The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-03-30
A Storm Adore the Clouds
IL ST. NICHOLAS Gen. Frederick

IN ST. Zen. frederick
Funston tells OF a terrible days
experience in fighting a storm above
the clouds in the Front range of
mountains in Colorado. Ii was ten
years ago. and he had but one com
panion in his adventure. Mr.. Vernon
y. Kellogg. now a professor in Stan
ford university.
Despite the difficulties Of the way
and the surrounding storm. we made
good progress upward. and in half an
hour turned TO the left and began
working along the side of the noun
tain.
Here our trials began in earnest.
The storm was upon us in all its fury.
The wind blew almost a hurricane,
and the air was so filed with sleet
and fine snow that it was impossible
70 see more than 20 yards in IN di-
rection. There would be an occasion
al lull in the tumult. when we could
take in our surroundings for a mo
! nent. but another cloud would en-
\ velop US and fill the air with driving
torrent Of frozen mist.
Hour after hour we struggled on
with the nervous. frantic energy born
Of desperation.
The rocks and snow were covered
with ice thin as tissue paper. which
caused many a hard fall and made
every step a source of peril. The force
OF the wind. too. threw us down con
tinually, and we were bruised from
head TO foot. If We had carried steel
pointed poles instead Of guns they
would have been of great service: the
latter we're now as much hindrance as
help. though we we're soon to find
them useful.
Our hands and faces suffered ter
rbly from the bitter cold and the
former were so numb that we dropped
our guns repeatedly. Hair and cloth
ing were matted with ice like a coat
OF mail. We realized that our prog
ress was very slow. as we had not yet
reached the great snow field extend
ing from timber line TO the summit.
the base of which we had crossed in
ascending the gorge. On and on we
staggered. feeling M way over the
snFpery surface. and becoming weak
er every moment from the hard strug-
se IN the rariiied air of the mountain
tops.
while stumbling over a mass Of ice
covered powders. l heard an excited
Exclamation and. looking up. saw KEEL
OCT sink down behind a rock which
afforded a slight shelter from the lev
blast.
When ! reached him he looked up
ana said: .-Old boy. this is the worst
'"N we were ever in. | guess we're
az inc end OF our rope," Both real
20 That n situation was desperate.
almost hopeless. There was no sign
!" anaiement Of the storm. and weak
.nfn and cnfeebled as we were by the
"ng Struggle, II we should not be able
y cross the steep now field when we
reached il. death from exhaustion and
VAposure would he a matter of only
q Few hours.
w dreaded to think of that snow
"e'l' remembering how steep IL had
"'Nea as we gazcd upward from the
yo'fom that morning. and knowing
'.e condition it must be in now with
newly formed ice on the surface.
"'s eyer. II was thought best to rest
lorr.
N.'er a short rest OF about Is min
We resumed the struggle. weak
oeiore. and much colder: but we
n, recovered our wind. a hard thing
Keep at this altitude.
was o four o'clock--tcn hours
$3.50 We left camp. and four since the
Fusgle with the storm began. The
oat'ie for life could not last much
nrgcr.
and painfully we pushed for
". crawling on all tours most Of
'imc. chewed savagely on a
- 81 tough grouse, the only re-
"sIns q -ur dinner.
would we ever each the snow
&C. A horrible thought crossed NV
NJ What II we had lost the direc-