The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-02-22
The Blizzard.

came out to Minnesota three years
AGO last summer, bought quarter sec.
ton. sent to st. Paul for lumber and
worked all summer putting up house
and barn. In the fall I bought three
horses and sulky plough and began
turning mp the black prairie soil. Be
fore the ground froze l had about thirty
acres ready tc SOW with wheat in the
spripg. Then l went East to see Mabel,
and, after the holidays, brought her back
with me. By the middle of January we
had got the furniture put to rights ana
we're settled down to enjoy married life
A few things were wanted for the house,
however. and one bright, surshiny morn
ing hitched two of the horses to a bob |
sleigh, and Mabel and drove to the vii
lage. due north from my house SIX
miles. A pleassnter morning l never
saw. There was snow enough to make
excellent sleighing, and the ar was
warm and balmy. 1t seemed as if spring
was near at hand, but worse delusion
never existed.
The village has but one street, being
merely a row of twenty or thirty wooden
buildings parallel to and about ten rods
from the railroad track. They are
mainly used for stores, and when we
drove up there were three or four bob
sleds or pungs in front of each store.
Half the farming community OF the town
ship appeared to be shopping. About
one o'clock, while we were In dry
the west, and it is coming fast The
telegraph announces that it has reached
Morris. That is forty miles from here.
but 1t is coming at the rate of forty miles
per hour, so you have got no time to
spare If you are going home to day."
de rolled up our purchases as he
spoke, and appeared in hurry to get
rid OF US. When We got outside the
store the first thing that attracted nv
attention was the fact that of all the
teams IN the street when we arrived. not
one excepting mine remained. Every
body had scudded for home. Even then
| did not hurry. The sun was still shin
ing brightly, with not the faintest sug-
gestion OF storm apparent anywhere. |
Before we had got mile from town 1 |
had forgotten all about the coming storm. |
and the horses were jogging at their
will.
We were still two miles from home
when suddenly the sun was obscured.
and the air grew cold and chill in mo.
ment. A darkness as of smoke svept
over everything. Then l remembered
Why we were going home and l gave
the horses the whip in earnest, lashing
them into run. Away off to the west
there appeared to be leaden wall com
ing toward us. There was hum in the
air. A light breeze sprang up, grew
stronger, and in one minute became
gale. The wall came down with railroad
speed, the roar Of its approach every in
slant growing louder. From the top of
3 roll IN the prairie we could see our
house, and II came pretty near being our !
last glimpse of it. No words will ever !
convey an intelligent idea of a blizzard
- of the frightful roar with which it q
rolls down upon you, the bowling and :
Missing of the wind. If you try to speak
he wind dashes the syllables from your !
Fps so quickly that you do not hear J
FOUR own words. In thirty seconds c
rom the time the first snowflake fell 7 :
ould not see my horses. The atmos.
mere appeared to be all snow. AMI "
very flake of il was in hurry 10 get u
omewhere before the rest conld 90,
mere. ! use the word fake, but ths. l. "
Vrong. No flake could be distinguished II
ne whole atmosphere WAS filed with ',
ne big flake that hemmed us in on nil II
eds. Although Msbel's head wasn't y
yer foot from mine, could see her -
eatures, and not could only dimly see her u
'rm; tried to peer downward beside IA
he sleigh and see the track, but NIGH, u
wei have tried to see the earth bet
cath snowbaBk. / could fee, mn d'
on 10 the sleigh, so / knew the siels,h ~
as moving. The cold was intense OF
ned 10 ask ny wife if she was suffering az
ut could not hear my own words
'urIng the two or three minutes tina, ~
lteivened between the time that NJ
wv The storm approaching AZ,
10 the moment il struck ms w.
'e horses had run at the top of their q,
'eeo SO we were not much over a mile On
ON nome. 1t did not seem possible Or
. .ne horses to keep the track. No ba
De could live an hour in that storr, -,
be only hope lay in the horses being