The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-12-09

everybody but one buried alive in the
snow, and your sole companion your faith
ar, dying.
T TT was some time durinE the night of :.
Jan. 81 that father died. We slept in our
sleeping bags in the same bed, and when
I walked up ir the morning found him
dead. He must have died hours before, as
his body was rigid.
II was worse that day from grief and
loneliness and disease, but my fathers
body had to be cared for. All could do
was to place 1t as tenderly as could in
one corner of the room and let it freeze
there to remain until got strong enough
to bury it, II ever did; or until help
came, ifsit was ever to come. could not 8
stand, could hardly crawl in fact, and it
took me three long hours to drag the body
across the room. laid it in the corner
and covered it. The body was frozen be-
fore got it to its resting place and was
SO benumbed with cold that could hardly
crawl back to the bed.
From that day until March II ] lived
in darkness, except when I cooked one
meal a day. My wood had been rapidly
giving out, and for weeks cooked EACH
day a little more bread or beans or rice
than needed and set it aside. It would
was thawed out. s
ION March IL had narrow escape for
my life. Up to that time the stove had
burned. and l. used wood, having three
or four sticks left. OF course, had no
idea of what was going on OUTSIDE Mot
fire that night the smoke rushed into
the cabin. realized that the snow had
at last covered the stovepipe and choked
1t up, but before I could put the fire out
was almost suffocated with the heavy
Pungent smoke of the fr wood 1t was n
close call for over an hour, when I be-
RI hvoo ho
looked at the few sticks. Of wood had
LETT and actually laughed. If a forest
had been at my command I could not
have burned stick sis+ ~ 7s' II
I'm our supplies we had box of can
dies. These had been used sparingy all
along, but after we were showed in we
only burned light when it was absolute
ly necessary-that is, when father wanted
food or medicine I found I had fair
supply of candles and a holder which held
four candles. fs5
"Over the candles I melted snow for tea
or Coffee cooked evaporated potatoes and
thawed out the frozen bread and beans T
had cooked and saved. The candles lasted
fifteen days., but I had saved every par
ticle of grease that melted of them ana
when they were gone I charred a hollow
in "a box lid and burned the grease in it,
but finally the grease was gone too
81 thought and thought of a way out of
e.
perate remedies, and I determined to
break the window and try to tunnel to the
/ top of the snow with a long-handled
shovel. T would have to throw the snow
dug back into the cabin; but I must
have light. crawled to where I knew
the long handled shovel stood and got it:
then propped myself up and broke the
window I drove the shovel into the
packed SNOW as hard as I-cUuld,. and then
knew no more. L tainted and fell to the
floor. When came to I was almost froz-
en-. I have no idea how long was in
the faint, but crawled back to my sleep
ing bag and lay for hours before dared
try 1t again. Twice more tainted while
working at the window out suddenly
could see light, and in few minutes I
had tunneled through to The top Of the.
snow.
1T think I know what the sensations;
would be of a man who had been blind
for years and suddenly had his sight re-
stored. know how blessed thing is
Gods daylight and sunshine
"But with the opening of my light shaft
came another bit of joyful knowledge.
could see the snow, had been melting
and the level must be below tho top Of
the stovepipe. crawled to the stove and
soon had it and the pipe free Of Ice and
then gathering my little store Of wood
built a fire. knew that when the wood
| was gone the stove would be useless, but
with daylight came wisdom, and I took
| a side, of bacon and fried it out, and
then burned the bacon grease as had
burned the candle grease, in a charred
hollow in box lid.
With the daglights and air my health
began to improve, and I was soon able
to stand on my feet, then walk a few
steps, and was beginning to think about
t tn n out; when on April ss last the
| reached the hut on snOWshoes They saw
my tunnel to the window and entered the
cabin that way. They at once cut me
| wood enough to last several days, and,
leaving their provisions and blankets.
party, whom they xepected to find at the
summit of the glacier below the valley
They expected to make the trip that day
| and would go, although I begged them
| to stay with me. You cannot imagine
what the sight Of human faces and the
| sound of human voices was to me. The
trip nearly cost them their lives, for go
ing back they got lost in a fog and
wandered about for three days and nights
on the glacier. They were about ex-
| hausted when the fog lifted the fourth
day, and the balance Of our party, which
was in camp, just happened to see them
long way OF. They went to their rescue
none too soon, for Tom Donnelly was
| almost exhausted. His right hand was
frozen and he stumbled and fell at all
[ most every STEP The boys put them on
s!eds and hauled them to the cabin.
They got all right in a day or two.
1.-THE first thing the party did when
they reached me on April q was to
tunnel, through the eight feet Of snow to
the cabin door and take me out to the
tent. Then everything except my fathers
body was taken from the cabin.
| s'On April % the men of the party, ex-
cept myself, headed by my brother Ned.
dug grave in the center of the floor.
of the cabin. They then wrapped the
body Of my father in al heavy canvas.
and buried It. The doors and windows
/ of the cabin were securely boarded up.
and on the door nailed "a large stencil
plate bearing fathers name. p. K. Hill,
and below It they chiseled the word,
Died January 81. 1899
| Thus we left him.
| The cabin which we had Built with
SO much hope and JOY and so many
bright antfcipations had been my prison
house and was his tomb It is strong,
well built cabin, and will stand for years.
/ never expect to see it again.
I'VE all went to work building a boat.
to go up the river; for recovered with
/ marvellous rapidity In the sunshine and
| open air, and was soon able to do my
full share. We went up the river, but
found nothing and returned home by the.
same route we entered the country. Our,
/ trip home was uneventful, except for the
earthquakes at Yakutat
What am going to dog" said Mr.
Hill. Well, may go back to Alaska,
but not just now. / shall probably re-
enter the university and try and graduate
this year. AS hard as It was and as sad
/ am not sorry went. It taught me
many things will never forget. =
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+ Congressman bingham Of Pennsylvania Is