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Show I TWO PERISH IN SNOW AT VERNAL Relative of Our Townsman Meets Death in Mountains Not Far From Vernal, Utah. In response to a telegram notifying him of the death of his uncle, Oliver P. Sanford at Vernal, Utah, Mr. C. M.J Brown of this place left to attend the obseques December 2rth, and isex-pectetl isex-pectetl to arrive home tomorrow. Mr. Sanford was lost in the heavy snow which fell over the state early in December De-cember and perished from exposure while trying in company with a man named Hicks to make his way from a sawmill in the mountains to Vernal, a distance of 38 miles. The following are excerpts from an account of the sad affair published in the Vernal Express of Dec. 2(5: "The fears expressed in last week's paper for the safety of the two men , who started out from the Hicks saw mill, located on Diamond mountain, about .')8 miles from Vernal, to get help for those left behind, have been realized. Oliver P. Sanford and Fred Hicks have made the supreme sacrifice on Diamond Mountain in the snow and cold in their endeavor to secure succor for those whose lives they knew depended on their help. "After learning from Francisco Sole, the Mexican, whom they had reshued from death on Sunday, Dec. 14, on Diamond mountain, that there were still others at the Hicks mill, who were without bread and in distress, dis-tress, and that Hicks and Sanford had started on the perilous trip to get help for those who had been left at the mill, a rescuing party was immediately formed in Vernal to go to the rescue. This party consisted of George O. Massey and A. L. Hamrick, government govern-ment hunters and trappears, and Fred Feltch, all trained mountaineers. They stayed at the Feltch home nearly four miles from town, Tuesday night,. December De-cember 16, and started next morning morn-ing at 3 o'clock, after having fitted themselves out with snow shoes, skis, bedding, provisions, etc. "Wednesday night at 9 o'clock they arrived at the James Freestone place on Diamond mountain, 25 miles from Vernal, after spending the entire day breaking the road anil digging thru the deep snow drifts. "On Thursday, after the most strenuous stren-uous efforts, they arrived at the mill, and to their joy found Mrs. Hicks and her son anxiously awaiting the coming com-ing of help. "Everything was covered with deep snow. The tent which was used as a sleeping room had snow two-thirds of the way to the top. Steps had been made in the snow for an entrance at the front. The board shanty where they cooked the scanty food they had subsisted on. was drifted full of snow. Desolation reigned supreme. Hunger gnawed at their vitals, they had not tasted bread for 15 days. All that was left was a portion of a brisket of goat, which they had caught and killed, and a handfull of beans. This alone stood between life and death, of hunger hung-er and cold. What a relief to the wife and mother, after the anguish of waiting wait-ing through the long days and nights since she had last seen her husband go for help "On three different days had the mother cooked a portion of the food so that mother and invalid son could attempt the perilous trip out, which meant almost certain death. Three I 4 different times had something told her not to attempt the trip to Vernal, but to wait, that help would come. Food j was given them by the rescuing party and they' were made as comfortable j as possible, only half a mile away f stood the outfit they had started with, I with bedding in the sleigh and a dead ' I horse at the tongue. All indications I pointed to the fact that a desperate I effort had been made to go through a j snow drift, when a ruptuud blood I vessel caused the horse's death. This I had occurred Thursday morning, Dec. I 11, when Hicks attempted to bring the I parties out from the sawmill, in an I effort to reach Vernal, where he and I his family had arranged to spend the I winter. I "This was the starting place of the I final tragedy; the place where gloom I .settled down over the little party; I where the last goodbyes were said; I where the heartaches and fears of I father and mother, husband and I (Continued on last page) eW - ' w MARRIED PEOPLE HAVE SPIRIT jy (Continued from first page) Society Hall, which was well attended attend-ed and much enjoyed. Tomorrow (Saturday) night the Ladies' Republican Club is giving a dance and luncheon at the Ward Hall to which the public is invited. An excellent program of music and dancing danc-ing is being arranged and an elaborate affair is confidently expected. Mrs. Atla Wood Webster, county chairman if the Republican ladies, is the instigator of the affair, and is taking B lively interest in its progress and Mrs. Webster enjoys the reputation reputa-tion of faking a success of any thine; of this sort that she undertakes. Sin-is Sin-is not the sort of person who is given to doing things by halves. Of course in this affair young and old, married and single, are expected to participate, a general invitation being be-ing extended to the public to attend. BB |