Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-05-19
AMMONIA SAVED HIM.
A PENNSYLVANIA DOCTORS EXFE-
RlENCE WITH WOLVES.

tA MI ILL AAAA1
A PENNSYLVANIA DOCTORS ExPE-
RlENCE WITH WOLVES.
Lost In q Wilderness, He Had to Abandon
His Horse and For Forty Hours
Carried on a Contest With His Life as
the Stake.
The following is a true wolf story
written from data furnished by DR..
Thornton Of Lewisburg, Pa, whose IA
ther figures as the hero:
"About the year 1916 wolves were
abundant in Tomhickon valley, between
Catawissa and Hazleton. When the
Catawissa railroad, part of the Phil
adelphia and Reading, was being built,
DR.. Thomas A. H. Thornton, practie.
ing physician, one cold autumn night
was called out of bed to visit patient
about 20 miles from his home. At that
time there were no regular roads as we
now have. In their place the traveller
used narrow paths or trails. DR.. Thorn
ton in his anxiety to reach the bedside
Of the sufferer attempted to make a
short cut. He lost his way and for a
week wandered through the wilderness
and, having no gun, was obliged to
subsist on roots and herbs. The doctor
was on horseback and after wandering
aimlessly about the painless forests for
four or five days got into large swamp,
| where the horse stepped into quag-
| mire, from which his owner was unable
| to extricate him, and the animal had
to be abandoned, imbedded as he was
almost to his belly in the soft and Doggy
bed. The doctor removed the saddle
bags containing his supply of medicine,
etc., threw them over his shoulders and
started off.
"Several hours after the doctor got
out of the swamp where he had aban-
doned his horse he was Mortified to see
| that he was being followed by band
| of five or six wolves. At first they kept
at respectful distance when stones
were thrown at them, but finally, as il
they appreciated the helpless condition
| of their intended victim, and as dark
ness came On. the hungry, bloodthirsty
band became holder and holder. They
circled around the terrified and jaded
man and, closing in, started to attack
| him on all sides. One more vicious and
| impulsive than the others made spring
at the Doctors throat, but we'll direct
ed blow from a club temporarily dis
abled the animal and caused his raven.
GUS companions to discontinue at thai
time their premeditated and combined
\ attack.
| "The doctor. by this thrilling episode
and the frightened condition Of the
| wolves, succeeded in going perhaps q
mile .unmolested when, to his great
horror, he found the whole pack, led by
| the vicious brute he believed he had
manned with his club, hot on his trail.
The stunning blow administered to the
leader of the bowling band seemed tc
have only intensified the brute's cour.
age and thirst for blood. The man,
weakened by long exposure and loss Of
food, realized that he would soon be torn
| to pieces if he did not adopt some new
means Of defense.
| Fortunately, as the animals began
closing around him for another on
slaught, he reached high rock and
mounted On its top, where giant tree
served to protect him from falling back
ward. He reached this eminence in time
| to provide himself with some stones and
two or three good clubs before his pur-
suers started to attack him. He stood
| back to the tree, and as the animals at.
tempted to come up he drove them back
with his primitive weapons. A large
stone hurled with great force and &C
curacy broke the head Of one Of the as.
| sailants, and this gave the doctor O
breathing spell.
| "The man, however, realized that he
must soon quit his refuge, and, remem-
bering that lie had in his saddlebags a
| large bottle FILL Ct ammonia, he deter
mined to employ it as a final resort tC
save his life He quickly removed one
of his green baiZe leggings, tied it Sc
curely to stick, and after saturating
| the Logging with ammonia be boldly
started down the rocky promontory TO-
ward the wolves. The cunning animals,
apparently aware that he could be more
| easily overpowered on level ground,
| separated, SUNK off and permitted him
| to proceed several hundred yards before
| they renewed the pursuit. They did not,
| however, allow much time to elapse be-
| fore they took the trail of the man who
had thus far so successfully bafded their
powers.
"The doctor stood still and waited
until one Of the brutes rushed within
an arms length, when he struck him
| in the face with the cloth saturated
| with ammonia. This reception was a
most novel and unique one for the wolf,
who ran off bowling with pain. Two
more Of the band were slapped across
| the mouths with the saturated baize,
| and they also left. After this experience
| the wolves followed the doctor till day
| light next morning, when they gave up
the chase, which they had continued for
4S hours and which unquestionably
would have resulted i'll a most horrible
| death if it had not been for the contents
Of the ammonia bottle.
CDR. Thornton succeeded in finding a
shanty occupied by the men construct
ing the Catawissa railroad, where he
was carefully cared for, and in the
course Of four or five days was taken to
his homo, where he was i'll for fully a
| month. "-Philadeiphia Record.
Where tho World Lives.
De o.-o..,. 0AA hn Of Tho