The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-05-01
The Recent Great Storm in the West.

rIOM 1uOHldS heyS, Esq, anu MI. JOln
Evans, of the firm Of Evans & Durnall, we
gather the following particulars of the
damage done on the line of the Union Pa.
cific by the late storm. In company with
G. D. Clark, purchasing agent of the
Union Pacific, and I. J. Staley, they left
here last Sunday for Gibbon to organize an
Odd Fellows lodge.
Mr.. Evans represented the severity of
the storm as being almost equal to that ex-
perienccd here in 1856. AtGibbon, where
they remained until the blockade was
open, it ragged with almost indescribable
fury-the drifting snow in places heaping
up to the proportion of mountains, while
the wind swept over the plains at veloci.
ty of about seventy miles an hour, carry.
ing with it everything of a movable ma.
ture. Realizing the danger they would
incur by wandering ten steps from the
house where they were stopping, they con-
cluded to secure the doors, stop up the
cracks, and have good time in general
until such times as they could safely re.
turn to Omaha. Enclosed by four dingy
walls, in room seven by nine feet, TWEEN
ty-five men remained from Sunday night
till Wednesday noon, not daring to open
the door. But while they felt themselves
secure from the violent storm raging with
out, there were other persons in the vicin-
ity of Gibbon suffering the agonizing tor
lures of death by the slow process of
freezing and suffocation.
A man and his wife, living few miles
from Gibbon, could not he found after the
storm abated, and it was believed, at the
time our informants left, that they remain
ed buried beneath the ruins of the house,
which had blown down during the storm,
and on which was heaped an immense
snow.drift. Every effort was being made
to recover the bodies.
Three horses, owned by a resident of
Gibbon, persisted. from sufocation.
Another man had fifteen head of fat cattle
in a corral, out of which they succeeded in
making their way, wandered off to the
river and were all drowned. Five more
in another corral met the same fate. A
herd of cattle, valued at $4,000, stamped
ed, and it is supposed all persisted, as none
of them had been found alive up to We'd
nesday evening.
At Wood River no lives are known to
be lost, but the loss in stock is very great.
The farmers were organizing themselves
into companies for the purpose of scout.
ing the country to ascertain the extent of
damage done, and to render such assist
ance as may be necessary to those who
survive and may require it. The river was
completely bridged with snow, ranging in
depth from fifteen to eighteen feet, and
was packed in between the banks so hard
that loaded wagon could pass over it
with perfect safety. ,1--4. III )
One man picked. up several prairie
chickens that were alive, but so benumbed
they could not fly. w.-@% Das e@.
At Lone Tree, a boy who stepped outside
the hotel to get some fuel was unable to
retrace his steps, wandered a short dis
lance from the house, and persisted. While
search was being made for him, the body
of q trapper was found. It is thought
more lives were lost than those already re-
ported, as nothing Can be heard of the
immigrants that were camped along the
line Of. the road before the storm CON-
menced. ...f. a-a IS
= Two men are known to have persisted
near Grand Island, and great deal of
stock is also reported lost. 7.s. zs.s....
Some of the hogs taken out of the freight
train at Lone Tree, which was unable to
side-track, were found to be entirely desti-
tute' of hair, and had the appearance of
having just been dragged from vat Of
scalding water. This was caused proba-
bly, by the heat becoming, SO intense in
their endeavor to keep on top the snow.
But very little stock was removed from
this train alive. Esss -
twill be some days yet before the full
extent of the damage done is Known
Omaha Herald, Apra 10. :,
& = E5ss ss-s*t - 49, @ssS 'ifzl"''"s %