Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-30
BLIND AT SUNSET.
Queer Predicament Of Lumberman in
Canadian Forests.

'hhu'IeSS Is an aliHlent prevalent among
iimbcrmen who work in siianties remot,
enough TO make vegetables an unusnal
luxury. In most instances the persons
affected have the normal use OF thei,
eEcSight from sunrise to sunset hut ave
stone blind when the sun is below tn.
horizon.
Sometimes the trouble comes on SLOWLY
beginning with dimness of vision al
til 1t is impossible for the patient to stir
outside except when the sun is hugh Al
other times. and especially in the bright
days OF March. when the glare Of the sun
blindness sets in suddenly.
There was Il curious case of this sud
den coming on of the blindness in til.
Otta wa lumber district, near Beaver lake
Four men had been detailed to mark tn,
logs laid upon the ice and they had
worn ed three or four days i'll the scorch-
ing light OF the March sun reflected fro I
the clear lake surface with no particular
ly bad results. Two of them were SUI
fercrs from night blindness and had t.
be led home at night by their comrades;
and as their shanty WAS four miles away
from the lake it was their custom t.
start back IL little befOr. shutdown.
One dry they had about finished tn,
Job, and worked rather late to complet,
they stopped work and slipped on Their
coats that all four We're completely blind
The night was terribly cold and Their
was more than half Il gale OF north wind
eropc their way home would be TO risk
their lives. Happily one of the men re-
membered that one of the great timberS
used as Il skidw;,y was i stick Of whit
hircn. the canoe tree OF the lndiJnS.
Cautiously they felt their way to this
log and contrived to tear away Il section
Of the papcr-like bark. Hastily rolling
the strip into what would answer for !,
torch. they lit it with Il match and de
rived liSEt enough for three of the foui
to be able to distinguish their surround
ings.
stripped of its bark. and while ut this
work they decided that it would be III
most madness to try to reach their own
sharty that night along the narrow path
way their footsteps had made i'll the deer
snow. hight across an arm of The LAKE
on projecting point was II deserted
Shanty, and thitner they determined "a
The Journey was difficult as even with
the flaming bark to guide them the poor
fellows found it difficult to steer ii
straight course. 1t was probably near
wooden-h hinged door and entered the
Shanty.
A fire was quickly started III the ca
hoose with some Of the poles taken from
the bottom Of one of the shelf-li:t sleep
ing hunks still in position all around the
walls. After Il time theif sense OF seeing
came back to them as they sat about
the bright fire. ard they could look about
As their vision cleared they made out tht
figure of a man seated at the clerk desk
in the corner, with Il fine hound at MS
feet.
A little investigation showed thar both
man and deg We're stone dead and frozen
to stiffness. 1t was evident that tn
shanty had beer the home of thu dead
pair for Il considerable time.
THE greater part of Il fir" deer hung IN
thu, .,o0ks lean-to. which was entered by
Il door from the rear OF the shaaty. Ma
trace. of -four or other PROVISIONS was 10
he seen.
Tie visitors had been prndigal in. tncir
nsp Of matches and now discovered tina,
they had used tie last OF their supply;
Their keencst search OF the clothing anu
stores of the dead man failed to discover
a single one. and. though they found =
fine rifle in good order in tn BUNK
wherein the bed had been made. not {!
be obtained. could BE- found. They at
once piled all available fuel near tneiI
fire and determined to watch beside IL
all night. -
clothes. some brown checked materiiii l
well made and he had i good gold
watch. On the table We're old newspaper
OF six or eight months ago. an rom tn,
the hand of the dead man, and bit OF
white birch bark. on which was written
over and over again: Blind, Blind.
Naturally enough. the -four mon did moi
care to make a very close search TO,
means of identification. Tiey coiciuaeu
that the man was a StrinseI IN tht
woods and an American. 1T is Their ori,.
ion that the man WAS afflicted with night
blindness while in the shantN ana pc
came afraid to go far away from it foi
fear of being overtaken by evening an.
Incoming unable TO find his way h'irn
again Hit matches were used up ana
his rifle cartridges having disappeared. II
was impossible for him to make Il fir'
to keep himself warm or to cook ms
neat. with the thermometer ran3lnp
be long before the frost would claim
10th him and his faithful hound as vic
Tins when without fire or provisions.
When morning came the sl,.intEm
made a breakfast of the NeniSon IN tht
lean-to s.nd then started for tn, If owi
shanty to tell their story to their fellows
The foreman and couple Of Others al
once set out with one of the four to burr
the dead man in the shanty, but arrivn'
ut the lakeside to find tho building Ii
flames which soon made total destruc-
ton of it and it's contents.
Probably it will never be Known Wnc
the unfortunate man was whose BODY
was discovered that night by the temp"
rorily blinded men. Somehow the IN
preston has declared itself among tn
junihcrers that he was fugitiv" frOn
Justice who tried to hide himself in th'
woods. hunter would have had !
guide with him. Had re been used t.
the woods he would have known how t.
keep up his fire and would have has
proper supplies.