The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-04
PARALYZED BY HORNET sTINGs.
The Terrible Experience of a Fisher
man in the Pacific Northwest.

man in the Pacific Northwest.
Portland Oregonian.
HI Fl. e; stillwell and James Ingram, mem
bers OF a party of four who left Des
Moines. Ia, something over a month AGO
Tor a hunting and fishing trip in the North
west, arrived here yesterday morning and
left last night to visit friends near Harris
ourg, from which point they will proceed
to California The other two members of
and are now on their way home in care
or relatives. One of them is T. A. Roberts.
eW rno, Is perfectly helpless and paralyzed
Irom stlngs OF hornets, and the other is
William Davidson, with a pistol bullet bur
led somewhere under his left shoulder
blade, where the doctor has not vet been
able to find it.
The party, soon after crossing the Oregon
nie, dei IN with an old trapper and hunter
named Jake Boyd, whom they engaged to
Iake them into the inaccessible part of the
Biue mountains, to hunt elk and mule deer.
INTO Desolation lake and for a week en-.
Joyed the finest hunting imaginable and
tarieS. 'o"-
On the I'd inst. the party, with their
suIae, started out to have a final hunt at
the head of the lake, as the elk and deer
were beginning to move off down to the
plans and the weather was getting UNI
eIInnforbaolE cool at night. Roberts took
up the lake decided to be Dor ont on y
smaiI Jam of driftwood which had collected
OF which rose above the water about half
d mile from the south shore of the lake
nmu aiounu Wnlch he mad noticed a great
many trout rising as he had passed un and
down the lake. 0p anu
on II was Just sunrise when he was landed
the return of the hunters. The balance Of
ne party proceeded to the head of the lake.
after s Ia9 lyi got on on the trail of an elk. which.
near the point they started from.
While they Were eating their lunch a
mock of wood ducks came around a bend
q the Shore and each of the party seizad
q rep3lTer to take a shot at them. David
70 get a better shot at the ducks and ae
boyd TOOK aim Davidson stumbled in front
b q iinn ana the bullet entered Davidson's
nath, Ianslns across and remaining buried
IN the muscles on the shoulder blade, near
in tb sh9 bn Joint Davidson was placed
camp. Aeo 10
When they arrived at the snag. where
Lley ieft Roberts, they were astonished n
ma him in the water up to his chin bold1
i ne on TO a root, while thousands of vicious,
pig, Dlack hornets We're circling about his
nead. When the boat approached the snag
a ale inmates inmates were attacked by the hornets
nlzlng means and cries of Roberts who
seemed almost unconscious.
the party rowed I, the nearest shore and
secured a long pole, on the butt end Of
, WnIch a hook was made by cutting off a
Iinp. "A lot or dry brush and moss was
gathered and fastened to the end of another
long pole and the party returned to the
snag, taking the precaution to button up
eheIr coats, tie handkerchiefs over their
faces and pull their hats well down
snag the brush and moss was set on fire
ana pushed out ahead on the drift. This
areW the attack Of the hornets. which
and while this was going on StilIwe1l man,
aged to !asten the hook into the clothing
pulled them all away to a safe distance
When Roberts was dragged on board. more
dead than alive, and the boat was headed
Roberts was able to explain that he be-
gan flshIng soon after he was put ashore
ard caught a number of fine trout. but as
soon as the sun was up about an hour and
IL pegan 70 get warm, hornets by thou
the roots of the snag and at cnee assaileS
nm with great fury. He had slid into
the water, but. of course, could not keep |
his head under. and he had been stung ali
over his head and face till he was 8 arlv
dead. and his head swelled to twice the
neck, at the base of the skull. seemed 70
have affected his spinal cord and the nerve
and rendered him completely holm
less and paralyZed.
AS soon as camp was reached the guide
was sent out with telegraph dispatches to
the relatives OF the injured man and to
procure a doctor. On the way out he fond
Brand, of Boise. in a mining camn
where he had been called. and sent him to
the lake, where he did all in his power for
the two sufferers. Boyd proceeded to tba
railroad, sent the dispatches and received
and one of Davfdson's family would start
west next morning. and then FASTENED
Ddck 10 the lake, where filters were con-
structed from poles and blankets. and Still
well. Ingram. the guide and DR.. Brand
to pack the injured men out.
II took them five days to make thirty
miles through a country where there were
no trails. and then they were met by the
mems brothers, with a physician and everv-
thing necessary. They reached the railroad
evening. and. after seeing their
unfortunate friends off for the East. Messrs
StllWell and Ingram came on here. The
said that Davidson would proba b.
~ recover, but his arm would be useless
while he was inclined to think that Rob
erts would remain a helpless paralytic dur
ing the remainder of his life. and would
probably not survive long.