Show NEAR DEATH l iN STORM RESCUED BY GIRLS I Plunge in Icy Lake Nearly Fatal To Pair of Murray Duck I Hunters rs S SURVIVING the rigors of battle in several major campaigns overseas John Berger 24 years old and Sam Stauffer 27 years old two war veterans of Murray are confined to their beds as a result of a battle for life tife with the tile raging storm on Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanks Thanks- giving day For hours both men were unconscious from exhaustion and exposure suffered in their battle against death with the tile elements Berger and Stauffer left Murray ear early y Thursday morning to hunt ducks on Beckers Becker's lake near Granger While walking over the ice of ot the I lake the frozen crust suddenly gave way and they were plunged into the I water For more than an hour they struggled to get out of ot the water but the ice surface was so thin that it broke away under their weight They waded In the frigid water for tor more than a mile breaking a path through th the ice as they struggled along Finally the shore was reached and the two men fell tell upon the bank Their wet clothing quickly froze stiff stift in the northern gale which was raging exhausted and almost frozen from their long struggle in the water but knowing that to r remain maln outside would mean certain death the two former Cormer soldiers made a last desperate attempt to reach aid SEEK HOUSE A house was sighted a mile away and they started toward it Weak and numb they stumbled along first frat one falling tailing prostrate upon the ground and then the other one on I When hm less than half halt way to the I house Stauffer pitched forward upon i the ground unconscious Berger in his weakened condition was unable to to revive him The latter teen alone for tor the house determined to summon aid for his dying companion But when wIthin hearing distance of ot the haven Berger gave a shout for tor help and collapsed lie He could go no farther and he lapsed Into unconsciousness unconscIousness unconsciousness as he fell to the ground His cry for help however howe nad had been heard and persons In the house carried carried carried car car- ried him inside In a few tew minutes he was revived and told of ot his friend lying unconscious unconscious I half halt a mile away According to Berger the house was occupied by byan byan byan an aged couple and two small chil chil- dren The elderly people were unable to go to Stauffer's rescue and the two little girls volunteered to go after him with a toy sled GIRLS TO R RESCUE Warmly swathed to protect them against the cold the two little girls faced the blizzard and started after Stauffer The latter was still unconscious un- un conscious when they reached him and most almost dead from freezing He lie was rolled upon the sled and pulled as quickly as possible to the house It required both children to pull the he sled and with no one to hold the prostrate form torm upon the conveyance con the body rolled oft off every few yards ards Slowly and almost exhausted themselves themselves them them- selves from their valiant rescue et- et ef efforts forts torts the children finally reached the house with Stauffer Berger was as badly frozen but after atter an hour her he ho r regained consciousness and a physician physician cian etan was notified Stauffer remained unconscious for several hours and was badly frozen In the feet and hands from Crom his long exposure A physician arrived and remained with them until late in the evening when they were removed to their home homo In Murray CONDITION SERIOUS Reports from both homes today were to the effect that the victims were badly frozen and not yet et fully recovered from Crom their experience Berger Derger and Stauffer both served In Inthe Inthe inthe the arm army overseas and took part In Inmany Inmany Inmany many of the ma mayor major or campaigns against the Germans They opposed the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my In several Important battles and came home without a scratch The two battle veterans declare that during their whole Will war experience experience ence nee they were never as near death deatha I a u II in the Thanksgiving day storm |