Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-30
CROSSING A SNOW-FlELO.
Perilous Experience by Travellers IN "
Rocky Mountains.

PeriIous Experience by Travellers IN '
Rocky Mountains.
Finally, through a rift in the ciooa'
not fifty yards ahead, we sa" the s,o.
less white of the long-looked-fors Snow
field.
With a feeble shout we pushed Tor
ward, but VIXEN we reached It's eo2o
our worst fears were realized III Was
terribly steep. being at an angle OF
about forty degrees, and the crust was
a coating of hard, slippery ice, the
thickness of pasteboard. Through
break in the clouds we saw that IL eA
tended downward to Underline, 1uliy
fifteen hundred feet, as steep as .no
roof of a house and smoother than inc
smoothest glass. How broad IL was
we could only conjecture
AS we came up Kellogg struck 'nI
crust with the butt of his gun, ana
threw n rock upon the surface "hioh
went sliding and bounding down the
steep face with terrific velocity
We looked at each other in despair.
Its no use,' said.
Not a Bit" was the answer.
We sat down and talked it over. 10
retrade our steps was out OF the ques-
ton, and we could not climb to the top
of the field, probably a thousand feet,
in our weakened condition.
Suddenly Kellogg leaped to his feet
and rushed toward the slippery mass
crying out: Come on; we've got to 40
it. I'll take mine this way" Without
second thought, in my helpless des-
peration, followed. BY using his gun
as brace Kellogg kept his feet. but
slipped and fell on all fours and began
sliding down. In a wild frenzy tried
to drive my bare fingers through the
crust, but only succeeded in tearing the
skin off them.
Luckily / had retained my rifle, and
by frantic effort drove it muzzle first
through the hard crust and came to
stop, having gone about twenty feet.
Had it not been for thi; fortunate move
my body would have been hurled to the
sand feet below, and mangled beyond
all semblance to human form.
Looking up at my companion / saw
that he had turned away his head, I'M
willing to be witness of ~ horrible
fate; but as 1 called out TO him he
looked around, and 1 saw face so white
anu Cudu GILL uSNSi
forget it. Cold beads of sweat stood on
my forehead, and l felt my coura re was
all gone. The experience of that awful
almost unnerved me, and was
weak and helpless as little child.
Lying on my face l held on tightly to
the rife driven deep through the crust
How to regain my footing was a puzzle.
started to come down to me,
and it was with difficulty that / per-
suaded him to desist.
At last l hit on plan. Holding on
to the rifle with one hand, with the
other l drew my pocket-knife, and,
opening it with my teeth, cut two holes
in the crust for my feet, and after much
effort stood upright. But we were still
in bad fix. Kellogg called out to me
to break holes through the crust for
my feet with the butt of the gun. AL
though not more than twenty feet dis
tant he could hardly make himself
heard above the roar of the storm
But the suggestion was a good one
and proved our salvation. We moved
slowly forward, breaking hole in the
ice for each step. 1t was severe treat
ment to give valuable guns, but they
had to suffer in the best interests of
their owners.
Slowly and carefully we moved for
ward. occasionally stopping to rest and
speak words of encouragement to each
other, for now we had the first CLEAN
Of hope for four long, terrible hours.
Although very weak physically, our
minds were much clearer than an hour
before, and we even went so far as to
,haff each other a little. But we had
plenty of fears yet. Once my heart
leaped as Kellogg slipped and came
down on both knees, clawing fran.ical-
y at the air; but he regained his feet
without difficulty and we pushed on.
we were over an hour in
that terrible feld.-Chicag0
Times.