Show ILL ILA FATED DONNER DOWNER S TRAGIC RAGIC 7 C TAtE TALE j jAN AN EPIC OF OP NEI NEVADA AD J 1 I Annals of Historic Pathfinders Who Preceded Utah Pioneers I Recalled by the Anniversary of i t Their Arrival at Reno Even before the Utah pioneers rs came there passed through this region a company compan of ot sturdy men and women at least they the were sturdy when they be began began began gan their journey westward known as the Donner Donnar party part The his history history history tory of this thin party is written in words earn each ea h one of or which spells tragedy A record of at bitter suffering inde indescribable indescribable hardship starvation and death is that of or the Donner Donnar party part They left the east hopeful strong confident they th came to their destination those of If them that came there at all broken wretched some spine praying prang for the death to relieve them then that did not come Those who have read rea the intensely interesting novel of ot the Sierras Ga Gabriel GabrIel Gabriel briel Conroy will recall the thrilling t tales dea therein herein recounted Well Gabriel Conroy i lit Ij about bout the Donner party Lake Donner Donn r l Is if In Nevada county Cali Call and lies at an altitude of or feet reet The Nevada State Journal published an article In Its issue of Wednesday which contains more information about the trials of or the Donner party than any letters or interviews yet et reproduced article Journal reads The in the State i Exactly years ago today toda i ithe the year before gold was first disco discovered discovered I ered in California the famous and ill ilI fated Donner party part arrived in Reno in inthe Inthe the thc midst of or a fearful snowstorm The events cents preceding the arrival of or orthe the party part Jn in Reno its thrilling and an agonizing days of or prolonged suffering in the midst of the un unprecedented unprecedented snowstorm as it reached this city and the tragic events which followed is best told by b Thomas Wren ren who wrote of them from data he per personally personally secured from some of or the rela relatives relatives tives tins of the party part itself He says sa s Start Stat From Springfield In Lt April of or 1564 commenced with the th starting of an emigrant party part from Springfield Ill III the darkest tragedy of or orthe the western trail the fate tate of or strong men devoted women and helpless little children It was the Donner party part headed by b George and Jacob Tacob brothers of that name and their families numbering sixteen In the party at the start were also James F FReed Reed and his family ramn of seven and Franklin W Graves with a family of or twelve Patrick Breen and family of or nine nin Joined them at Independence Mo 11 and amI beyond Fort Bridger a widow Mrs Irs Lavine Murphy and her family were added Altogether in the party part were ninety persons the trail being in increased increased creased finally finall to nearly ne 1 I wagons At Fort Bridger the first step on thA th V road to death was taken when the Donner brothers with a portion of ot the theother theother theother other emigrants migrants left the others to try t the new route to California via ta Salt Lake La and the Hastings Cutoff The Theon conservative on ratte ones Ines who stayed fth the tb bid td route Dute reached lr goal while the others were destined to mis misfortune misi fortune after misfortune and to the en endurance endurance endurance durance of almost incredible suffering to which more than half succumbed Instead of or seven it was as thirty days da 5 be before before fore rore they reached Salt Satt Lake crossing the great desert with ever ever er sinking hearts heart When hen the western margin was reached ached It was apparent that some one must go forward to Fort joo miles journey and come back with provisions William McCutcheon of Missouri and C T Stanton of or Chicago III ill volunteered and left on horseback On October 9 and Kese Keseberg Keseberg Keseberg berg fell tell behind the latter coming up jt ut night the former dying d Indians ran off ff of ot their cattle at Humboldt Sink and actually starving the party part wandered on only the chil chit children children dren riding After leaving the Hum Humboldt Humboldt Humboldt boldt Sink Keseberg with a rich man fell behind Keseberg com coming coming coming ing on alone When Then dying later Joseph Reinhart confessed to having a hand in inthe inthe inthe the murder of ot Relief in the person of C T Stanton met them near where Wadsworth now stands Stan Stanton Stanton Stanton ton had not only provisions but mules with two Indian vaqueros to aid In transporting them all nU furnished by b the generosity of or Captain Sutter who re refused refused fused all compensation Mistake Has Dire Die Results When the party part reached Reno they made another mistake one fraught with dire results In deciding to rest three or four days A fearful storm was gathering in the mountains and eagerly as the emi emigrant emigrants grants grant urged their party part forward the ele elements ments rems outstripped them and three miles Truckee at Prosser Presser Creek on Oct 13 3 1 C four weeks earlier than it usually came cam CamE the snow commenced falling tailing six sIx at that point but on the summit in iT some places five feet In depth Many Ian and amI desperate were the futile attempts to cross crops that awful barricade of or snow from their camp hastily made at Donner lake o ait nt tt all in vain liin the pitiless snow descend descended ed fringing bringing in it II Its wake agony a ony and death It was impossible to move moc In any direction direction direction tion so all ill perforce made what arrange m men n they could to try to weather the All AU Hye le stock was buried burled In the tho huge huse drifts and from their carcasses the meat already frozen was prepared for f food tood od Little as ss they the ate grim TIm starvation was soon them and on the of o ol r l m r r 1 46 a party of seventeen start started started started ed out V t relief if It possible Ere Ile they the went nt far tar two had to return l 1 tJ i camp tamp b lam bu the tho fifteen pressed Dressed on among theta hell t Mrs rs Sarali Fosdick her sister Mary Ia Graves C CT T Stanton and F W Graves One by b one death stalking by b their side snatched match d first one then another until only onh seven sev 11 re left What hat pen could describe the th revulsion of or feeling when suddenly ht be h came ante upon footsteps in the snow and amI following these with awakened hope ho ram came to an Indian rancheria Stoical as asis asis is g the Indian the condition of the seven emaciated starving starring persons Impressed them th m deeply and they gave every assist inc tnt they could Taking up the march with Indian guides on they pressed only to gradually give gin out and Mr Ir Eddy leav leaving lea leaving ing lot one cne man and five hc women reached Johnsons ranch on Bear river then thc tha th only ranch or western slope A relief party part went im lork le k l fifteen miles and brought in the six b who had fallen by the tile wa way Arrival Arival of Rescuers A month m had bd j y cased since the party part lest left Donner lake luk and ali I over half their num nunn Ixer Ir had literally lid laid down their lives for their friends not knowing whether the sacrifice would be rewarded or not Help tram Sutter was secured by b John Rhodes In a week and six men under Captain r sin P Tucker provided with provisions and mules left for tor Donner lake In less than two t o weeks weds s sAt At Dinner r lake the slow tragedy of or life Ut sustained In n a few f while the man mani i rn ed on n until on the of February L mi ISIt the Ih rescuers rs appeared Every moment was and the re turn was ws sc soon n commenced by twenty three survivors of that fearful siege with w ih their U reseller rescuers and imI cf f these two had to tor r tuti and threw soon sorn died Their lr trial trill were W re not ever for lor or j oa on provisions were I all aU gone bone and just juet as they the had given Iven up I hope hop a second rescuing party part appeared headed head d by b John F Reed on the nth th of or I February ISH 1847 Reed had bad preceded the I Donner party part several months and the joy Jo Joor of or his Ills reunion with pith his family was soon Boon cut short for Reed pressed on to Donner lake where his two little daughters were having been carried back by the tile preceding precedIng preceding ing party part Sufferings at Starved Camp I When Reeds needs party part reached them pro provisions provisions provisions visions had given out and the party part of or i seventeen commenced the journey journe onward They The had not gone far tar when a terrible I storm broke and camp c mp was made that camp was known to history as ns Starved Stared II Camp and Mr Ir Reed with his 1118 two little ones and a companion went on ahead to secure aid if Ir possible Cady and Stone soon caught up with tho four and on the third night all reached n camp campat at Bear Valley One can only anI imagine of ot the ones left at Starved Starred Camp A tI rd relief rell r party John Stark Howard Oakley Oakle and an Charles Stone were near noor and W Yo H Eddy saved saed by b a former for tor former mer party part and W Yo H Foster were com corn coming comIn corning ing In on the same Rame errand of ot mercy They The i I with the addition of ot Hiram Miller left camp the tIt next day after Reed arrived but when they reached I Starvation Camp only two of ot the eleven I could stand upright John Stark urged and entreated until a portion started out the tile others remaining for tal another relief reller party part to find them While the third relief party part saved saed four fou i of the five survivors a u fourth party was bras as required to save sae Lewis Keseberg which It did Aug 7 1 1617 Of or the members of the Donner party part six failed tailed even to reach the mountains died horrible deaths one by b one leaving only forty tort eight survivors |