The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-15
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PARALYZED BY HORNETS.
Experience of Fisherman on the
Pacific Coast.
From the Baltlmore American.

Pacific Coast.
From the Baltimore American.
Portland Ore. Oct. S.--H. 70. Stillwel
and James Ingram, members of party
of four who left Des Moines, Ia, some
thing over month ago for a hunting and
fishing trip in the northwest, arrived here
The other morning and left at night to
visit friends near Harrisburg from which
point they will proceed to California. The
other two members of the party met with
peculiar misadventures, and are now on
their way home In care of relatives. One
of them rs r. A. Roberts, who is perfectly
helpless and paralyzed from stings Of hor-
nets, and the other is william Davidson,
with a pistol bullet buried somewhere I'M
der his left shoulder blade, where the doc
tor has not yet been able to find It.
The party, soon after crossing the Ore
gon line, fell in with an old trapper and
hunter named Jake Boyd, whom they en-
gagged to take them into the inaccessible
part of the Blue mountains to hunt elk
and mule deer. They camped on small
streams emptying into Desolation Lake,
and for a week enjoyed the finest hunting
imaginable and splendid fishing in the
lake and its tributaries
On the "a inst, the party, with their
guide, started out to have a final hunt
at the head of the lake, as the elk and
deer We're beginning to move off down to
the plains and the weather was getting
uncomfortably cool at night. Roberts
took along his fishing tackle and on the
way up the lake decided to be put out on
small jam of driftwood which had coll
lected around a huge old snag, the
bleached roots of which rose above the
water about half a mile from the south
shore of the lake, and around which he
had noticed a great many trout rising
as he had passed up and down the lake.
1t was just sunrise when he was landed
on the snag, where he proposed to stay
till the return of the hunters. The ball
ance of the party proceeded to the head of
the lake, where they got on the trail of
an elk, which, after stalking for three
hours, they killed near the point they
started from.
While they were eating their lunch a
flock of wood ducks came around a bend
of the shore, and each of the party seiz-
ed his revolver to take a shot at them.
Davidson and Boyd. the guide, ran to-
ward shore to get a better shot at the
ducks, and as Boyd took aim Davidson
stumbled in front of him and the bullet
entered Davidson's back, ranging across
and remaining buried in the muscles of
the shoulder blade, near the shoulder
joint. Davidson was placed in the boat,
the flow Of blood stopped as well as pos
sible, and the party returned TO camp.
When they arrived at the snag. where
to find him in the water up to his chin,
holding on to a root, while thousacds or
vicious, big, black hornets were circliil.s
about his head. When the boat approached
the snag, the inmates were attacked by
the hornets, and quickly forced to retire.
despite agonizlng means and cries OF
Roberts, who seemed almost unconscious.
After considering what was best to
do the party rowed to the nearest shore
and secured a long pole, on the butt end OF
which hook was made by cutting Off
limb. lot of dry brush and moss was
gathered and fastened to the end of an
onther pole, and the party returned to the
snag, taking the precauton to button up
their coats, tie handerchefs over their
faces and pull their hats well down over.
their ears When they neared the snag
the brush and moss was set on fire and
pushed out ahead on the drift. This drew
the attack of the hornets, which rushed
into the smoke and fame In scores and
while this was going on Stillwell man.
aged to fasten the hook into the clothing
of Roberts, and the men at the oars soon
pulled them all away to a safe distance.
when Roberts was dragged on board more
dead than, alive, and the boat was headed
for camp
Roberts was able to explain that lie
began fishing soon after he was put
ashore and caught number of fine trous,
but as soon as the sun was up about an
by thousands began to issue from cavity
among the roots of the snag and at once
assailed him with great fury. He had
slid into the water, but, Of course could
not keep his head under and he had been
stung all over his head and face unrn
he was nearly dead, and his head swelisd
to twice the natural size. The stings on
the back Of the neck, at the base OF this
skull, seemed to have affected his spinal
cord and the nerve centers and rendered
him completely helpless and paralyzod.
AS soon as camp was reached the guide
was sent out with telegraph dispatches
to the relatives Of the injured man and
70 procure a doctor. on the way out he
found DR. Brand OF Boise in a minig
camp, where he had been called, and sent
him to the lake. where he did all IN his
power for the two sufferers. Boyd pro-
ceeded to the railroad sent the dispatches
and received replies that a brother OF
Roberts and one Of Davidson's family
would start west next morning, and then
hastened back 10 the lake, where filters
were constructed from poles and blankets,
and Stillwel Ingram, the guide and DR..
Brand started TO pack the injured men
out.
II took them five days to make thirty
miles through country where there were
no trails, and then they were met by the
mems brothers, with a physician and
everything necessary. They reached the
railroad Tuesday evening, and after see-
ing their unfortunate friends Off for the
east, Messrs. Stillwell and Ingram came
on here. The physician said that David
son would probably recover, but his arm
would be useless, while he was inclined
to think that Roberts would remain a
helpless paralytic during the remainder
OF his life, and would probably not sur
yive long.