Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-04

ACUTE PAINS FOLLOWED BY A VERY coxFoK9ABLI
AND sArBFIED CONDITION OF MIND.
| The Nfirano l{s Trih

ACUTE PAINS FOLLOWED By 4 VERY coxFoR1ABLR
AND Satisfied CONDITION OF MIND.
From the Minneapolis Tribune.
Early in January. 1854. left RED Wing In COM
pany with s. J. Willard, Jno. Day, and Albert
Olson for place II miles distant, near whers vasa
church now stands for the purpose Of cutting and
hauling logs preparatory for our settlement at
that point the following spring. II was a clear,
beautiful day, with the thermometss 90 degrees
sleigh partly loaded with lumber, forage and pro-
visions for a few days.
camped in a ravine well sheltered with timber.
After making ourselves comfortable with good
supper and blazing log IRE all four laid down 70
layer of hay on top of some boards, and were well
wrapped up I'm blankets. During the night the
mometer falling to As degrees below zero, as we
learned afterward. Had we known this and kept
our fire burning there would: Of course have been
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 over
come 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 a like sensation, namely: f1rst an
acute pain, like the point OF needle In every PORE
but free from all mental anxiety, except q dull
mn blit without smfTicent eneryv 70 40 en- TS,s
feeling, however, did not last long, and subsidized
gradually into one Of quiet rest and satisfaction
until consciousness ceased altogether, and without
any struggle or pain, either bodily or mental. We
had all reached that stage when by an accident
the arm and bare hand or Mr.. Day, who lay on the
outside, fell In the snow. This started the circula-
lion In his body and gave him such intense pain
that he quickly aroused himself and got on his
feet, and, OF course we were all saved. 1t took a
long time before We could use our limbs sufficiently
to rebuild the nre, and during that time we SUI
fered much more pain than we had before. / am
satisfied from that experience that person perish
Ing In that way has very easy death, because he
sinks gradually into a stupor, which blunts his
sensfb1lity both to physical pain and mental agony
long before life becomes extinct.
IL was about so degrees In the morning when we
got up. We DID not lac down again or attempt to
haul out building logs, but started In a few hours
on bee line for ravIne that would lead US back
TO Red wing. 1t was struggle OF life and death
10 get across the rolling PRAIRIE and had the cold
been accompanied by d blizzard we would not have
got across.
To keep warm we took turns to walk or run be-
hind the sleigh, and Mr.. Willard was walking
when. ne was suddenly missed, and the team
turned back, following its tracks short distance
10 hillside, where we found him sitting down In
In the snow, apparently comfortable and with no
desire 10 move. He rather cenSured us for coming
back AFTER MIN, claiming that he was all right and
would have come along when he got ready; but the
TACT was that he was already so SJupefed with the
cold that he would never have made any exertion
to move.
After drive OF 10 miles arrived at the first
and only inhabited house between Vasa and Red
wing; and 1t was high time that we found shelter
both for ourselves and the horses That was the
coolest DAY or that year. and TO me the coolest in
the history OF Minnesota.