The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-15
A Roaring Blizzard.

A correspondent, travelling through
Dakota and that section, met a resident of
the treeless plains, who told him this bliz
zard experience came out here three
years ago last summer, bought quarter
section, sent to st. Paul for bill Of lum-
Der and worked all summer putting up a
house and barn. In the fall l bought
three horses aud a sulky plow, aud com-
menced turning up the black prairie soil.
Before the ground frozo had about thirty
acres ready to SOW with wheat in the
spring. Then 1 went east to see Mabel
ana after the holidays brought her back
with me. BY the middle Of January we
had got tho furniture put to rights, and
were settled down to enjoy married life.
A few things were wanted for the house,
however, and one bright, sunshiny morn
Ing hltched two Of the horses to bob
sleigh, and Mabel and | drove to tho vii.
lage due no1th from my house six miles,
a pleasanter morning never saw. There
was snow enough to make excellent
sle1ghlng, and the air was warm and bal
my. 1t seemed as if spring was near at
hand, but worse deluson never existed,
| "Ihe village has but one street, being
merely row of twenty or thirty wooden
buildings parallel to and about ten rods
from the railroad track. They are mainly
used for at 'res, and when we drove up
there were three or tour bob sleds or pungs
in front OF each store. Half The farming
community OF the township appeared to be
IN doing some shopping. About one
O'Clock, While we were III a dry goods
store, the merchant, who had stepped out
minute before, said to us: Il don't like
TO drive away my customers, but blizzard
ls coming from the west, and it is coming
fast, SO you have got no time to spare If
you are gong home to day.
"He rolled up our purchases as he spoke
ana appeared to be in hurry to get rid of
us. When we got outside the store the
nrst thing that attracted my attention was
the fact that, of all the teams III the street
when we arrived, not one, excepting mine,
remained. Everybody had scuddcd for
home. Even then did not hurry. The
sun was shining brightly, with not tho
faintest suggestion Of storm apparent
anywhere. Before we had got milo
from the town had forgotten all about
the coming storm, and the horses were
jogging at their will.
| 1--WE were atill two mles from home.
when suddenly the sun was obscured, and
the air grew c,ld and chill in a moment.
A darkness as Of smoke swept over every-
thing. Then remember why we are 60
Ing home, and gave the horses the whip
In earnest. lashlng them into run. AWAY
OIL In the west there appeared to be a
leaden wall sweeping toward US. There
was hum IN the air. A light breeze
sprang up, grew stronger, and in one
minute became a gale. The wall came
down with railroad speed, the roar of .ts
approach every instant growing louder.
From the top Of roll IN the prarie we
could see our house, and IL came pretty
near heiug our last glimpse of it.
"No words will ever convey an intclli-
gent idea Of blizzard; of the frightful
roar with which 1t rolls down upon you
the bowling and hlasing Of the wind. If
you try to speak the wind dashes the svl-
iablcs from your lips 30 quickly that YOU
40 not bear your own words In thirty
seconds from the time the first snow flake
fell could not see my horses. The at
mosphere appeared to be Of snow, and
every fake of it was in a hurry to got
somewhere before the rest should pet
there. use the word flake but that is
wrong. No flakes could be distinguished.
Tho whole atmosphere was one big flake
that hemmcd us IN on all sides, Although
Alabeps head wasn't over foot from mine
COULD not see her features, and could
only dimly see her form. tried to peer
downwards beside the sleigh and see the
track: but ] might as well have tried to
to see the earth beneath q snow bank. |
could feel a motion to the sleigh, 81 that
knew the horses were still moving. Tho
cold was intense. tried to ask nv wife
II she was suffering, but could not hear
my own words.
'During the two ior three minutes that
| lntGrVnnp1 hntWppn 7
form approaching and the moment 1t struck
&c TIC hcrscs had -;la at the TOD of their
speed, 30 we were not much over mile
from home. 1t did not seem possible for
tho horses TO keep tho track. No one
could live an hour in that storm. The
only hope lay IN the horses being abls to
keep to track that was being buried
deeper and deeper every instant. 1t isn't
pleasant to sit still and freeze to death. In
ten minutes l was chilled through, and
felt that was freezing. The horses were
still moving, and, although l could not
see them, lashed them with the whip.
IL seemed hours since the storm shut lib IN,
and / was just becoming convinced that
the horses had got out Of the path and
that we were lost on the prarie, when
there came a sudden lull OF tho fierce wind.
"The air was still full of whlrling snow,
but could see objects about me, and it
didn't take long for me to ascertain that
we were IN the barn and were safe. had
left the barn doors open in the morning,
and tho horses had found their way back;
think by instinct, but my neighbors
think 1t was sheer accident, and declare
that 1t wouldn't happen again In thou.
sand years. Although we had reached the
barn, VIC were not III the house yet. From
tho barn to the house is about twenty
yards, but, as far as seeing wac concerned,
tho house might as well have been in the
moon. The little woman helped me to
unnarness the horses ami put them into
their stalls. Then I told her to remain
where she was, and made break tor the
house. 1t Is difficult for any one to be-.
lieve that In a binding storm he cannot
90 twenty yards IN a line sufficiently
straight to find house, but try it some
time !
''Do you SEQ that pump2 I stumbled
over 1t. 1t is twenty feet to the right of
the path from the barn to the house. Tit
hadn't been for that pump I would
never again have found either house or
barn. knew that tho handle or that
pointed directly toward the house, and
that 1t was not over ten yards away. /