Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-01-03
FREEZING TO DEATH.
A N,shs'. Experience In the Lumber
Veeions Of Maine.

fNGC(tNo ~ ceN'F'
A Might. Experience In the Lumber
Reeions Of Maine.
..Io February, 1s40,' said Can't r. L.
Zeby. of Uniontown. Il had an interest
in some lumber way up in the Piscata-
uuis region, and had TO go up there and
see how things were getting along. 1t
was long journey, but the sleighing
WAS like glass, and had one of the best
horses that ever stood inside the thills
On NV second day out the thermometer
stood at 20 degs. below, and was inclined
| 10 go lower. | knew l would reach one
of those queer little villages common to
the Maine hackwools early IN the even
ing. There intended to stay all night,
and drive on next morning 10 the house
of the agent of the mmEer property,
twelve miles further along. reached
the village and found that there was no
| tavern there.
This, of course, upset my plans. So
ate supper in the village and started on.
intending TO proceed TO the agents the
same night. IL was a starlight night.
but the air was filed with that peculiar
frozen mist frequently noticeable on very
cold nights. As We neared the river this
haze became, denser, until finally it was
with difficulty could see anything ahead
of me. Ii was like passing through \
storm of scaly ice. Suddenly. as l was
thinking that we must he almost on the
margin of the river. there came a crack
ling sound. loud splash of water. and
the next second my horse was founder
ing about in water. which also covered
the sleigh, the roles and myself up to
my waist.
The water splashed about soon
drenched the rest Of me, and in less
time than can tell it l was coated with
u rapidly thckenng armor of ice l
guess my noble beast must have floun-
dercd at least minute in that hole before
he knew exactly what had happened.
When the situation did come TO him he
became quiet. thrs his fore feet up, and
Slged them both n the ice with a con-
| certed blow like trip hammer. The ice
was thick. but beneath that blow an I'M
mense cake WAS broken off and was car
ried down in under the edge of the ice
below. THE horse swan onward. drag
ging the sleigh with it through the rap
idly freezing slush. Once more he
pounded the ice ahead of him with his
powerful fore feet. and again the ice
| yielded.
During all this time I was shouting
for help. l might, at the first break.
have turned and lcaped back to shore, but
had not collected myself in time. TWAS
now too late. and even if it had not been
was SO stiffened by the casing Of ice that
! couldn't have moved to save myself
from death. The horse kept on, and,
strange as the story seems, broke chan
mel for fifty feet across that river, and
drew the sleigh out safely on the other
side. And he didn't tarry when he got
there. but started off at the top Of his
speed toward our destination. He soon
struck the road and away we went. I
knew that although one danger was es-
| capped. greater wAk before us, and l
urged the horse ON with my voice. My
robes and clothing had frozen 50 solid
| that if had been encased in iron could
not have been more motionless. Ny
horse was JET black, but his icy coating
| made him stand out. even in that frozen
| mist. like speeter horse. I could not
move even my hands. We were not yet
half way to the agents house when /
found myself growing drowsy. l could
no longer use nv vsice. The clatter Of
| the horses hOefs and the crsaking Of the
| runners on the ice sounded TO me like
thunder claps and weird, hideous cries.
knew that was free1ing. but labored
hard TO rouse nay will and fight with it
against nay fate. Tae stars looked like
| great Goals of fire, although before they
could be seen hut dinly through the
peculiar haze. The trees, with their
branches covered with snow, took on the
shapes Of gigantic ghosts. Still l pre-
served ali my powers Of reasoning.
Finally felt myself growing deliciously
warm. \ lasguor, such as DE Quincy
might have described, with attending
visions af Ioveliness, took possession of
me | heard the most delightful music.
| Still made one mental effort to shake
| off this fatal spell. and that was all.
Il don't know how far / was from the
agent S house when froze to death, but
the next thing l remembered was suf-
| fering such tortures rs a victim Of the
4 IdIA Aht hSNNi icat WIS
Suddenly. at my feet, the pricking ct a
million needles assaulted my flesh. Tor
| turing me at that spot n nsment. until |
| writhed in agony it dashed quickly up
my leg. stopped an instant, as if gloating
in my misery. and shen crawled with
that awful pain slowly upward. until it
| seemed that tiny jets of the iercest flame
were being blown into my body. heart
and brain. she intensity of this agony
was not constant. II ii had been would
have died again in short time. Ii came
o little less furious than its predecessor,
until at last the storm was passed, and
found myself weak, speeehless, limp
and helpless mortal, lying on a robe be-
fore the fireplace Of my friend, the agent.
| He had brought me back to life.
When was strong enough 10 hear it,
| he told me that he was awakened in the
| night by the peculiar and loud neiShing
| of horse He looked out of the window
and saw sight that startled bim-a
| ghostly horse and sleigh and driver in the
road before his door. He recovered him
self and went down. Then he discovered
| that the driver was dead. He quickly
| carried the driver into the house. laid
| him on the floor before the fireplace, and
recognized me. Knowing that even if
was not beyond all aid, nothing could be
| done for me until the robe and clothing
were thawed. he made the fire blaze and
| hurried to the rescue of the faithful and
intelligent horse that had reasoned with
itself that it must stop at the first house
| il came TO on that terrible night and that