Imperial Valley press., 1937-01-18
ONE MAN DIES
IN ATTEMPT
TO BRING AID
Women MarOOned
In Snow Covered
Automobile

IL. (UP)--Marooned in deep
d e e rt snowdrifts for %
days, three women and a
man who once We're believed
dead at lonely shack 95 miles
north of Las Vegas today revealed
their intense suffering in sub-zero
weather which claimed one member
of their party of five.
1t was story of heroic waiting
with the odds weighing heavily
against them that they would be
frozen to death in a succession of
blizzards before rescuers arrived.
The four who were brought back
to warmth and safety by a CCC
rescue crew and officers from the
sheriff's office were Mrs. Lee Pret-
lyman, wife of the operator of the
Nevada Maryland mine in isolated
Yucca Pass; Doris Dunn, her Negro
cook; and Mr. and Mrs. James Poe.
Fred Miller, 45, died from expo
sure while attempting to obtain
help II miles from where Poe and
three women renamed behind
stranded in their stalled automobile
When Miller failed to return in
two days, Poe set out over tine same
route, found Miller's pody along the
snCW-covered trail, and after %
hour journey through sieet and bit
ter cold, reached mining cabin
where the party eventually found
respite from intense exposure.
The story of Poe's dogged fight
against bitter Nevada winter blast
was but one remarkable chapter in
the narrowing experience of the
Prettyman party, which first lost
contact with civilization on Dec. 27.
The group started from the
Groom Dry Lake in their automo-
bile that day. The car became
stalled in deep snowdrift. They
took another road, but they stalled
again. This time they ran out OF
gasoline as the snow piled high
around the car.
On Dec. 80, while zero tempera-
lures still prevailed and snow piled
deeper around their hopelessly
marooned car, Miller volunteered to
walk the II miles to the cabin OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Bob (Pop) Smith,
old-time residents of the district.
Miller agreed before he left that
if he did not return in two DAYS
Poe was to start out, leaving the
women behind in the car Shortly
after Miller started out, new bliz-
,t.I 11A 4 Nnd
when he reached the halfway mark
to the Smith cabin
At the expiration of the two-day
deadline, Poe started for help in
ten-d degree -below-zero weather.
Supplied only with a can of beef,
Poe walked total of 20 miles in
% hours. He was in mental fog
during latter stages of the trip.
When the Smiths had revived Poe
at their cabin. they started in
truck back to the car Because of
his dazed condition, Poe was unable
to give accurate directions, and they
wandered about the snowy wastes
until Jan. 4, when they finally
reached the stranded women, who
by this time had spent seven and
cne-half days huddled in the auto
mobile.
The truck took the women and
Poe back to the Smith cabin at
Kelly mine. and there they were
made as comfortable as possible.
Meanwhile. aerial searchers flew
over the cabin and sighted crude
message.
A group of CCC workers started
out from Las VEGAS with tractor
and "bulldozer', plowing trail
to the cabin.
It was Thursday. Jan. Ia, before
the rescuers reached them They
stayed all night and started the
return to Las Vegas Friday
Friday afternoon they reached the
temporary base camp of the CCC
rescue parties 80 miles north of
Indian Springs. When the tractor
became unnecessary, it was aban-
doned.
They continued in automobiles
but soon became stranded again.
Tractors were sent out from Las
Vegas in accordance with previous
instructions that assistance would
be needed if the party did not re-
turn by Saturday morning.
The group spent the night in cars
while new blizzard ragged about
them. Saturday afternoon the
tractors arrived and towed the cars
to the main Tonopah-Las Vegas
highway.