Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-04-03

and we followed him. After an hours
toll in the drifts and darkness, the air
being SO full of snow that respiration
was almost impossible, the mail-car-
rier gave Hp and announced that he
was lost. Then we knew that it was
a case of life and death, with the
chances in favor of the latter. After
a short consultation we made sort of
rampant of the sleigh boxes and roll
ed ourselves up as well as we could in
our robes and blankets. The wind
cut like a razor and the snow was
everywhere. No one dared sleep. The
morning brought no abatement of the
storm. Our clothing was frozen stiff,
we were without food, and something
had to be done. We concluded to bat
tie again with the drifts. Attaching
the horses to the sleighs, we started
out, the men foundering ahead in the
snow, which was from three to six feet
in depth. 1t was laborious work, but
we kept on. At noon the clouds broke
and the storm gradually ceased, but
the cold became intense. AS soon AS
the atmosphere was clear we dlscOv-
cred some familiar landmarks in the
distance, and the mail-carrier, who
knew every foot of the country, urged
us on, saying that if we could make a
certain point before dark we would
find a deserted mill, which would at
least protect US from the biting blasts.
About six miles of snow-drifts had to
be overcome, but we reached the mill
before night and built a fire in it. By
this time we looked more like ice men
than anything else. The next morn
ing early we started out for the near
est camp. The sky was clear, but the
wind was killing We made fair
progress, but were compelled to stop
every few minutes to attend to some
one of our party who was freezing.
As soon as we found anyone getting
comfortable and little drowsy, out
he'd 90 into the snow, and we would
all jump on him and roll him over
and punch him until he didn't feel SO
well, perhaps, but was a good deal fur
ther from freezing to death than he
was before. We all had to take turns
at this sort of treatment. Nobody
was permitted to be comfortable.
Comfort IN such a blizzard means
death inside Of thirty minutes. It
was a terrible experience We all had
frosted feet, fingers noses and ears,
and the mail-carrier's face was frozen
as stiff as an icicle. When we struck
camp there was a great thawing out.
Wo had been without food for nearly
two days, and little more Of that
storm would have finished us ALL"
The mOuntaineers are quick to res
pond to appeals for assistance, and
many heroic rescues of people over
whelmed by avalanches are reported.
a great slide over in Wo0lford's Can
on the other day fairly shook the
earth, and toll-gate keeper named
Merk went out on an exploring expe-
ditlOn. He found that a cabin occu-
pied by family named Maxwell had
been carried away, and that 1t was
hard as a rock to the depth of twenty
feet. Seeing that he could do nothing
unaided, Merk went around the coun-
try and raised a force of twenty men,
who, armed with picks and shovels,
hastened to the scene. By dark they
mad touched some of the logs that
formed the cabin, and working by the
light of huge fire they had kindled
the hardy fellows continued their ex-
ertions, By II o'clock they had got
down to the level of that portion of
the cabin which remained intact, and
hammering on the walls they waited
for an answer. In an instant came a
knock in reply from the inside. The
delivers broke into a cheer as the wei
come sound reached their ears. It
took them an hour longer to cut
through the logs and pass some bran
ay and bread through the logs to the
family.
The Maxwells-father, mother and
four children-had been saved from
death almost miraculously. They
were hudsled in little space not
more than ten feet square, and when
found were almost dead from hunger,
cold and terror. The father and the
eldest child, a lad Of eight years. had
been trying to cut through d two-foot
log with jack-knives in an effort to ex-
tricate themselves. After getting the
family out the brave men who had
worked so long and hard carried them
all to the dollhouse, where they were
kindly attended to.