Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-09-27
A CLOSE CALL.
JOHNNY" McClElLAND LOST IN
THE MOUNTAINS.

He Slides Down Into a GuIch and
/ Remains without Fire or Food
Four Days Until Rescued by His
Companfonx.
On the second inst. party COM
posed of Capt. Reinhart, Ed. Loomis,
VIM. Vail and George, John and Will
McClelland started out on hunting
and prospecting tour into the Olympic
mountains. They went by boat to
Shelton, thence by wagon as far as the
Skokomish river, where they were COM
PEELED to pack their supplies on the
backs of horses and pursue their way
on foot over the trackless and rugged
fothills. At the river the party was
Joined by Geo. Phenix, making the
seventh member.
On the sixth day out, the party
established a camp, within a short
distance of the summit, to engage in
elk hunting, as the indications were
that the game was plentiful in tina,
district. Here the hunters divided
into two parties of three each, leaving
the seventh OF their number in camp.
Capt Reinhart and John and Will
McClelland, constituting one OF the
parties, proceeded several miles from
camp. and came across a splendid
band of game, killing two elk. While
following up the trail of third that
had been wounded, the party became
separated, and as night was coming on
John McClelland in attempting a
short cut towards camp. fell into a
gulch, losing his gun, which fell from
his hands and continued its momen.
tum far down the mountain side. He
was considerably bruised by the fall,
and the skin was scraped from his left
leg by the rapid descent over the
rocks and ice. When his companions
reached camp, they were considerably
alarmed over his absence, and one OF
the brothers made a search for him,
but with very little hope of success
over courses which are encompassed
with much difficulty even in daylight.
The next morning the search was re-
sumed by the whole party, and it
was continued four days before the
wounded and famished man was found
in the gulch where he fell. Their con.
slant shouts and firing of guns, as
they traversed the mountain side was
ut last, when hope had well-nigh fed,
answered by faint response, and fol-
lowing the direction of the sound they
at last came to their companion, stand
ing in the hollow, in dazed condi-
ton and almost incapable of move
ment from exposure and privation. A
fire was Immediately built. and after
the victims vitality had been restored
somewhat by its warmth and he had
partaken OF food, the party dug out of
the hollow and started for camp.
Their progress was of course slow, for
the wounded man could make but
tardy progress in his enfeebled condi-
ton, and it took from noon ill the
night OF the succeeding day to reach
camp.
While waiting for a restoration of
the injured mans strength, before at
tempting the journey home, the party
concluded they would brave the dam
gers of the gulch for recovery of the
lost gun, but were prevented by o.
severe storm the next day, and the
day thereafter Phenix had a severe
epileptic fit, and this succession OF un-
toward circumstances was so discour-
aging that the party concluded to re-
turn home. The passage was made by
easy stages, Johnny" riding one of
the pack horses till arriving At the
river. The wounded man is not yet
fully recovered from bis severe fall and
subsequent exposure, but his injuries
will ultimately not leave him any the
worse for the severe ordeal through
which he has passed.
While coming down from the noun
tain, the hunters met DR.. Riley and
party going to what had been to them
land of tribulation, under the delu-
sive idea 80 peculiar to sportsmen that
to encounter danger and hardship in
the pursuit OF game is the acme of
earthly happiness.