Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-26
LOST IN THE WOODS.
What Promised to be q Tragedy.

Salisbury, Conn. Letter TO the Hartford Coursnt
| Emil Bonahatel, not quite three years old,
| followed his brothers from the house a short
distance down the road into the timber, where
they were going on their business of charcoal
making. He was sent back, presumably fol.
lowed them again later, disappeared, and moth
| ing was known of his whereabouts until long
afterward
At SPIN. his brothers returned and inquiry
was made at once for little Emil As he had
occasionally gone with them before his sister,
the only one Of the family remaining at home
for the day, supposed he had been with them.
| To the horror of all it was reported that they
had seen nothing of himl The child had been
lost sight of for nine hours.
The Bonahatels live on the top of the Taconic
/! range near the line, between Mount Washing
| ton, Mass, and Salisbury, Conn It is densely
every direction. The town of Mount Washing
| ton itself contains neither doctor, lawyer nor
minister, SO few are its citizens. Salisbury, the
nearest village on Connecticut side OF the line,
with a steep climb in many place. The woods
are the home of wild cats, foxes and occasional
wolves, who might readily modest a child wan
| dering in those wilds. The writer saw pile Of
forty-eight such pelts brought down from that
region few weeks ago, the product of win
one of the widest in New England, that bare
headed and bare-footed child of two years and
nine months was lost.
The father and mother were at work miles
from home in another direction that day. They
were at once alarmed and the entire family set
out upon the search before the night closed in.
mile and half from the house the little foot
prints made by a child's bare feet in the mud
by the roadside were found, and that was the
only trace of him discoverable. All night
nrh he mil for i'm will LAM
terms. They had no neighbors and 80 were
alone in the search. It had rained steadily
from the morning and at night 1t poured IN
torrents. What might become of child chilled
through with q storm at night? Their anxiety
increased with every hour.
The following day fifty men were enlisted in
the search. The rain continued and cold,
dreary mist hung upon the mountains, making
many strong man numb with the cold and
wet. The woods were searched in every quar-
ter without discovering a single trace further.
All night, too, the lanterns were in use. Prep
arations were made for dragging certain Of the
mountain ponds into which the child might
have fallen.
The third day opened with 800 men in the
field. By this time the news had spread to
many settlements, and the road was lined with
wagons that had brought searching parties.
The pathetic appearance of that agoniZed father
and mother touched every heart. liam poor
man." said Mr.. Bonahatel, 'but 1 would rather
could only walk the room in distress, utterly
tagged out with grief and exhaustion. The
rain still continued, and a high wind accom-
panied 1t. The mist hid every object 20 feet
away. Every road and clearing was infinitely
searched Men plunged into swamps that
hardly wildcat even could penetrate. Several
of the parties lost themselves and had to climb
trees to find their way out. The third day
closed with all hope abandoned of finding the
child alive. The only thought now was of
discovering the body and relieving the agnny
OF the parents, who were well nigh dying them
selves of suspense and sleeplessness.
The fourth day opened with sunshine for the
first time. The mist rolled away at 10 o'clock.
Five hundred men were now assembled. Long
lines OF searchers, 10 feet apart, were formed,
and every foot of ground was infinitely in
spected. The party satisfied themselves that
the child could not possibly be i'll the territory
thus gone over. The feeling was general that
day that the body would be found, no hope
being entertained that the boy could have sur
vived the storm and hunger for three days.
On the afternoon of this day two men from
Salisbury, Martin Harris and Samuel Rossiter
were making an Independent search on the side
of Bear mountain. With light blackboard
wagon they plunged into the wood-cart paths
that led down into Salisbury valley. Both were
experienced woodsmen and knew every foot of
the ground. Gear mountain is the highest
land In the state of Connecticut G, 34 feet),
and is aside from where the main body were
searching, being also in another direction from
where the footprints were seen. About /
O'Clock Rossiter thought he discovered some
thing moving down the bed of a stream. 1t
almost took his breath away, on coming nearer
to make out the figure of child. 1t was the
lost boy!
Clicked with emotion Rossiter uttered cry.
Evidently the unusual noise frightened the little
fellow, for he threw up his hands and started on
run. Rossiter, now thoroughly excited, ran
after him, calling to him that he would take
him to his 'papa," and finally captured the
little fellow, more wild with Joy than the dis
coverer Of the Kohinoor.
The boys limbs were swollen with the rain.
resembling parboiled flesh; his clothes were
torn almost away; his flesh was scratched with
many thorn. His fingers were sucked to
point. in his childish eagerness for food How
he ever lived through those chilly nights, all
unprotected as he was, with only bush for
roof and a root for a pillow, will never be
known. Traces of leaves were found in his
mouth, and he said himself that he ate them.
bles and lived upon them. The place of his
discovery was two miles from his home.
As soon as Rossiter held him in his arms a
shout was raised, and in a few moments the
cry rang through all the mountains, 1.-THE boy
is found! Every man passed the word ON to
his neighbor within hearing distance and then
made break for the boys house, where they
knew he would be brought
One man said of his partner: "He had lust
told me he was SO tired that he could not 90
another foot when we heard the shout The
boy Ia found. That tired-out man started on
the dead run. He cleared bushes, logs and
rocks on the jump. / had all could do to
keep him in sight, let alone keep up with him.
He ran like startled deer, and he never drew
up till he landed with a spring on the Bona
hstePs porch"
One of the searching party said Of the scene
that followed: Il was on the main road hurry
ing to the Bonahatels' when a runner dashed
through US on his way to inform the mother.
His face was purple; his tongue hanging out.
He stopped at none of our inquiries Every
man and horse followed him, and he beat us
all When he reached the cabin he had but
strength enough left to gasp out the fact, the
boy is safe, and then staggered and fell Soon
after came the blackboard with the boy asleep
in the old charcoal basket. Rossiter had taken
off his own shirt and placed il on him The
mother could scarcely contain herself as she
clasped him to her heart. All the men were
soon gathered around. Everybody wanted TO
see the boy and hold him in his arms There
were tears In their eyes and tears in their
voices"
Hardly less affecting was the arrival of the
father. He was four miles away when the dis
covery was made, but the news was passed to
him IN few minutes. He started for the
house by the first wagon he found He could
not go fast enough. He caught his boy TO his
breast and walked up and down exclaiming:
My little boy is found! My little boy Is
found"
royal "three times three" was given by
hundreds Of voices, and then. as a further
relief to their feelings, the hat was passed for