Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1888 — BLIZZARD EXPERIENCES. [ARTICLE]

BLIZZARD EXPERIENCES.

Peculiarity of the Dreadful Snow-Storm that Recently Swept the West Some Remarkable Incidents and Escapes—An Old Soldier’s Descrip- * tion of the Blast. [Sioux Falls (Dakota) letter.] The great blizzard of Thursday, Jan. 12, will long be remembered. In fact, the day will go down into history as the date of a most extraordinary event. That fifty or one hundred persons more or less should have been frozen to death is truly a terrible calamity. And yet Dakota ought not to be condemned and shunned by home-seekers because of this heartrending occurrence. The truth is, the blizzard of Ihursday was absolutely the worst ever known in central and southern Dakota. It was a peculiar blizzard. Generally the Dakota storms, whether in winter or summer, last for at least a part of three days. But this baneful blizzard seemed to cut itself in two. It began on Wednesday and proved to be a very severe storm, with fresh snow, which the wind took up with great force and whirled with bewildering effect. By Thursday morning the snow ceased falling, the wind died down, and people began congratulating themselves on a comparatively easy escape from what seemed at the beginning to be a severe three days’ blizzard. bo far so good; but that lull ip the storm is what did the murderous mischief. That bright sunshine which came out so enticingly for an hour or two on Thursday morning was like the voice of the siren, wooing hapless victims to a terrible death. Men, women, and children were deceived. Children went to school and men went about their work as usual, when they should not have ventured from their homes. Between 9 and 10 o’clock the storm again broke forth with terrific fury. An old veteran, who engaged in the battle of Gettysburg, said the lull in the storm of Thursday was just like the lull in the battle just before the charge of Pickett’s cavalry. A tremendous cannonading had been going on between the artillery force on each side. General Meade, suspecting that the heavy firing of the rebels was done to cover up an attack, ordered the artillery to cease firing, to let their guns cool, and to get ready for an aggressive movement on the part of the enemy. On the other hand the rebels thought they had silenced the Federal batteries, and Pickett was ordered to make that famous and fatal charge. Never before—except perhaps when into the jaws of death rode the six hundred—was a charge made with such disastrous effect. From all along the Federal lines fwere poured out the bullets from the musketry, and grape and canister from the artillery. The earth fairly rocked with the terrific thunder. So deathly was the conflict that in a short time Pickett’s command of 17,000 men, the flower of the rebel army, was reduced to less than 1,800. As it was the lull that deceived Pickett at Gettysburg, so was it the lull that deceived the people of South Dakota. When they thought the fury of the storm had been spent, it really had not begun. It started again with fury and it gathered to itself increasing fierceness as it went along. The air was full of snow, which was literally as fine as flour. It was driven by a north wind which blew witn tremendous velocity. So thick was the air one could not see over two or three rods, and sometimes not one. The wind howled with a dismal sound which foreboded nothing good, and all the time it seemed to rise to a higher pitch and become more mournful and defiant. The luckless wayfarer who attempted to beat his way against the terrible storm in a few minutes found his eyes all but completely blinded and his cheeks coated with snow and ice. The foice of the wind fairly took his breath away and he was compelled to turn around to breathe.

The storm lasted all Thursday and through most of the following night. It is not strange that persons who were out became bewildered and ultimately lost their lives; but it is strange that any should have ventured out during the storm. But this storm cannot be charged up to Dakota alone. It extended throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and most of lowa. Fatalities occurred in all these sections, but Dakota suffered the most because of the deceptiveness of the storm. Amid the many pathetic and distressing stories of intense suffering and loss of life, it is gratifying to hear of a number of escapes which were planned by the cool and thoughtful heads. Some persons, when they realized they were lost, quietly buried themselves in the snow, covering themselves as best they could. In this way not only were their lives saved, but some survived without being even slightly frostbitten. Blizzard Experiences. [Jamestown (Dak.) letter.l Among the»late blizzard news come a number of reports of the pluck and endurance of the parties caught out in the storm. Probably the most interesting of these hazardous experiences was that to which P. Gaffeny, a milkman of the county, was subjected. He started out Thursday morning with his team and milk-cans, as usual, am. the storm broke on him when he was only thirty rods from the house. Mr. Gaffeny is an old-timer, and, appreciating the situation, turned his horses and attempted to drive them homeward in the face of the wind. The horse, as usual, refused to face the wind, and he was soon lost. All that day he searched in the blinding, pelting gusts for his home without avail. He knew he could not be far off, and, when night came, unhitched his horses and prepared to camp out on the prairie for the night. All night and until 11 o’clock next day, when the tempest lightened, he battled with the storm. When be got his bearings he found himself in an open field about one mile from home. Mr. Gaffeny’s experience is one seldom equaled, and one such as only a tough and wiry constitution such as he possesses, could live through. Another case in this county is that of Nels Morgan, a young farmer living south of town. He started from the city with a load of coal, but when a short distance out his mules refused to go against the wind. Young Morgan exercised his presence of mind, turned the coal out of the wagon-box, crowded under that narrow shelter, and remained there until the storm had spent itself —two nights and one day. In Barnes County, R. N. Pray and J. R.

Reynolds, who were caught on their way home from Valley City, owe their lives to a similar exhibition of presence of mind. The team got off the road, and, the men finding that they were lost, unhitched, turned the sleigh upside down, and remained there until morning. Frozen to Death and Devoured by Hoj», [St. Paul telegram.] A story of horrible inhumanity or worse comes from Belgrade, Montana, where it is said a German laborer in the employ of a farmer was allowed to freeze to death. The laborer was ill, and was placed by the farmer in a room without fire, and willfully neglected. After an unusually cold night, the man was found frozen to death. His body was then removed to the woodshed, where it was partially devoured by hogs.