Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-09
LOSrt IN rHE snow.
The Terrible Experience of a
Man without Food in the
Idaho Mountains.

The Wood River Times has a Ions
account of the adventures of Thomas
f. Cox,s miner, who left Bonanzs
April u for Stanley Basin, expecting
to obtain work in the placers at that
place. Failing to obtain work, he
started for Sawtooth City, distant
forty-6ve miles. and camped on the
night Of the 14th at Valley Greek.
The next morning. shortly after start
ing out, be met two men from Saw
tooth, and made inquiries about the
trail. These men either misdirectsd
him, or he misundest stool their d.
rsctions, for on arriving at the creek
that flows out of Reddish Lake, be took
up that creek, instead of keeping on
six miles further to Beaver Greek.
BE followed the creek, arriving at the
cabins at the head of the lake about
Bpm. Surprising the town was'just
beyond, he kept travelling until after
dark. Then a snow storm setting in,
be became bewildered and wandered
about in the timber near the summit
of Atlanta pass divide until after mid
night. Finally be got his bearings
and started back for the cabins, when
ne became aware that his feet were
frozen. Throwing away his roll Of
blankets he fastened forward, making
the cabins the second time at about
IL on the forenoon Of the 10th. Has
tily building q fire he pulled off his
boots, and found both feet frozen.
Not being able to pull on
his boots again, he concluded to
use the only remedy at hand-a nov
poultice-to relieve the pain. He
kept his feet poulticed for four days,
but at the end of that time, finding
that snow brought no relief, he dis
continued its use. His next thought
was to keep a good lookout for pass
ers.b by. He would crawl out Of the
cabin, take q good look, and crawl
back again. No sooner back, and
hearing the swaying of the giant pines
that surrounded the cabin, and mis-
taking that noise for the sound of
human voices, out he would crawl
again, only to return disappointed.
During the long, cold nights, suddenly
awakened from a troubled sleep by the
hoarse screech Of q night owl he would
crawl out in the darkness, hoping for
the Ions. looked for assistance, only to
be more thoroughly aroused to his
real situation.
There being no wood in the cabins
to keep the fires burning, he burned
up the rough board bedstead, cupboard
and other cabin furniture, together
with the chinking from between the
logs as far as be could reach, which
he knocked out with an old short
handled az that he found. This ex-
hausted he kindled a fire in one cor
ner Of the cabin, which burned the
end off six or seven logs. when the
corner of the house dropped down
about five feet. Putting out the fire
with snow, he kindled a FIRE in the
other corner on the same side, which
burned down as did the first, thus get.
ting the middle of the logs for fuel.
About this time, despairing Of assist
ance passing by, he conceived the idea
of making a pair Of hand snow shoes,
with which to try and crawl to the
settlement. He used the old ak in
splitting and cutting a cabin log to the
required size about twenty inches
long by FIVE wids-then cut his boots
for hand straps, which he fastened to
the wood with nails he pulled out Of the
cabin walls. He then made three knee
pads with the remaining paris of his
boots, making them as pulled up and
thick as possible, so as to keep his feet
off the frozen snow when crawling. At
last they we're completed, and be was
ready to make one more effort to save
that which he would have destroyed in
his fits OF agony from pain-his life
when the long-looked for assistance
arrived.
About 4 o'clock on the afternoon Of
the 9th, three men journeyiDg from
HALEY to Atlanta, started from Saw
tooth, on the Atlanta trail, intending
to camp at the cabling that night and
make Atlanta the next day, some
twenty two miles. On nearingthe cabin
one Of the party saw Cox, but mistoOk
him for an Indian, so black had he
become from smoke. The joy Of the
poor, frozen famished man can be i'm
agined They gave him what nourish-
ment they had with them. and one Of
the party went back to SswtoOlh for
assistance. From the time MI. Cox
left Valley Greek till his discovery,
twelve days, he had eaten but four
crackers and q part Of a box OF sardines.
Upon taking the information to Hal.
ley, where a surgeon was obtained, it
was found necessary to amputate both
feet, so badly we're they frozen.