Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-21
CAUGHT In BURNING WOODS
Terrible Experience of Two Vermont ers
without n Guide in the Woods
Ono went wild.


hnson, Maine. to the Herald says One
of the most sensational incidents in the
history of Maine woodcraft Is brought to
light by the arrival in town yesterday of
two sportsmen, T.. L. Mason and Maurice
j Whitley of Barton, VI.
The gentlemen some weeks before Sept
were at the Rangeley's. Sept ] they
started from Cupsuptic lake of the Range.
ley system to visit the Dead river region
They merely sought to kill time until the
open scason for large game.
They made what proved to be an almost
fatal mistake when they determined to
make the trip without guide. ON Sept.
| they met one who directed them by the
nearest route to Flagstaff. Not expert
enced in woodcraft they easily lost their
bearings, and when night came on their
second day they were lost in the prineVal
forest of Maine. They penetrated deeper
and deeper into the dense forest on the
aleCt now to discover water with which to
quonch their thirst, which was becoming
almost unbearable.
All that day until nearly sunset they
podded on before they came upon u small
brook. Here they rested for the night
Whitley, being the weaker of the two, was
completely tagged out. They took SO much
of the water into their stomachs that it
brought on lsordec that was weaken
ing. The men had had no food since the
evening of the day before.
| In the morning Mason found his COM
panion suffering from a high fever. Ma
son did not know what to do. He dared
not go any distance from his mate. How
ever, he started out with his gun along
the bank of the brook, keeping that in
sight. He went up stream until he came
to an opening.
Just as he entered this opening deer
came out of the bushes While the beast
was drinking Mason fired. The deer fell
dead. He removed quarter of the car
j, cas- and started back to whore he had
left Whitley.
,, When he reached the spot Whitley was
missing. Luckily, Mason heard his friend
= beating about In the timber. Rushing af-
ter Whitley. Mason came upon his wan
, dering, his mind deranged. Whitley was
inclined to fight and the only way for
Mason to secure him and return him to
, the camp was to choke him into insenSi.
= bility and carry him,
| For five days the two men remained in
, camp, Mason occasionally going up tbs
=, stream. where he found small pool e
secure brook trout upon which he fed his
friend and himself. on these excursions
= Mason always bound his friend, so that
he would find him upon his return.
On the seventh day Whitley became
stronger and improved so fast than an
other effort was made to find civilization
The men started out slowly hugging the
n brook, believing that it would take then
About noon of that day the air became
oppressively hot, and as afternoon wor,
!, away smoke and ashes filed the air. Tn,
- knowledge that they were in the path o
!, a forest fire filled the lost men with ter
, ror. They plodded on. Mason for the mos
time supporting Whitley helping him un
i, ill late in the afternoon, when they begai
- to see that they were drawing near to tn,
. fire Mr.. Mason in telling the story said
= I'VE halted. | looked around me anC
= tried to learn which way the smoke wa.
5 drifting feeling sure that that cours,
: would be the best one for us to follow
There was burt very little water in tn,
brock. but in places we had come across
little pools large enough to hold both o
= us BY this time we could hear the crack
f ling OF the ffames, and the sky was light
/ ed as if hy the sun The air was NOR,
4 close, and it was hard to breathe
: "A spark fell into the pocket of m,
T hunting jacket, ana in a little while tina
|. side of my coat was burning. / took Mau
;. rice in my arms and carried him acros,
( over rocks to pool. We sat down will
r our feet in the water and our heads bend
n ed nearly to our knees, We stood this al
i long as we could; then we got into tn,
. water
Y 81 cannot tell how long we lay in tn,
water Turning branches from three I,
Y five inches in diameter fell into the be,
1 OF the stream, half-charred bark an,
e small limbs dropped into the pool an,
: driftcd against our faces, and finally
+ when the trees on the right bank wer
t ahom", it became simply impossible t.
( keep our mouths out of water for NOR
$ than few seconds at time.
. 'Whon the heat had so reduced that W,
G could crawl out of the water We did So
= managed to clear off the half-burned deb
ris for space where we might lie down
We removed our garments and stood max
ed before the fire. Maurice soon tired o
this and laid down. kept my shoes OF
my feet and worked all night long feedin,
= the fire, running around. jumping. slap
ping myself to keep up circulation. IT wa
q night of horror. Maurice was no trouble
:. TO me then He slept the rest of the night
@ with dawn, our bodies being as blncl
i as SCOT could make them. we again start
n ed down the brook. We had eaten nothint
=. since noon of the day before 1t was !
= O'Clock when we came to Dead river
n Within few feet Of the banks | cam
. across logging Coad. | rushed back {,
:. Maurice and told him the rcws but tn
II poor fellow was so far gone that he coul,
: not walk. We reached the logging road
and finally camp. There was no one /,
II II, but we entered and found plenty o
: food. The owner, John Greene, came soon
4 tie went out the next day, secured hors
and blackboard, and took us to Burt New
, toms camp. Friday night we came T.
:, North New Portland and Saturday morn
. inc to this place"
. Mason was member of a Vermont regi
ment during the war with Spain. He is
well built mah, . feet 10 inches in heigh,
:. weighing 100 pounds broadshouldered an
- looks as though he was capable of grea
y ndurance