River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-03-16

Was it an earthquake. or was it the
cave Ealing in:
\ dull, rumbling noise Jared the yer.
rock. followed by the sound OF heavy
mass striking the ground with rush
like a tornado. while in one moment
we found ourselves plunged in dense
darkness, Ii. Up by the blazing fire.
We quickly understood what had
taken place. The bank of snow above
Us. loosened by thawing, had slid down,
and we were buried behind an ava
ianche!
NO, I'm not, Jacky, boy!" replied
Frank, struggling out of the snow,
which half covered him, and answering
jacks question as if all was perfectly
serene.
There was something so ludicrous
dangerous situation, Jack and roared
with merriment and Frank gave dry
chuckle-his nearest approach to
laugh
But this didn't last long. The state
of affairs was too serious. Here we
were, halfway up mountain, shut or
from escape by an unknown depth OF
snow, and the day half spent, besides.
How were we to escape?
Dig out with our hands and hatch
cts" said Jack
NO use" answered Frank. There
must be tons of snow out there, and
this is a small hole. We couldn't stow
away what we'd dug out"
As this was very true, we gave up
the plan.
Then" continued Jack, lets dig
round the edge next to the rock"
Cant be DONE" again objected
Frank, for the same reason. And if
YOU could do it, the whole thing would
cave in on us"
We gave that up, too.
Build fire under it, and melt a
hole through, suggested.
Frank routed me also.
How are we going to keep fire
burning with snow-water dropping
down on it?"
Then fix things yourself" said Jack,
petuIantly, as if Frank was to blame
for it all
III try to-" responded he, calmly.
Let me think a minute"
He looked all around, and then
seemed 10 fall into brown study"
Il have it," said he. at last Harry,
your idea of melting isn't so bad, after
ALL l think we can use it. You see.
bays. this heap outside must be shaped
something like half a sugar loaf-very
broad at the bottom and quite small
at the top The upper part touches
the roof, which is very thin, you know.
Now. if we can build good fire up
there, and heat the roof pretty thor
oughly, the hot rock will melt the snow,
touching it all along its edge to the
open air, and the rest of the heat will
follow the same direction. Under
stand?'
We did, and said so. But how to build
fire so high up?
Frank showed us. Under his direc-
ton we trampled the snow into hard
slope, and at the summit Frank dug a
level recess, in which we built the fire
upon our frying-pan and some stones
we found scattered about.
Fortunately there was fair draught
through a crevice made for that pur-
pose long before. But still the smoke
was pretty bad, as our watery eyes and
constant coughing gave evidence.
Frank made as long passage as he
could parallel with the rock, so that
the hot air might go that way. Then
we awaited results.
Tho first WIS ct1anr If water hl T.
made things very unpleasant for MS UNI
til we turned it off down an inclined
tunnel into the bank.
As the rock heated, the stream be-
came larger, and we Joyfully perceived
that the scheme worked just as Frank
had said it would, until. when our wood
was completely gone, and the Sled as
WELL the smoke began to clear away
and finally went up in a body around the
tongue of ledge overhead.
"Hurrahl" calculated Frank. The
WAYS clear now."
Perhaps it was; but we had to wait
until the fire burned away, and then
/ it took some time for the rock to cool
off, as it was nearly red hot in places.
1t did cool at last, however, and Jack,
/ Ratchet in hand, crawled up the hole.
BY vigorously plying his weapon, he
| enlarged it until we were all three able
to squeeze through and come out upon
the steep shelf-into starlight! 1t had
taken the whole afternoon to free our
/ selves.
/ | will say nothing about our return
down the hill, except that l wouldn't
make it again for a small fortune. What
with darkness, cold, WEAKNESS and the
difficulties of the ground, it was about
as miserable an experience as | ever
! had.
/ When we reached home that night,
we were sights to be seen, !" according
| to our mothers, and everyone Of us
afterward did have a cold except Jack,
who Just missed rheumatic fever.
Of course Frank was a hero for a
| long time, and we followed his advice
with much less grumbling than ever
| before. remembering the way he res
cued us from that unpleasant predica-
ment in Keesaw Cave.-Golden Days.