The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-04-03

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min
Here were facts, for the old man was
earnest, and my friend said.to me he was not
given to exaggcration, aud that he had no
doubt but what the storm was even worse
than he had made it out.
was to learn even more than the old
mau's story told me, for that very after.
noon We had a blizzard.
The wind shook the house to its touu-
datious, the fine snow came through every |
creyice, filling bed, cupboard and closets,
was bound to go out aud when my friend .
found there was no holding me, he tied
clothes line around my boty, with thcknot /.
behind. aud slipped through the door.
Il did not take me long to feel the ter
ror of the storm. 1t was impossible To see,
the fine ncedlc-iko snow filling the eyes
the moment you opened them; aud even II
you could have kept them open the snow
was so thick you could not distinguish
house rod away. had pulled fur cap
down far over my head. ls was suddenly
twichcd of as though dOue by an unseen
hand The wind came irom all directions,
aud my cap was afterwards loBud driven
up under the caves Of the barn, which vas
west of the house, aud the storm came out
Of that quarter. l was soon glad to get
back, aud found that the snow had pierced
through to tho skin, aud that an entire
change of underclothing was necessary.
Although this storm only lasted about
twcuty-four hours, the roads were impas-
sable Tor a light sleigh for a week.
1t was in this storm that Mr.. Stordock,
an old aud well known settler of North
western Minnesota, was caught
lie attempted to 90 to neighbors
house, but half a mile distant, but was
caught, got lost aRd wandered out on the
prairie. After the storm ceased travel
ing man came across him, just as he had
found the road his head and shoulders
were covered with ice, his nose frozen and
broken, both his hands solid, and his legs
frozen to hi. knees. lie pressed Stordock
to 90 in with him; but he said he would
die at once if he stopped moving. He
started for a house in sight and fell before
reaching it. Fortunately he was seen and
brought in. lie is still alive, but both
legs have been amputated, aud h0 will
probably lose both hands,
\ responsible gentleman told me that
he was 10 lawyers office 10 quite prom
ineut town in the State, and at MONDAY
he started with the lawyer to so to lis
house TO dinner.
1t was SO warm they left their oyercoats
10 the Office. While at dinner a stor m
began--high wind accompanied by slect.
They lit their cigars aud concluded to wait
Till 1t was over, IL was three days aud
three nights before they they loft the house
the great blizzard of '73 had broken
over the country.
In few hours the thermometer was
way below zero. The house was brick
with double windows, built expressly Il
resist the inclemency Of the weather, yel
the air in the rooms was filed with fine
snow aud no one could tell where 1t came
iu From the upper rooms the snow had
to be carried down in baskets, No one
left the house unless they had ropC
around them.
The principal physician was called OF
by man who lived seven miles in th'
country, soon alter the storm began. Hi
wife was about to be confined and he in
sisted on the doctor going out with him
The doctor, an old settler, refused anc
tried to keep the man, but he left with
curse. As soon as the storm was over h
took two men aud they broke their way Il
the house. Within one hundred yards o
the door they found the man and hors
partly buried in the snow and frozen solid
in the house they found wife and mothc
with new born babe elapsed to her breast
She, too, had seen bright fields and sun
shine, for n smile was on her rigid face
and the ice king had dressed her and he
babe in a shroud more beautiful than eve
worn by prince or princess; for they wer
both covered with crystalline ice whicI
sparkled aud scintillated in the morninI
sun that shown through the uncurtaine
window.
In the same town a butcher shop, bull
Of brick, had its door forced open a fe'
inches; the snow filled it to the very roc
aud il took two weeks to remove il with
pick. One town 10 hollow was complete
, y covered.
Three miles from another, on the mai
road, five teams and eight men were frozeI
The front team was standing in the hal
ness us if alive and the driver still sat o,
the scat with the reins in his hand and
pipe in his mouth.
could carry this on for pages aud te
of many wonderful escapes and Of frigh
ful suffering; but it is not necessary.
have merely written this to tell my easter
+. friends what blizzard is like.
will mention one more Instance; it WI
Q told me by gentleman who saw all II
/ parties, 1t happened in the one which
) was in aud in which Mr.. Stordock wi
A frozen.
4 1t was ease Of true love, that, like q
!. such cases, did not run smooth. The ster
. parent, after the manner Of the stel
parents Of the far West, told the youn
s man that if he saw him about his house
saw him near his daughter he would sho
4 him like dog, But IL parents 10 Il
' West are dangerous, the young men a
; game; at least this one was, for he ran avs
n with the girl, They made for a your
il and thriving town by circuitous route
.e mislcad the shooting father. He howey
4 was smart as well as stern, for he took
" short cut for the same place, aud the 7
,e suit might have been bloody but for Il
u unexpected blizzard.
d This time the i'll wind blew well for Il
loyers--it overlook both stern parent al
| pair The former got through TO the TOW
y with nose aud cans frozen; the latter we
'e caught on the prairie aud as Il was impc
e sible to proceed, found a hollow, cut loo
y; the horses, turned over the sleigh, got u
y der il and, wrapped in the buffalo rob'
lg suffered the snow to drift over them. He