379.-Wagons and emigrants moving across the country from Sacramento to the gold-bearing streams. became miners. From a sketch by Cooper. On arrival there they method a few of the frozen beasts were fortunately discovered. Other men set about the building of log cabins and the collection of wood for fuel. Storm followed storm; the little cabins were soon hidden from sight; and in a short time the emigrants were living beneath the snow. There was no outward sign of a human habitation in the dreary waste save an occasional hole, and icy steps that led downward. On days when the weather permitted them to do so the men came up from below, chopped down trees, cut them into pieces and dropped them into the cabins for firewood. They could only hew off such parts of the trunks as projected above the snow. When the scene was visited in after days, and measurements taken, it was found that many of the stumps thus left standing were from fifteen to twenty-two feet high. Under a sky-avalanche of that depth the members of the slowly lessening band fought for existence. Sometimes they visited one another. The meat obtained from frozen animals found by probing in the drifts lasted about six weeks. After that the people boiled ox hides into a sort of paste and lived on it. Their drink was melted snow. When the ox hides were gone they boiled the bones. There were many children-some very young-in the party. One of the emigrants kept a record of these and other things, and some of the circumstances he wrote down may be included in this narrative. Others may not be. Here are occasional entries from the diary of Patrick Breen:1 Dec. 17. Pleasant; William Murphy returned from the mountain. party last evening; Baylis Williams died night before last; Milton and Noah started for Donner's eight days ago; not returned yet; think they are lost in the snow. 1 His diary was published in full in the "Nashville Whig" of September 4, 1847. Dec. 20. Clear and pleasant. Mrs. Reed here; no account from Milton yet. Charles Burger started for Donner's; turned back; unable to proceed; tough times, but not discouraged. Our hope is in God. Amen. Dec. 21. Milton got back last night from Donner's camp. Sad news; Jacob Donner, Samuel Shoemaker, Rhinehart, and Smith are dead; the rest of them in a low situation; snowed all night, with a strong southwest wind. Dec. 25. Began to snow yesterday, snowed all night, and snows yet rapidly extremely difficult to find wood; uttered our prayers to God this Christmas morning; the prospect is appalling, but we trust in Him. Jan. 1, 1847. Dug up a hide from under the snow yesterday; have not commenced on it yet. Jan. 15. Clear again to-day. Mrs. Murphy blind, Landrum not. able to get wood; has but one axe between him and Keseberg. It looks like another storm. Jan. 17. Eliza Williams came here this morning; Landrum crazy last night; provisions scarce; hides our main subsistence. Almighty send us help. May the Feb. 8. Fine, clear morning. Spitzer died last night, and we will bury him in the snow; Mrs. Eddy died on the night of the seventh. Feb. 15. Morning cloudy until nine o'clock, then cleared off warm. Mrs. . . refused to give Mrs. . any hides. Put Sutter's pack hides in her shanty, and would not let her have them. Feb. 26. Hungry times in camp; . . . Mrs. Murphy said here yesterday that she thought she would commence on Milton and eat him. I do not think she has done so yet; it is distressing. In the meantime, and on November 12, an unsuccessful effort to get over the mountains for help had been made by a small group of the emigrants. They got back to the camp alive. During the following month it was seen that all must perish if aid did not reach them. Many had already succumbed. So, in the middle of December, another party started out. It was composed of ten men and five women, and its members decided either to carry news of the situation to those who could bring relief, or else die in the endeavor. They knew there was no chance for them if their plan was not successful, and saw they might as well meet the end in one spot as another. Those who set out on December 16th to make their way through the mountains, over snow from ten to fifty feet deep, are known in western history as The Fifteen. Four miles were put behind them on the first day; six on the second; five on the third. The members of the Fifteen did not speak as they went forward. Some were made blind by the glare of the white wilderness, and these were led by the others. Such apology for food as the party had at starting was soon gone. It lasted for three days. At night they lay on the snow. The first to fall out of the group was a man who did not rise to his feet one morning when the others were ready to start. One of the women approached him and asked if he was coming. "Yes," he answered, "I am coming soon." On the fourth day another of the men found in his clothing a fragment of frozen bear meat hidden there by his wife, wrapped in a scrap of paper on which were the words, "Your own dear Eleanor." She and her children at the camp were without food. A storm began, and the little band sat down and waited. Somebody suggested that one of them die for the others, and they agreed. All drew lots-even the women. Patrick Dolan got the fatal slip, but the others could not decide who should kill him, so they rose up and staggered on. The snow turned to sleet. By great exertion they made fire, but it fell in and disappeared, and when they leaned over the hole through which it had fallen they heard, far below, the rush of a torrent. The storm became a tornado. At midnight the first one died -a man. Another, dying, pleaded with his wife, daughters and companions to eat him and thus save their own. lives for the sake of those at the lake. Then he died. All lay down, covered themselves with their blankets, and |