Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-01-10
A Dakota Hail-Storm.
Experience of an Eastern Engineer
in the Bracing Air of the North
JTyact

| in the BracinG Air of the North
| west.
JAMESTOWN, DAKOTA, December 13.
About the most striking thing 1t has
been the lot Of the writer 10 witness in
this land Of the Dak0tas was Il hail
storm. Cyclones we rarely have East
ern papers to the conrary notwithstand-
ing-but genuine Dakota hail-storm is
something to talk about. List summer
some Jamestown capitalists concluded
TO run railroad from that city south
ward in search of new town sites to
boom. This search for pastures new
usually is the moving impetus to the
construction of branch roads here is
the Northwest. To survey this road u
bran new corps of engineers was
brought out from the East and set to
work. We had battled successfully
with the mosquitoes and the other con-
comitant pleasures Of plain life for a
week or more and were beginning to
congratulate ourselves upon the stoicism
with which we roughed it when this
particular hail storm, talking us-as
the thunder took the toad-Off guard,
knocked all the conceit out of us.
We were just finishing supper one
evening, when, to some ones observa-
ton that il Was getting dark mighty
fast, our chief looking up, dropping
knife and fork and yelled: Thunder!
boys, it's going to rain. Hurry upl get
the things inside the tent Get the
mischief! for pitter patter-whiz- bang!
and one Of the worst hail storms that
ever swept the plains was upon us,driv-
ing us ala round dozen in number
into little eight by ten tent. Three
minutes after the first drop fell it
would have cost a man his life to have
gone any distance from shelter, for the
ice was coming down in blocks of six
inches in circumference and in perfect
sheets. Our covered wagon started off
on trip across the country proving
itself literally a prairie schooner-and
brought up in the river beyond, and, de-
spit the efforts of dozen stalwart men,
our tent came nearly following after.
All around inside the men were either
on their knees holding down the canvas
or hanging on to the ridge-pole with
might and main, while the hail pelted
the Ioof, sides and ends of our tent
with such force that no one could stand
against the canvass, and through the
hollows which the stones knocked in
our supposed tightly stretched tent the
water poured in volumes. The mules
Of our outfit tore loose from their pick
els and rushing wildly about sought
shelter along the high banks of the riv-
er. One wise old ass called Balaam
backed up against the lee side of our
teut and assisted not little in keeping
it from blowing over. One particular
mule the meanest brute that ever wore
long ears too stubborn to run, stood
kicking throughout the storm, which
lasted about twenty minutes. We were
about a mile away from the nearest
point of shelter-a village ofrOugh clap
board houses, which had been run up
in a day or so with the first talk of
building a road. So, after the storm,
for this village we started. Wet to the
skin we waded across the intervening
plain, many places over shoes in ice and
water, and to add to our misery it kept
getting colder and colder as we splash
ed through the water and ice. Arriy-
ing at the only hotel in the town we
found the usual Western hospitality.
To our demand for a fire by which to
dry our clothing the landlord replied
that we should have one just as soon
as he could hunt up the necessary
fuel. In the course of an hour the fire
was started anb around it we clustered,
turninga dozen pairs of shoelesS feet up
to thewarmth, and by alternating "fore
and aft" drying the outside and wet.
ting inside, we finally succeeded in res
toring circulation.
A heavy lain now set in, and how it
can rain out here on the prairies! Our
landlord and his son stood in the hall
sweeping back the water as it flooded in
under the door-a practical illustration
of King Canute and the flood and a.
bout as successful. Bed time arrived
and dozen stiff boys, shoeless, coatless
as we'll as less several other articles of
attire which need not be mentioned,
all Of which were left behind to dry by
the only fire the hotel offered, marched
ont through the wet hall climbed lad
der to the loft. Here we wrestled man
fully with the bugs till near morning,
when it began blowing such a terrifi C
gale that dozen fellows came to sit
ting posture to debate the question of
hunting the cellar. One of the regular
| boarders awakened ty the din settled
this question by calling out :'' You
| Internal fools; there's not cellar in