Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1876 — A Remarkable Adventure. [ARTICLE]

A Remarkable Adventure.

One; dfMthe most remarkable from deafh' that ever came under our observation is the case of Gustav Schneider, a resident of this county, one of the Marengo homesteaders, who was brought to this village Monday evening by one of the St. Croix Lumber Company’s teams in a most deplorable condition. He is now being made as comfortable as possible by Mr. Mattson, at the Scandinavian Hotel, and wiil probably recover. We interviewed him Tuesday, and learned the following particulars of his fearful adventures ana sufferings, and of hrs timely rescue: ,

Mr. Schneider has spent the past summer in Minnesota at work, most of the time in the vicinity of Winona. Having earned a little money, and desiring tocontinue the improvements on his homestead, learning that work had been renewed on the Central at this end of the road, he started back, leaving Stillwater on the7th ult. on foot, intending to walk through eiatne Namakagon winter road. With his pack containing his provisions and a few extra clothes he made good time, arriving at Greeley’s old camp at Namakagon Lake on the 14th. After a night’s rest he left camp for Ashland, forty mHesdistant, Wednesday morning, and) at six o’clock in the .evening reached White River, ten miles from his destination. It being dark when he reached the river he could not see the true condition of the ice or the breadth of the water, but having crossed one branch of the stream he supposed he had reached another and. smaller branch. Taking off his boots, he started across. When about the middle of the river the ice broke and he found himself struggling in deepwater with thin ice around him, too weak to hold him even to the surface. Letting go of his pack he managed to swim ashore, landing on the edge of a swamp. Immediately chilling, he endeavored to keep from freezing by walking as fast as possible, but at every step he sank in mud, and having lost one of his boots he found to his dismay that the other had frozen so that he could not put it on. Throwing it away he made another desperate effort to keep on his course; and finally managed to reach a haystack on the meadow, where he took off his pants for the purpose of wringing them out, but before he could get them on again they froze stiff in his hands and left him naked, exposed to the cold blasts that every moment were sending the death chills through his frame. Having lost his matches with his bundle he cojild make no fire, and with the desperation of a drowning man he tore a hole into the haystack, and, dragging his frozen garments into the hole with him, endeavored by lying upon them to dry them by the warmth of his body. The friendly hay protected him from the-wind, and by constant rubbing he managed to keep upefrculation and prevent freezing. All night belay there rubbing his limbs, while the winds moaned among the trees, and the cold air penetrated hia shelter Like a sieve. Thursday morning came and found him exhausted and faint; hunger added to his terrible sufferings. The weather that morning was very cold—the thermometer here in town indicated ten degrees below zero. All day he laid there vainly endeavoring to keep from freezing by rubbing his hands with hay, and throughout the night he never relaxed his desperate: efforts. Friday morning at last came, and found him with his feet badly frozen and the weather terribly cold. The thermometer was below zero in Ashland that morning, though the weather moderated during the day. All day Friday he still kept his now faint voice calling for help. During the day a man and a dog came, but he could not make him hear, and he lay with the terrors of death staring him in the face and listened to his retreating footsteps. About three o’clock in the afternoon he heard men talking across the river, and crawling but Of his hole he saw them with a team near by, they having come in from a lumber-camp after hay. He called out with the cry of a dying man and was heard. The river being open the men sprang to their sleds, and taking the boxes off' dashed them into the water, and in a few moments had reached the now exhausted and almost dead unfortunate, vrhom they found speechless. They wrapped him in blankets and carried him to the camp, where a fire was built, and by constant work brought him back to life. Staying by him all night and all day Saturday and Bunday, their care was rewarded by seeing the sufferer sufficiently strong to bear removal. Wm. Chalmers, Esq., of the St. Croix Lumber Company, came to the camp to see what was the matter that the teams did not return with hay, and taking in the situation he put four horses on one of the sleighs Monday morning ar d started With him for Ashland, arriving about six o’clock the same evening. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Mr. Chalmers and his kind-hearted men for their kindness to the unfortunate man. .

Schneider is badly frozen, both feet and legs to his knees being in a very bad shape, but hopes are entertained by Dr. Marchesseault, who is attending him, that he will pull through without loss of limb. Mr. Schneider is a German, about thirty-five years of age, and came to this country about two and a half years ago to labor on the railroad, but finally took up a homestead. He has no relatives except a brother, who is a job printer at 370 Pearl street, New York city, living in this country. How any man could live through what lie has—lie almost naked, without a morsel to eat, in a hay-stack two days and nights, with the thermometer ten degrees below zero if not lower, is almost beyond comprehension. That he is a tough man is evident, and if King William's army was made of this stuff no wonder he got away with Napoleon in the last Continental struggle. — JfilwauJue Journal of Commerce. a

—There seems to be much, suffering this winter among the genteel povertystricken women in Washington. A few days ago two ladies, descendants of three of the most distinguished men whose names are interwoven with the history ot ’this country, were turned out of their home in that city for non-payment of rent.