The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-03-14
A Perllous Journey.

Hills writes to the EaOne6T 9TeSS giving
Tho following personal experience in 8
recent blizzard: II took the Sidney
coach at Sturgis Wednesday morning,
Ionuary 31st, and found ON board Porter
Warner. Paul Gentges and Frank Kar-
ner. all bound for Sidney. The weather
was pleasant and the roads in good con-
dition. so that we reached Willow Grove
about noon. There wepartook of a lunch
which proved to be the last we got for
fftv-six hours. We started for Big Cot
tonwood about noon Thursday. Snow
was then falling fast and drifting badly,
but our driver thought he could easily
make the next station before the storm
obIiterated the road. We travelled on
this route about two hours, when the
fact began to appear to our benumbed
senses that we had taken a great risk in
starting from the last station. The wind
was now blowing a perfect gale and the
snow coming down like a mighty ava
lanche upon us, filling our sleigh, our
eyes, mouth and whiskers. The tenn
p~erature was growing very cold and
great icicles were freezing around our
mouths. We could hardly distinguish
an object ten feet from III sleigh; our
horses %foundered and went down in the
snow almost out of sight. Our only show
for safety now was to reach Big Cotton
wood, and although we had no road to
FoJ1nr- x,o ON! cavr ~pol 10 l. a--
so as to reach there before dark but we
were ven then going in an exactly op-
posite direction, as it afterwards proved.
Darkness anne on, but no abatement of
the storm, and no station. We were then
compelled to stop until morning, as it
was an utter impossibility to proceed
further, our horses being completely
played out. Warmers feet were frozen,
Gentges' hands and ears were frozen,
and Frank Harper was also in very bad
shape. [ had remained in the sleigh
and had thus far escaped. Our horses
were unhitched and tied to the sleigh
without blankets or food, and we, piling
in the sleigh and drawing over our heads
an old WORKOUT robe furnished by the
stage company and my California blan-
kets, decided to remain here till morning.
Twelve long hours Of darkness, perhaps
the coolest any of us had ever exper-
fenced, were before us, with neither fire,
food nor shelter for man or beast. We
would net go to sleep if we could for fear
J. - - ~ ~ 49,, l--4 $3.50 1919
could not if we would, for we were too
cold. Morning finally came, but the
storm still ragged. However, the sun
came out for a moment, as if to indicate
to us the direction we might take, then
disappeared behind the clouds. We de-
cided which direction to take and then
started, Frank Harper on foot to lead the
way, but so severe was the storm he be-
caG1e lost from the sleigh, and again the
driver got turned around and travelled
westward. Finally, aboutnoOn, the sun
again came out for q moment and we
discovered we were going westward, SO
we decided to stop and not stir further
until the storm ceased. We were near
a dry creek where there were some cot
tonWood trees, and after much difficulty
We oUtCcCNG Gu HI uCSCCIlUIIS Iu1OQSu JllC
deep snow drifts into the bottom. There
we found some dry brush standing, with
which we started a fire. We turned the
wagon box up on its side, nailed q blan-
ket in front oft, and sat down by a very
small fire to await further developments.
We had given up poor Harper, thinking
he had ere this passed in his chips, but
to our Joy he came in after being lost
four or five hours. His hair and ewes
being gray with frost, SO changed him
him, but arriving at the sleigh he threw |
exhausted. He told us how he had cir
cled around and had three times thrown
himself on the ground to die, but each
time something urged him to try and go
a little further. He had reached for his
revolver to shoot himself, but luckily he
had left it in the sleigh. Harper took
from his valise a small link Of bologna
sausage and three small biscuits, frozen
as hard as petrefactions, which was all
the food in the crowd. We had had no
thine to eat now for thirty hours and
were beginning to feel the pangs of hum
ger. Friday night came on with tenn
p%erature at 42o below zero, as ascertained
at Red Cloud. We managed to live
through the night by frequently getting
out and exercising arms and feet. Our
driver and Harper got up early, and
each taking a horse started to hunt Cot
tonWoOd station. They were gone all
Jay, and during thai time we were cut
ing switches to keep a small fire going.
Near night we heard a noise and discov-
cred the boys returning with fresh horses
ana q sack of oats for the other horses |