Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-03-29
How 1t Feels to Freeze.

Early in January, 1854, | left Red
| Wing in company with S. j. Willard,
John Day, and Albert Olson for Il
place fourteen miles distant, near
where Vasa church now stands, for the
purpose of cutting and hauling logs
preparatory for our settlement at that
point the following spring. 1t was Il
| clear beautiful day with the thermom-
eter 20 degrees above zero. We had
span of good horses, a sleigh partly
loaded with lumber, forage and pro-
visions for few days.
We arrived at the spot just before
dark, and camped in a ravine well
sheltered with timber. After making
ourselves comfortable with q good
supper, and blazing log fire, all four
laid down to sleep on bed made on
the snow, with a thin layer of hay on
top of some boards, and were well
wrapped up in blankets. During the
night the temperature changed to
terrible cold, thermometer falling
to 45 degrees below zero, as we
learned afterward. Had we known
this and kept our fire burning, there
would, of course have been no danger
y
asleep early in the night, and were
unconscious of the danger we were in
until awakened by the pain of intense
cold, and then we were already so
overcome with the cold that we lacked
power of energy to get up or even to
move.
Comparing notes afterward we found
that all had experienced like sensa-
ton, namely: first, an acute pain, like
the point of u needle in every pore,
but free from all mental anxiety, ex-
cept dull conception of something
wrong and desire to get up, but with
out sufficient energy to do so. This
feeling. however, did not last long,
and subsidized gradually into one of
quiet rest and satisfaction until con-
sciousness ceases altogether, and with
out any struggle or pain, either bodily
or mental. We had all reached that
stage when, by an accident, the arm
and bare hand of Mr., Day, who lay
Oh the outside, fell into the snow.
This started the circulation in his body
and gave him such intense pain that
he quickly aroused himself and got on
his feet, and, of course we were saved.
1t took long time before we could use
our limbs sufficiently to rebuild the
fire, and during that time we suffered
much more pain than we had before.
| am satisfied from that experience
that a person perishing in that way
has very easy death. because he
sinks gradually into stupor, which
blunts his sensibility both to physical
pain and mental agony long before
life becomes extinct.
1t was about so degrees in the morn
ing when we got up. We did not lie
down or attempt to haul our building
logs, but started in 4 few hours on a
bee line for a ravine that would lead
US back to Red Wing. It was a strug-
gle of life and death to get across the
rolling prairie, and had the cold been
accompanied by a blizzard we would
not have got across.
To keep warm we took turns to walk
or run behind the sleigh, and Mr.
Willard was walking when lie was
suddenly missed, and the team turned
back, following its tracks a short dis
lance to hillside. where we found
him sitting in the snow apparently
comfortable and with no desire to
move. He rather censured US for
coming back after him, claiming that
he was all right and would have come
along when he got ready; but the fact
was that he was already so stupefed
with the cold that he would never
have made an exertion to move.
After drive of ten miles we arrived
at the first and only inhabited house
between Vasa and Red Wing; and it
was high time that we found shelter
both for ourselves and the horses.
That was the coolest day of that year,