Starving And Dying, They Did The Unthinkable …

[hawgrider]

http://www.offthegridnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/donner-1.jpg


It was October 28, 1846, and the Donner Party was in trouble. Ahead of them towered the rugged Sierra Nevadas. White snow was falling all around, and from what they could see of the mountain pass ahead, much more blocked their path.
Already worn out from a long trail, the migrants decided to retreat. They backed out 12 miles to wait out the early storm at Truckee Lake. With supplies running low, and months on the trail beginning to show its toll, the group sat tight for a break in the storm. Had they known the fate that was to befall them, it’s likely the group would have exited the mountains altogether. As it was, they were running late and the permanent snows were setting in. However, running late was nothing new to the Donner Party.
The “Donner Party” is the name given to one of the most haunting groups of Oregon Trail migrants. This group of pioneers originally came from Springfield, Ill., and were led by Jacob and George Donner, who had set their eyes west on the rich lands of California. In a time before the Gold Rush, these folks were looking for the golden soil California had to offer. In only a few short years, http://www.offthegridnews.com/extreme-survival/starving-and-dying-they-did-the-unthinkable/

[Unclefred]

That always creeped me out when I heard of it as a child. Another one was the story of Richard Parker. His cannibalistic death predicted and even his name decades earlier by Edgar Allen Poe in the story, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.


The captain of the vessel, Tom Dudley, had trouble commissioning a crew for her long voyage, so to avoid delay her owner went on ahead by ocean liner. Later the Mignonette, with Edwin Stephens as mate and Edmund Brooks as hand, left Southampton, their last port-of-call, for the long haul to Australia.

It was Richard Parker’s first voyage on the high seas. Thomas Dudley was a sturdy and resourceful captain, Stephens and Brooks went about their duties efficiently but Richard had problems.

They were 1,600 miles from land when the South Atlantic hurricane broke. The Mignonette was hit by huge waves and sank. In the panic to board the lifeboats the crew were unable to salvage any provisions or water except two small tins of turnips.

The crew had very little to eat or drink for 19 days and became desperate. Richard Parker drunk sea water and became delirious. Captain Dudley considered drawing lots to choose a victim to feed the remaining crew. Brooks was against any killing whatsoever, Stephens was indecisive so the Captain decided to kill the boy as he was near to death and had no dependants.

They said some prayers over Richard’s sleeping body. Dudley shook then him by the shoulder and said “Richard my boy, your time has come”. The three sailors dined and survived on Richard’s carcass for 35 days until rescued by the aptly named vessel S S Montezuma- named after the cannibal king of the Aztecs.

The resulting court case fascinated Victorian society and became the best documented study of cannibalism in this country. Dudley, Stephens and Brooks were each sentenced to six months hard labour and later emigrated.

And it gets more amazing…

But the story has a strange twist in its tail. Half a century before the grisly events, in 1837, Edgar Allan Poe wrote The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. This book tells of four shipwrecked men who, after many days’ privation, drew lots to decide who should be killed and eaten.

The cabin boy drew the short straw. His name was Richard Parker!

http://psychics.co.uk/blog/strange-coincidences/

[shootbrownelk]

Having Uncle Joe and Aunt Edna over for dinner took on an entirely new meaning.....Pass the Edna please.

[Camel923]

Gives new meaning to getting a piece.

Afterwards allowing such a person to preform oral sex on you is the ultimate in trust.

[MI.oldguy]

Seriously this is No BS,I worked in Cali at an auto parts store with a member of the Donner family.he was a machinist there.originally lived in upper Norcal,moved to where there were jobs.
Told many a story that were passed down from family,most were not in any history books.

We used to have coffee in the am.built a few engines with him.I was always hesitant when he would say,why don't you and your girlfriend meat me at our house,we will see what we can grill up.

[Mister Mills]

They were popped up the side of the head, by weather conditions that went incredibly bad. I think that they decided to camp and snow was not even thought about.
There was 10 feet of snow that year, and you know, that is a lot. So, it is understandable that the living ate dead bodies. It makes a really creepy story to tell the kids.