The record-union., 1893-11-27
THE CARLIN PARTY.
FoTTND IN TIE BITTER ROOT
MOUNTAINS. MONTANA.
Their suTerings narrowing in the Ex-
treme-When Discovered They
Were in sad Plight.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
M1ssoULA (Iont.), Nov. Z6.-Greatly to
the surprise of every one the Carlin
party, consisting of Will T. Carlin, ".
ii. Himmelwright and J. Harvey Pierce,
the Young New Workers who have been
basieged in Bitter Root Mountains,
southwest of this point, for nearly two
months. has been found more dead than
alive.
The account of their suh5erings, as re-
ported by courier just arrived, IS har-
rowing in the extreme. The joy OF the
men at their release must be witnessed TO
be appreciated.
The courier arrived at o'clock yester-
day morning, having ridden more tnan
100 miles, bearing the announcement thaC
the party, except Cook Colgate, had been
found by Lieutenant Eiliotts relief corps
on the middle fork of the Clearwater, l3O
miles from any habitatlon.
They were famished, without horses or
provisions, barefooted, only the soles OF
their shoes remaining, and were scant OF
clothing.
Hemmed in by impenetrable snow
banks and after several Intellectual at
tempts to escape, the party became re-
signed to its fate, trusting To PToVldence
for relief Another thirty-slx hours
would have frozen them.
Lieutenant Elliott found the men IN a
condition verging on insanity. lie ad-
ministered what immediate relief was at
his command. Colgate. he learned, was
still behind, having fallen in his inability
10 keen up with the party. This necessi-
iated in Elliotts sending back for addl-
tiOnal relief to search for Colgate, though
Carlin believes that it IS too late ana that
the man will not be found alive.
When the men were found they were
totally bewildered and were wandering
about aimlessly on snoW-coVered
plateau on which the depth Of snow
averaged fourteen feet. Their horses had
long since stampeded and their proVls-
ions were exhausted, save what little
they carried in their pockets. w hen the
men were found they were slowly max
ing their way down the river on raft.
The courier gives the following account
of their experiences in the mountains,
dating from the time that they discovered
that they were irretrievably lost, unless
heroic methods were at once adopted to
make their way out of the wilderness:
on the 9th of October, the day upon
which they were preparing to leave the
Clearwater, heavy storm came on
which completely obliterated all the roads
and trails. To add TO their distress their
animals stampeded and when night over
being without snow shoes or other appn-
ances for winter travel.
Their perilOus situation was soon real
lied ana il at once became apparent that
the party was in for it. That night there
fell more than five feet Of snow and the
following morning the outlook was IN
deed cherries.
Consultations were had, but no definite
plan of action was decided upon until the
following evening, when Guide Spencer
decided upon braYing the storm alone,
promising 10 60 10 a certain point he mad
in view, which, if he could reach with
safety, all would be well.
This, however. he failed to do, the re-
mainder of the party not asserting, pre-
terring that all should live or die together.
So the little band remained, trusting to
fate and awaiting Succor, which arrived
nearly too late.
The little band Of brave men were max
ing their last and final effort to get out
when found, and thirty-siX hours later
would have found them dead The cook,
George Colgate, gave out q few days be-
fore the rescue and was left to perish, as it
was feared that all would suffer the same
fate if they should remain with him. The
story of their hardships is indesCribable.
AS soon as Mr.. Elliott reached the men
and provided them with everything pos
sible to make them comfortable they
organized party to go back and rescue
Colgate, the cook, dead or alive It is
stated that the leaving of Colgate behind
was a most heart-rending scene, but as 1t
was a case of life or death to those who
remained the abandonment of the man
was inevitable.
Lieutenant Elliott went as far as he
could with horses. He then borrowed a
saw at a rancher's cabin, made skift,
and had gone up the river in it thirteen
miles when he met the party.
The Elliott relief party was fitted out in
Spokane by Captain Merriam two weeks
ago, going into the Bitter Root Mountains
by way Of Kendrick, Idaho.
The rescued and rescuers are expected
to arrive at Kendrick on Monday or Tues
day of next week. They are still a long
distance from that point and many hard
ships will yet have to be encountered be-
lore the rescue can be termed complete.