Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-12-27
IN THE BLIZZARD.
A MEMORABLE TRIP FROM sxOKy
TO BAILEY.

i
Hours Aakius Is Ailes-A Brave
Quartet.
William Short, the Smoky mail.
carrier, got into Haley about 4
O'Clock Sunday morning, having had
memorable trip to and from the
Carrie Leonard mine.
He left Haley last Monday after.
noon, with two-horse team and bob
sled and the Smoky mail, and stopped
over night at the Camas mill. Start.
ing out bright and early Tuesday, he
reached the summit, at the head of
Willow Creek, about half.past l
O'Clock in the afternoon. Here his
real trouble began. The wind blew a
hurricane, and snow fell in sheets,
covering his tracks as he passed.
But as there was only about foot of
snow, he managed to cross the sum.
nit, and reached Davis's, about a
quarter of = mile this side OF the
Carrie Leonard mine, about Z o'clock
at night. After warming himself and
drying his clothes, he went on to the
Carrie, where he slept over night
Wednesday morning he left early,
as . storm threatened, the sky being
charged with heavy, lesden clouds.
He made pretty fair time until he got
to Revis's plscers, when the snow 20,
deeper with every foot, the horses
finally sinking to their necks. To
advance was impossible; so he un-
hitched his team, determined to wade,
and shovel, and break his way through,
with his horses. But he soon became
exhausted, and realized that pluck
and endurance could not get the
better Of that storm.
! Just IS he was undecided whether
to retreat or advance, he heard q
cheer close in the rear-for, although
it was midday, he could not see ten
feet away, on account of the falling
snow. Soon William Ray, Hewitt,
the blacksmith, and Hsrris-three Of
tho Carrie Leonard boys-camc up tc
him on snowshoes, carrying three
DAYS rations and a shovel apiece
They found him just on top of the
first rise, opposite Revis's, and abou,
to climb, or attempt to climb, the
. summit. AS the storm broke, the
kind. hearted miners knew that ne
lone traveller could weather it, so fou
hours after Short left they startet
after him. They could see no tracks
or other signs of his course, but KEEP
right on, expecting to come up will
him near the summit.
, As it was getting late, the miner
compelled Short to return to tn
Carrie with them, so as to get al
{ early start in the morning. Tn
, horses were hitched to the sleigh, and
the miners breaking the way wit
, their Norwegian snowshoes, all mad
I good time to the mine and to bed.
The storm continued all night, an
, next morning, when they started GU,
there was three feet of snow on tn
l ground. There were four in tn
! party-Short and the three minei
!, named above, the latter being o
snowshoes and armed with shovel'
b The mail-bags were tied to the horses
!. tails, the sleigh being left at the min'
4 Progress was slow, the storm increa'
X ing in intensity. The wind blew wit
4 such tremendous force Is to brea
q limbs from tho trees and blow the'
Through the air distance of hundred
of feet As they fell to the groun'
i they sometimes struck other trees, ca
@ rying some OF their limbs down wi,
f them, and making . blood-eurdlln
8 noise.
Presently regular blizzard can
o on, and the Precipitation, which role
n down the faces and bodies of the cou
}. ageous men, would freeze ere it hi
}, dropped six inches. The mon h
\, heretofore worked in reliefs of two,
% that two rested all the time and moi
Il got exhausted but the blizzard col
PEELED them to keep at work, so As n
It to freeze to death in Eve minute
70 Thus they worked in the snow all
,e Thursday, all that night, and all
r. Friday. All this time they knew Il,
II they were progressing. but did n
n, know Just where they were, exec