Evening star., 1937-03-25
z TRAGIC DEATHS
REVEALEDBYD|ARY
Young Men, Trapped in
WiIds, Write Story Of
Last Days.
Nv the Canadian Press.

HAVRE 81. P1ERHE, (aueDeC,
March 25-A sodden diary told today
the agonizing story of slow death from
cold and starvation by two youthful
brothers, lost in the wilderness Of
Northern Quebec since last August.
Death, gripping them ever tighter
for days, prevented Willie Collin. %,
and his brother Edgar, 20, from COM
pleting the scrawled record Of priva-
ton, hunger, illness and pain.
Their bodies, almost skeletons, were
found by trappers in an old shack
where. apparently, they camped to
wait out a Summer storm. Willie, the
diary showed, cut his leg and was un-
able to walk.
Meanwhile, as their meager pro-
visions dWindled, new storms buried
the husbands and they were trapped
by the heavy snow.
Word Of their death, apparently late
in January, finally reached here. and
an official sent to investigate, found
the diary near their bodies.
my very dear parents" read q
scribbled farewell by one Of the
brothers in the last days Of their pain
full starvation, before I become too
weak to write any more, want to
tell you that the date that is not en-
tered in my book will show we could
move no longer, neither one nor the
other. Before losing consciousness, I
will write more, for what else can we
do? Our souls are in the hands Of
God"
A pathetic note from Edgar on
January 26 told how Willie died the
night before:
January 26-My very dear parents
and friends, it is Edgar whose said
duty it is to tell you that the good
Blessed Virgin came from Heaven last
night to take away my dear brother,
Willie, about II O'Clock.
Dear God, I don't know what to
do with myself. I can't sleep now. I
have eaten only once in three days.
I can hardly cut wood because I'm
just able to lift the ak. Oh. God,
maybe in few days the Blessed
Virgin will come for me, too Do not
fear for US, dear parents. We have
gone through too much not to be
saved
Il wish you good night now. I no
longer can see the date on the page.
Whatever date is missing from this
Anne came for me. I'm saying my
Rosary. cry and sight, and am trem-
bling with cold. Edgar"
That was the last he wrote.
On the floor beside his emaciated
body they found the book Its first
entry was dated December "a and
| Christmas, the next day, told OF
heavy snowstorms, very cold"
Less than week later Willie said:
Il ended this unlucky year by cutting
my foot
Food then became scarce so, despite
still raging storms. they decided on
desperate effort to get home. But
two days later:
I'VE weren't able to leave 1t
is hard to move about - Willie
has sore legs and I am sick to my
can't eat any more 1t is hard
to cut wood
Almost a week later: "' still
showing we are getting weaker
every day oh, God, how miser-
! able life Is to us we can't tell
on paper all our miseries and trouble
for two days now we have
eaten only (flour and water) cakes
=. how long and lonely the days
are we are very weak = ="
Another week: I'VE couldn't even
drag ourselves out to get wood today
- We are despairing day by day
- If only help would come. ."
January l8: Another day and no
one came to our rescue.
MY dear brother can't lift himself
- he is very weak. We grow weaker
every day and have hardly any flesh
on our bones. =" We think only Of
| death. '" At night we almost perish
from cold. = = I can see with only
one eye ."
January 25: Il don't think Willie
| will live through the night. !"
January 26: "* Willie is dead
- Oh, God, maybe in a few days
the Blessed Virgin will come for me,
| too."