The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-13
BURIED BY The SNOW.
~ Hunters Alone and Without Food
For - Days.
aeady to Die When They We're Res
cuod by 9il0tx Indians
The story OF Their
SuffertpG0

H. CN0u Oy oubSG&
h story OF Their
SufferirRs
SpeeisL To- the Portland Orcgonian.
SlI1Erz INDIAN AGENCY. March b.
Whilc some Indians wcrc out hunting
Friday, February ~. they came upon two
white men who had been in the noun
ains for - days, without anything tai eat
xAvc n small loaf of bread, - pound at
meat a little coffee, and u few salmon
which they caught along the Siletz river.
When found by the ndian these men
old n fri9htful story of the suffcrings and
privations through which they had passed.
Il appears that n of trappers
consisting of the foliowinR-namcd men,
Willie Forchand, j. l.. Johnson, John
Cushman and f.. Stccn, came In from the
valley in Dcccmbcr last, ON the head
waters of the Siletz river. and established
. camp for the purpose of trapping and
bunting: Inc party Drought IN put "a
rcmain In the mountains hut u few
weeks. Cushmau and Steen returned to
como hack To the camp i'm a few days hat
the big snowstorms set i'm and they could
not return.
uary IL, when their supplies gave out and
they werc compelled TAI leave camp, as
they could not kill any game. 1t seems,
country for "a morr favored locality before
the big storm set i'm. The young men first
started Ia go to the valley over the m".n-
tains by the same way they came i'm. hut
the SNOW was too dccp,beinR some places
from six to seven feet. After travelling
. . =%;,ss' sss of a sS a"y i; A md S S%H r. %,aninS
70 camp. The next morning they started
down the Siletz river. hoping to come out
iious Journey, across high m~outains, deep
gorHes thick underbrish. fallen timber
and deep snow, they had only ono small
loaf of bread. ~ pound OF meat, ~ little.
coffee. a shotgun and "a few matches. For
the first twenty days they lived ON fern
roots, shecpsorrcl leaves, and tho
small supply with which they left camp.
During this time their suffering he
caTne extreme. They BECAME reduced TO
me.. :selcto,.s,h aTiiy able TO walk. Al
. Row hours sleep while sitting UP: They
lie down and sleep for fear the ne woui
70 out and they would freeze To death:
Some days they were 80 weak they did
caught q salmon and this gave them
greater strength and they could travel on
with n little morc speed. They could not
nyons gorRcs and perpendicular cliffs
hat hedge la the river, 40 they would
have 10 go round These canyons and over
ceedingly slow and hazardous. Ii liz said
that this part of the country ~ the rough
Thus these two lonely and starving men
EanderSd about i'm these lonely noun
tains for ~ days before. rescue. came, liv =
ing ON roots and "a few salmon that nature
Tle great thaw and flood came while
they were In thcl mountains. They saw n
fountain sides and rush into the river
saw tho great trees tossed like feathers by
the Iishing, roaring waters and dashed
INTO pieces upon the rocks and over the
falls. The scene was grand and sublime.
These men made their last camp and
aindlsa their las last iif ;,S;, for TT they had only
settlement IN the rs.servatiou, but they
did not know il, and here they lay down
"a die.
Of N dog, ami IN looking up they SAW am
Indian across the river. one of the party
and called tn the indian and tried To
make him understand that they were lost
and perishing from cold and hunger.
They were nearly naked. and looked sd
hideous from long cxposurc that the In
diians. through their superstition, Thought
the men were dead persons come back tn
life again. Two other Indians came up
and requested the men tn make :. bright
fire ND they could seq that they were
human beings and not spirits; Il.c,,
provisions and ~ canoe and returncd tn
the white men. IL being now after night.
Keeping up good fire and giving them
only small quantities of food at u time,
knowing that IL they fed them too micl,
at - time il would Kill them. The next
morning they were carried over the river,
put into u ago and taken Ia the near
est Indian house, where they were given ~
warm bath. some clothes. and made as
comfortable as possible.
The matter was then reported to Agent
suford, who had the men brought to the
agency and put i'm the cars. of Mr.. +. w.
Stanton and his wife. under whose kind
sArc and nursing the men arr. fast gaining
strength. aud will soon tn rcstor-i Ia
health.
Special mention should br made or the
indians who re-cuesi these men and sawed