to his amazement. found
Mrs. Woodcock. She was convened. in
the full possession of her faculties, to
her family and friends, who had given
ner up as lost. She said she had a dis
tlnct recollection of hearing the village
belis Ginning for the church service, on
the day after chat in which she was in
wrapped in what she believed was to be
her winding sheet; and equally good
was her hearing on the morning of the
day on which she was rescued, when on
the bells Ginning, she recognized them.
About thirty or forty years ago, mon
! ument commemorative of the event
with an inscription stating the particu-
larS, was erected on the spot and per-
sons are said to be still living in the viii
lage who remembered having seen Mrs
Woodcock
The great storm of 1895 lasted for fif-
ty-one days and on a simultaneous ap-
peal being made to the ''oldest inhabi-
tants" in all parts of the country that
venerable parsonage positively failed to
conJure up from memory parallel win
ter, unless, indeed, it was that of 174O
On the Thames, there was a general
suspension of commerce. and it was
said that there were no fewer than four
hundred vessels fast in TIE ice. During
the months o. January and February. a
great many persons perished in the
snow or from cOld-nOt few in circum-
! stances exceedingly painful, But there
was also a very considerable catalogue
or gallant rescues. We select the fell
lowing two examples of deliyerance eff
fected by the agency of dumb animals.
that haze always been among the best
friends of man. One day toward the
end of January, a Y Norfolk farmer. while
returning home from the town of Nor
wlch, became so benumbed by the cold
that he was compelled to lie down in the
snow. He would undoubtedly have
perished but for his dog, which, with a
pathetic sagacity, stretched it's body
across its masters breast, and so protec-
ted his lungs from the cold. In this po-
sltlOn 1t lay fol- several hours, until at
length, by continued barking and howl
ing, it attracted attention and relief.
An almost equal power of discernment
was displayed in the following inst ance:
About the same period, while farmer
near HuntlycOte was with the assist
ance of his shepherd, relieving some
sheep from Snow-drift at the side of a
bank, a large quantity of snow shot
down in the form of an avalanche from
the higher ground. and enveloped the
two men. They must have remained,
and perhaps peTiShed, but for the saga
city of their two faithful collies. The
dogs at once scampered home, and by
their excited demeanorssand continuous
bowling, aroused the suspicious of the
women, whom they by and by induced
them to follow them to the spot, and
where,the animals commenced to scrape
the snow and the situation having
thus been made plain, the men were
dug out, after a confinement of six
hours, of which, however, they were not
much the worse. Chambers Journal.