The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-01
LOST HIMSELF And His WITS.
YET THIS NAN THOFGHT lie
KNEW TIE tDIROh DtCkS.
II Is Easy to Lose Oneself In tho Wood,
Effect OF Panic In Getting Ono
Further Astra, Theories OF People
Who Haven't Bcea Lost Upset.

Nho Haven't Bcen Lost Upset.
Il happened to b. at Saarnac Lake said
n New York broker. when that nurse was
lost in the woods ut McRecvcr n fortnight
ago, and | va particularly Interested in her
case because ! had once spent an unwilling
night in the wooGs. unahir to trd my way
back to camp.
At the same ho' ! with me were several
men whose knowledge of the woods was
gained entirely from occasional visits to
~well-known resorts. NonH of thnln had
ever trampod two miles on a trail alone in
his life.
Each Of thom declared that il was a very
foolish proceeding Tor a person to get lost
in the AGironda"k,.
This country said one Of them, Is
now so well cut up with roads that all a
person has 10 do is 70 keep walking in ono
direction aud he is bound to come QUO
some where ia fifteen or twcaty miles
Perhaps you don't realize ! said, that
the chi 4 difficulty when you are lost is to
maintain your direction
An that you need for that, he said. 10
a little common sense. | am assuming that
You wander away from a point whore YOU
are familiar with the lay Of the land. You
know Of the big lakes around you. and
there are streams. any one of which VIII
lead YOU 20 a lake. You may have the sun
TO guide you OF II you know the prevailing
winds Of the country you can tell. from tho
bend ~ the trees
Il have heard lots Of other people who
did not know what they were talking about,
advance these same arguments, but they
won't stand. | believe that | know the
Adirondacks pretty thoroughly.
Il have spent part Of every season in
them for the past twenty years and yet,
five years ago, ! found myself hopclessly
lost in a region where | had fs he'd and
| hunted for several years. and my sensa-
t.ions were such tina | believe ! suffered
from a panic that upset my mind fortu-
natcly IL was in the summer and my hard
ships were not great.
we were camped on a small pond about
twenty miles north Of Saranac. II was
surrounded by Roud-siZcd hills, each with
a characteristic peak had become so
familiar with those hills that | could have
drawn each one OF thCm with my eyes
closed, and | would have laughed at the
! suggestion that ] might get lost within
sight Of any one Of them.
Il went out alone one morning 10 fish a
small stream within -four miles of camp.
After wading down II for two hours and
filling my basket | ate my luncheon and
| started for the lake bv an old woods road.
1T was then ? O'Clock in the afternoon
and the hours walk would bring mo 10 tho
high ground overlooking the lake. At
$50 O'Clock. after brisk walking, | found
myself a. a fork in the road which ! had
never seen before,
Taking the road that bore of toward
where the lake ought to be-, ] walked on Tor
another hour. There was nothing familiar
in my surroundings. The road Climbed
IN Hill all tie time. knew tia, this vas not
right. The woods were open here, and taking
nav bearings, | struck into them, going. az
supposed, direct lytoward he lake. Three
| Quarters 81 an hours hard work brought
me 10 the foot Of n little hill, which climbed.
On its top was one of the tolvln survey
stations erected for obSerN ations.
Il Mounted 20 the top of this and the
scene before me was entirely strange.
| About siy miles away was a lake. but was
sure that IL was not the one on which We
had Camped. II resembled II in size, but
the mountains around IL were entirely
different. There was not a familiar peak
among them.
Il could not find anywhere a landmark
that | knew. was lost. and what was
worse. the knowledge of IL threw me into
n panic. descended from the observation
tower and struck into the woods, climbing
over logs, tumhliug into marshes M
acting Ike a crazy man.. though w hours
before | had been sane enough.
Il threw away my pole and my fish
basket. | had q revolver alt a box OF
cartridges. l. was getting dark and |
wa exhausted There was nothing 10 do
llt Dlf'l on anu 'llt|lN WIl''l ! - PtVi
hecars, II was too dark 10 20 any firther.
! felt ~ If ] had h.-u guu" from amp a
month
" fired three shots from my revolver
ard waited There nss No reply. ! con-
Il ied firing ia this way until ! had u-ei
q but five - my odrtrl1 ICES II then |
g.,s Ny hpI" J started a fire bt III" =
bug rock and going over IN my mind Ia.
whole country which | knew 80 we'll, |
tried g. reason myself Out Of my panic.
1T Wa no u-" | f"l' absolutely hppH-
less | must nave slept some during TIC
night and ! kuO That "h"u IN" -un cdns
up went sound asleep
Il VIA aroused by the sound ~ voices.
and pushing toward them | cdmo ous
within an .lghth - "a uIlr on a high way.
which ! knew ~ well ~ ! b. Broadway.
II led 80 the lake WArrr We were clTpei.
Two 81 our CuII'r were iiIugIug ~ q
w~agoHlpsd % provision for III ] called 10
th"m and th'u isoamo iy-f'rIcal
When We talked INV 'Attfl"uoe over
later ~ concluded that ! muri have IN Tia
fr-f Ili,. turned 10, wrong way ou tls
vuud. road aud after having o. ! walked
around Iu % clfUl'. ,tI'INIrH would lave
REACHED ,1ur h.aWn Is.n' j. vat oar laks
tNut rtN from fU' ufl-H Walton lover.
hut ! gYt q iIf'i'ri NI'N - t' mDuutalts
Dad ihsy l,.kri rfi,uE. tH u'
j Lave talked WITH tfitf fs.ii" D. lave
i.4l IH-I Ir fIr aHsHH. uUl tiEb oil hgrss
that vLrr t|. ku.vI.iE" u.m's Co. Nuu
that N.u au' ll-f % uIs.H NUaI f'ar"ilik
poser such 49, 'hIaf'Hu' flHltr no
,l.n I-NHs .lH 81 600 a|H | Watsr "a
clos I. lfIH. =. .I. .HH ..E,IUu q Ufiris