A SLEDGE PARTY DEVOURED BY WOLVES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 47, 15 June 1876, Page 2

A SLEDGE PARTY DEVOURED BY WOLVES.

A frightful attack has been made by wJB upon a large party of travellers near theJß of Moscow. The severe frost and forced those rapacious beasts to leave JH haunts, and to approach the inhabited cegjfiH and their ferocity is such that they dofll limit their depredations to carrying ofißH mestic animals, but attack any living creaJß they happen to encounter. The "JIoJM Gazette," describing one of the latest{9 ploits of these terrible, beasts, says tkal caravan of six sledges, containing tyJßj four travellers, had been attacked wityH few miles of Moscow by a band of vcjH numbering many hundreds. The wliomH the travellers and their horses were torcjH pieces and devoured, only-one succeedimaß making his escape. This was one of theJH ductors of a sledge, who owed his saiSJ to the trim state and quickness of H horse, and to his presence of mind. lB moment of the attack was something terrfH to witness, the wolves forming one black aH compact mass, covering many acres of groaj and surrounding the sledges and their ill-fajH occupants. The travellers had heard |H howls of the ferocious beasts from afar sofl[ time before they made their appearance, iJBJ the fearful yells, sounding so melancholy JB dismal, and some felt inclined to turn i»B| again towards Moscow, but the majoriS rashly decided to proceed upon their jouintS A fatal decision it was—twenty-three hun>» beings thrust into eternity within a fofl minutes after. The whole affair lasted t:|| more than an instant after the beasts sxmM on the spot. A few shots from revolvJ| were heard, but that vjroved of no avail ij the dense mass, and for one wolf UijjJß hundreds instead rushed forward to tS charge. They fell upon the horses fiji tearing and killing them. The conduitls lost no time in unharnessing the one || rode, arid giving him rein, darted off \im the utmost speed towards Moscow. Its large mass of the wolves remained upon tiff field of slaughter, but about a dozen of tliJj detached- themselves from the rest to foM him. The conductor had only two balls leiffl both of which happily took effect, IcuM two of the most forward of'l-.!, lot. Its others stopped in their pursuit in order II devour their dead companions, and the haimi rider was thus enabled to put sufficient spill between him and his pursuers, and so mal§ his escape. The narrator explained flag! for a long distance, when riding away (t| life from the place of attack, he eoil;g hear there the heart-rending cries of Hj& fellow travellers, whioh was followed byil dead silence. Papers and luggage toB wards found on the fatal spot, completing tltl information given by the conductor, and girl iug a complete list of the names of the »| fortunate travellers. They were ; Five Polish* Jews of Lembei'g, two of Cracow, and thmj of Moscow; a locksmith of Leipsic, named] Franz Richter ; a bookbinder of Plafiin, it Bavaria, named Otto Martin; a weaver -ofZittan, named Bernard Schitfgel; five 1W sian servants, and five conductors of the sledges— in all, twenty-three persons. This event has caused the greatest consternation and excitement at Moscow, and a grand general battue is to be organised with a view of, if not exterminating, at least of killing enough of them to frighten away the others.