Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-03-18
SNOW-sOUND IN THE MOUNTAIN
Terrible Experience OF Elk Hunters in the
Wilds OF Washington.

TACOMA, Wash, March 13.--Snow-
bound in the Olympia mountains, three
days without food and four weeks with
no other food than elk and eagle meat,
such is the record of four men who
reached town yesterday morning. They
are w. l.. Banta, of Tacoma; A. j. Nor
rison, of Fernhill; George Day, of Mid
land, and win II. Wood, of Oregon.
The party started out in January
to hunt elk on the Upper
waters of the Wynocchee river
in Chehalis county. When the
great January snow storm came they
were imprisoned, and have only
again. They started out moose hunt
ing primarily, with the object of secur-
ing specimens for the Crescent Cream
cry company, of this city, to have
stuffed for exhibition at the worlds
fair. From Tacoma they went to Shell
don, and made their way thence across
the mountains to the upper waters of
the Wynnochee. The start for Sheldon
was made January ]. A fortnight's
hunting showed record of eleven elk,
and the men were about TO break camp.
On the day when they were to start out
sas sssr ssssn esa rsEsss
sof so that the men We're unable to
make their way about in II without
sinking to their waists. The storm
was Il terrible one. The roof
OF their cabin broke down
with the weight of snow.
and occasioned them much trouble. As
the imprisoned men had finished up
their provisions with the intention of
leaving at once. and had only kept q
little of the elk meat. they soon eX-
hausted their supply of food. The snow
was eight feet deep on the low land,
fifteen and more in the drifts. Thst
were kept busy, as they said, rustling
for wood. Having no axes they could
only break off pieces and cut twigs
with their hunters knives Finally
had nothing for three days. One even.
ing an eagle lit on tree about twenty
rods from camp. and this they were
able to shoot In the night an elk
floundered past the camp through the
snow, but the men were 50 excited and
50 weak that the eighteen shots which
tlcV Hret uI TIE animal were undVail~
ing. Next day they started out to run
the elk down, and found him not far
away helpless in the snow. They
caught and killed him with knife.
A fortnight after deserted hunters
cabin was reached by one OF the
men, and in il was found an AK
and good supply of salt, the two
things OF which they stood in the great
est need. With the AK wood was split
and hewed and snow shoes were made,
by means of which the men made their
way down the river. When about eight
miles above the uppermost settlement
on the Wynocchce river, Morrison was
sent ahead and got a rescuing party to
go back for the others with canoes.
The river is very swift and poles have
to be used all the way On the way
out the canoes upset and the men lost
everythins except what clothing they
had on. On the way down to the river
the men had to dig camps In the snow
every night. They are greatly emacia-
ted and very weak. They say that
their cravings first for salt and then
for bread were something indescriba-
BILE. They were for thirty-one days
without other food than elk meat. and
they report that the severity OF the
storm was something unheard OF among
the hunters of the district