 |
Photo Credit: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWdonnerP.htm
|
In June of 1846, the infamous Donner Party left the safety
of the eastern towns and struck out onto the Oregon Trail to head west. George
Donner was the trail leader as he traveled with his wife, Tamsen Donner and
their train. They traveled well with an easy way across the prairie and into
the mountains. Stories and pamphlets flew across the lands telling of
shortcuts, better trails, and oasis destinations. George had a trail guide
telling of the Hasting’s Cutoff; a trail that was supposed to be well traveled,
flat, with plenty of water and cut off over one hundred miles of dangerous
Sierra-Nevada terrain. Taking a small
group from the main one, George took off up this new trail.
The trail was not
what it was advertised to be. Rocky, steep terrain met the splintered party. Only
thirty miles from the California plains the group was low on supplies, they had
no choice but to push onward. An axel on one of the wagons broke enticing the
group to break for the night. As they slept, over five feet of snow fell around
them, drifting into mountains of snow sixty feet deep. The group was stranded.
During the first three
weeks the travelers ate all of their stores and then went without food. In desperation,
they butchered the pack animals that had not gotten lost in the storm. The snow
continued to fall, adding to the snow pack and walling them in even deeper.
When the animals were gone, bones, dirt, leaves and twigs became food. After
those resources were reduced to nothing, whispers of cannibalism circled on the
wind. In December the first human was consumed. Steps were taken to prevent
survivors from eating their kin; meat and other products were labeled well.
 |
Photo Credit: http://www.atsolutions.info/oregon.asp
|
Survivors were
stranded for five months alone in the wilderness with very few supplies and
even less food. The party was rescued in two tiers; the weather was so bad that
it was impossible to bring everyone out at once. Unfortunately
by the time second rescue party was able to find the last of the survivors
there was only one man left, surrounded by entrails and a pot of blood on the
fire.
John Sinclair, host to the rescue party stated “Yes, stern
necessity, and that love of life which even sufferings the most intense cannot
vanquish, compelled them to devour their dead.”
George Donner was
found dead but his wife was never located. What happened to the Donner party
was an unfortunate effect of the impossible need to move west. The need for
shortcuts and the desire for better trails led many off to their deaths and the
Donner party was no exception. It is easy to look back from our comfortable,
warm, fully stocked houses and damn the survivors. To rage that the price for
life was too high, to demand that there be retribution for breaking one of
humankind’s most controversial taboos. Wait before making such sweeping
accusations. Imagine sixty feet of snow. Imagine your child looking to you for
something to eat, knowing that she will die if she doesn’t get something,
anything, soon. In that position it is not such an easy answer.
No comments:
Post a Comment