Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-04
A NIGHT IN THE WOons
Three Men Lost I'm the Woods Near Moose
head Lake.

heo0 Lake.
Last Saturday morning Mr.. ". r Conner
left Fairfield with party of men for the see ne
his lumber operations at Northeast Garry,
Mocsehead Lake. Arriving at Greenville
they failed to connect with the steamer. so
eight of them started for Wilson's hotol at
the outlet, on foot. following the telegraph
poles.
Mr.. Connor returned home that same night
and reports that the men were in good con-
dition when they left Greenville. The eight
men were WILDER Chase, Fred Knowles, W
II Maloon. Levi Crowell, Asa Mason, Charles
Barry, Stillman Dckerson and II. e. Rich
ardson.
c. w. Chase of the party, who Jared the
worst of any. arrived here on Jewet.'s train,
Tuesday afternoon. His feet are badly
frozen and he received no medical attendance
till he reached here. DIR. Crossman who at
tends him, says while his CONDITION is
naturally serious, it is not necessarily danger
Gus and he does not Anticipate anv trouble
Young Chase tells the story Of the night
OF suffering substantially as follows:
We left Greenville Saturday aft .rnoon at
two o'clock, five of US. for V. Connor's
camp, which Is seventeen miles from the
town, though we did not expect to travel
further than Wilson's Hotel, twelve miles
away at the outlet, that day.
The route ttok to Wil,o was thar
which is really not even path, in many
places, as it runs all the way through the
woods, up high hills, down along low lands
and over rocks, stumps and fallen trees. Of
course we had little difficulty in following the
line of the poles while daylight favored US,
though sharp looking ahead was requisite as
/ IL a m RI he cd asiIa hy
supposed path.
We were tired when between four and five
o'clock darkness overlook US, for We had
travelled over half the way, carrying packs
weighing from 60 to 100 pounds. But we
pushed on, trusting that in few hours we
should reach our destination, where we
should get warm SUI per. 1t was dark in
some OF the thickest parts of the woods, and
80 dark that it was necessary at times to feel
for the pIles for they could not be easily dis
tinguisheJ.
At length one of the men who had been
over the trail before, and upon whom we
depended as guide said that he could not
pick out the way. We separated a little
and hunted for the path. but could not find
it. We were lost. 1t was now nine o'clock
and we kept on little longer hoping to
strike the line, for we knew that to pass the
night in the woods would mean almost certain
death as it was growing colder almost every
hour.
Cold half frozen and fatgued beyond
description we crawled over logs, fell into
holes and. At length, one or two of US fairly
dropped in our tracks from exhaustion 1t
seemed as if we were to perish for the air
grew more and more cutting There were
IA inches of snow, which was soft and made
the tramp all the harder.
4 l. l.I.us 4 L l.
halt for the night and build fire. We had
no axes and the little twigs and branches
which we gathered were so damp that it was
impossible to ignite them. We had six
matches and with them in trying to kindle
the little fire we burned every scrap of paper
and considerable clothing in our possession.
Of course most of the clothing we took from
our packs, but one of the men was suffering
40 much that he made shavings of the very
vest on his back. | added shirt to the pile.
But all these things were in vain and soon
the sixth and last match was gone
We then threw ourselves about in the snow
to keep from freezlng. | was the only one
in the party who wore long-legged leather
boots and Jared the worst. We had been
Obliged to cross lttl, brooks and bog holes
during the tramp and our feet went through
, holes in the ice seN eral times. NV boot leg
was hard AS iron with the frozen water and
snow and could scarcely stir. The rest of
the poor fellows were in the same fl and one
or two of them complained of freezing hands.
Midnight found us wandering and floun-
derIng on and the miles of travel told on us
severely for we could move but short dis
tances before giving out. 1t was about this
time that one of the men had the good for
tune to strike a tote-road, which we followe ed
some distance till 1t crossed the telegraph