Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-10-25
LOST IN A sT0RM.

LOST IN A Storm.
Two Men Caught Out In an October Bliz-
zsrd In North Dakots and One Perishes.
Bismarck Capital.
The item which was contained in Mon.
days paper regarding two citizens Of
Dawson who we're lost on the prairie
north of that city, was more thoroughly
investigated yesterday by reporter of
the Capital, who made trip to Dawson
for that purpose. The facts were learned
to be that Edward A. Horton and Ed
ward +. Knapp. cousins, had started to
walk from point about twenty five
miles north OF Dawson to the latter
place, last Friday morning. The snow
storm of that day struck them about 10
a. M, and caused them to lose their way.
At midnight Knapp laid down to die,
and Horton struggled ahead to only find
shelter at 10 o'clock the next morning at
Medina, about twenty.one miles east of
Dawson. He was partially insane from
exposure, fatigue and hunger. He was
cared for and conveyed home. On Sun
day twenty citizens of Dawson went ont
for search. They were out all day, but
failed to find Knapp's body or any traces
OF his whereabouts. The search is to he
continued, although faint hopes are en-.
tertaIned of being able to recover the
body, by reason of the numerous prairie
| wolves.
Mr.. Horton, the survivor, was found
in bed at his residence. He had the an.
pearance of man who had passed
through long seige of illness. His
sunken eyes and emaciated face testified
to the hardships and suffering of his ter.
rible experience of that long night while
he was lost on the prairie amid drifting
snow and surrounded by bowling wolves.
He told his story as follows:
II and Edward f. Knapp. my cousin,
we're with the surveying party under the
direction of L. II. Cannon. On Friday
morning, as had some important bust.
ness at Dawson which 1 desired to at.
tend to. and as Knapp also wished to
come to the town We concluded to start
out and walk in. The distance was only
twenty-five miles directly south, and we
had no fears about being able to get in
by the afternoon. About ten
o'clock in the forenoon we were
headed for a house occupied by
man named Davidson, where we in.
tended to stop. Then it began to snow:
at first gently and afterwards fast and
thick. The wind was blowing from the
southeast. but unbeknown to us it
changed to the northwest and made it
very cold. We lost our way. That was
all there was of it. We wandered. going
south as we thought, and kept going as
fast as we could. We got tired and hun
cry, but had to keep gong. We could
see neither house nor haystack. The
few crackers and a little coffee we had
was but an aggravation to our appetites
Ed. (meaning Knapp became weak and
commenced to lag behind. He would
occasionally stumble and fall down, and
finally he got to laying down. As it came
on dark the horror of our situation be.
came more painfully apparent to me,
and Ed. seemed to partially realize it
because he struggled harder to keep on
his feet, and BY hanging to my arm
would succeed in doing 30 for distance
Then he would lie down, and would Ii,
beside HIM and endeavor to rouse hin
up. But his strength grew less and hi
speech incoherent. Finally he laid dow,
in sort of gully and wouldn't bulge
l couldn't raise him up, and could onl,
stay with him until it seemed to me tina
he was dying. Then gave him up, an,
struck off to try and find my way home
l remember going through the bluff
and through several places where ther
was water, and striking my legs agains
stones and falling down. When I wa
exhausted I would lie down with m,
elbow under my head so that it woul,
slip out when l went asleep and walker
me. I had the one idea that to go t,
sleep meant death in my wet and chilled
condition. Finally morning came
don't remember much-I kept walking
and stumbling ahead, and at last sav
the house near Medina, and the mex
thing knew the men at the station
were leading me up to the fire and get
ting rue something to eat. Near wher
left Ed. there is big rock, as big a
half hay stack. We laid in its shelte
little while before be gave up. l
might be mile or two miles from wher
, he stopped, but not more. That's al
I can remember. It was quite dark an
about midnight when left him.
The condition of Mr.. Horizons leg
testify of the injuries he received fror
, striking the stones. Both are bruise
and swelled badly. He is otherwise il
lured also, and his terrible nights expe
rience perceptibly aged him. Knapp
the lost man, was 25 years old, of robus
3 phlsique apparently, and something c
, an athlete. He was regarded as muc
the better man OF the two cousins, phys
ically, but the struggle of last Frida
night for life proved him to be the veal
er. He has widow mother in Munro
3 county, New York.