West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-02-23

began 10 take an inventory OF stock. as
Il were. There was a good bed OF skins
ana blankets, several cooking utensils. n
table and several rough stools, n clock, n
dozen or more books, about thirty can
dlcs, with tea, coffee, sugar, pork, and
Hour in quantities 10 last me several
weeks. ] could not have been better pro
vided had planned for the avalanche to
come. There was q lean-tO az the back
end OF the hut, and looked into this 10
find il full of fuel fe,t much more
hopeful after had taken the inventory.
for could not help but feel hat il would
be long before saw daylight again.
For several hours after the accident
the cabin sent forth suspicious sounds.
The snow was settling and packing above
II, and rafters and logs cracked and
snapped in n way to keep me on thorns.
IL the weight on the roof proved too
great / should be crushed or smothered
the moment it fell in. II was after
o'clock in the afternoon before felt SAFE
But very little snow had come down the
chimney. ] reasoned from this that it
had been covered by rocks or limbs. II
such was the case aud the fire refused to
burn, | should be hard pressed with
plenty of raw pro visions Mt hand. fel
all the gravity of the situate as threw
on some light wood and made blaze. Ii
was hard fight for half an hour
Some of the smoke certainly found
way to escape, but some was driven
back. However. after time the heat OF
the fire brought down great deal of water
$50 much 50 that could hardly keep a
lame going. g.-and about 4 30 o'clock the
cabin was cleared Of smoke While |
could not for an instant believe that the
chimney showed above the snow, was
satisfied that some way had been opened
for the smoke to drive away. / may
plain here that great mass Of tree tops
lodged on the roof before the bulk OF
that snow came and these held the snow
up so that the smoke went sailing about
in hundred channels.
got myself some supper, wound nh
the clock, and sht down for a smoke and
think. The hermit had two pipe, and
a large stock OF tobacco, and lonely as was
my situation a feeling of gratitude 10
God for the comforts at hand was upper
most in my mind ! was now perfectly
satisfied that | was buried deep under
the snow, and that my rescue would be
matter OF weeks. the first move was to
write out statement OF the accident,
and this placed whc-e it would be pre-
served and found in case of my death.
Then began a daily journal, and mapped
out programme to bc followed. a
weeks Imprisonment would be nothing,
but after that it would not do TO let the
mind dwell on the situation. You see.
the horror Of it was the stiffness. The
idea kept coming up that ! was buried
alive, and it was an awful thing 10 think
Of. The hermit's clock was an old fash.
ioncd one, with loud tick tack, and
afte- the cabin got through settling un-
der the weight Of tho snow every tick
sounded almost as loud as the blow of
hammer. IL was so warm that needed
only the smallest fire, and when / went
TO bed at O'Clock there was no need of
even single blanket for cover
l was up at an early hour next morning.
having slept like log all night and
while eating breakfast was startled by
sounds which believed TO be the voice OF
a human being. ] thought / could hear
groans and means and cries for help. and
when | opened the door the sounds
came TO me more distinctly 1t might
be that the hermit, caught under the
snow, had succeeded in tunncllng his
way TO point from which could rescue
him by digging, and | had no sooner
despatched my breakfast than / set about
making me a shovel TO dig with. found
a hatchct and with this sharpened
board, and the snow / dug from the
doorway ] hcaped up in the fuel room.
had not been digging o or half an
hour when / made the discovery that the
first rush OF the avalanche had brought
down great lot OF small trees, bushes
and rocks, with here and there large
tree. They had been piled up heltcr-
skelter, but they held up the mass Of
snow so that with little gging
could run tunnel in almost any direc-
ton. Great care was necessary. how
ever, as the burden above was very
heavy, and the displacement OF sup.
port might bring down great weight Of
snow
After had run the tunnel straight ont
I ON the door about twenty feet / turned
TO the righ', made IN way under q lot
OF rubbish, and after going about thirty
feet came upon the body OF an Indian
Here the limbs and sticks made sort Of
bower, under which he lay, and I knew
that IT WIS his voice / had heard calling
There were no Indians about us except
hostiles, and just before the snow came
ivy AAd - hANltu AMO iltN DNlWNHlWH 10
our camp. We h1d no fear Of them after
winter set in, knowing that they stuck
close TO their villages. Here was a rcd
skin, however, in full war paint; but
had no sooner found him than saw that
he was dead, though his body was still
waim lie had been maulcd in terrible
manner, both legs being broken his head
all bloody from an in ,ury, and his right
arm doubled under him as if broken. +
could see the butt OF his rife
sticking out Of the snow, but when
pulled at IL / found the barrel
missing. IL had been wrenchcd off. 4
got his tomahawk and knife, however,
.ogcther with powder horn and bullet
pouch, and whom had pulled the body
along and crept beyond it ] caught sight
of q moccasin in the snow and dirt 10.
look me an hour to unoarth the body.
which was that Of a second warrior
The life had been crushed out Of him in
a second The mass Of rock which had
come down with him had broken every
bone in his body, and q great share ri
his face had been ground Oft Ills rife
could not find. while both knife and
omlhawk were broken. While search
ng his cold and battered body I found
,uckskin bag con aiming about 500
worth Of small nuggets Of gold, and