The Worthington advance., 1880-10-21
OCTOBER BLIZZARD.

Wind Rain and Sno,c-Disaster on the
Lakes-Home Losses-AH Lovely A.
gain.
One of the severest storms Of wind,
rain and snow ever known in the month
OF october, set in on Friday last, the
18th, and ragged throughout Friday
night and Saturday. No mails reached
US until Tuesday night and they bring
news of the extent of the storm, which
prevailed throughout the whole North
west, extending south to the Union Pa
cific and beyond and east over nearly
the whole of'the great lakes. The dam.
age to shipping on lakes Michigan and
Superior was great. Several vessels
were lost on Lake Michigan. and the
loss of life so far reported is from so to
100 persons and scarcely a vessel on the
lake escaped injury. Telegraph wires
in all directions were Frustrated even
AS far east as Detroit. St. Paul was en-
tirely cut off for time.
South of rs the storm was chiefly of
wind and rain and considerable destruc-
tion of property was the result at Des-
moines and other points.
Over Dakota and Minnesota part Of
Nebraska and all Northern Iowa there
was AL immense fall of snow, and all
the railroads were blockaded. On the
St. Paul u Sioux City, the night train
from st. Paul Friday night got as far
rs the vicinity Of Sheldon and the trai,
from Sioux City reached that vicinity,
where it was stuck in a snowbank for
thirty-six hours. The passengers final
ly got into Sheldon and got warm
meal. The train came on as far as the
Summit, four miles west of Worthing-
ton, by Tuesday morning, where it got
off the track. Sleighs were sent out
Tuesday morning and tile mails and
passengers were brought to town. A
b'ut six o'clock Tuesday evening the
train got into Worthington. And then
the glad news was received that the
road was open to st. Paul and that the
night passenger train would get in on
time. 1t came according to promise,
bringing bushels of mail. and now the
road is open again and trains running.
On the branch road no train arrived
from the west until yesterday morning.
The storm caught everybody unpre-
pared. Stock was unhoused on the
prairie, and few had a supply of fuel on
hand. Even the dealers in Worthing-
ton were out of wood, and many got
through by mixing soft and hard coal
and using it in cook and heating stoves.
On Tuesday, Mr.. Forbes got car load
Of wood which was parcelled out il,
quarter cord and smaller lots..
The loss in stock IS considerable and
will no doubt amount to several thou
sand dollars in this county. Up to 60
ing to press, but few reports are in, but
we gather the following:
LOSSES by THE STORM.
A horse belonging to E. e. Ward, of
Elk, got down i'll snow bank and had
to be shot Ito save his life.''
j. e. Ogle's stable, in Elk, blew down
and killed Il spring colt. His stock
were scattered over the prairie.
John Alley lost about So sheep which
were drifted under. Mr.. Eldredge lost
about so also. J. B. Green lost about
Is head.
Peter Thompfon lost about IS head.
r. L. Erskine, of Indian Lake, lost 5
or 6 head of young cattle.
Fred Oberle, of Hersey, we hear lost
10 to:12 head of young cattle.
P. G. Swanson, of Bigelow, lost 80 to
40 head of sheep.
Mr.. Ware, Of Lost Timber, we hear,
lost several head of young cattle.
The snow has been melting off since
Tuesday and will soon be gone. The
''squaW winter' has been brief but un-
usually severe. We learn from old set
tiers i'll the State, that once or twice
before severe storms have occurred in
October, and that afterwards farmers
plowed through nearly the whole of
November.
We expect i month Of good weather
yet and hope we shall not lie disappoint-
ed, as the farmers are behind with their
thresling and blowing.