Connecticut western news., 1885-02-18
A DAKOTA BLIZZARD.
AN INCIDENT TOLD OF COUNTRY WHERE THEY KNOW WHAT COLD WEATHER IN.

WHERE THEY KNOW WHAT COLD
 WEATHER IN.
 Only Three Hundred Feet from Homo md
 Could not Find It-PerIshInE from Inc
 Cold.
 A newspaper correspondent tells this story of a blizzard in Dakota. He says he visited Young's farm, and adds 'Young's plsce was laid out as most Da. kota farms are. His house was a com. fortable frame building, without any more rooms than were absolutely neces- sary. Lumber costs money 300 miles away from the nearest sawmiIl. His woodhouse wns joined to his kitchen, and bis barn, which was by all odds the best building on the place, stood at the other end of the yard about 300 feet away. While we were eating dinner VIC heard a roar like the tramp of an army in tho distance, and the house trembled as if it was afraid. Nearer came the roar and nearer, until it sounded as if a battle were being fought in the yard. The house shook until the dishes rattled on the table, and then it rocked on its foundation like cradle. We looked oui of the window, and it seemed as fl sheets had been spread across the frames. You could no more see out than if they had been closed in with sheet iron. All this time the sun was shining, and we could see it through the snow rather dim but still at work.
 Blizzard, by thunderr remarked Young, laconically, when we had recov. cred from the shock. Well, I hope il won't last long, that's all. I'm getting tired of 'em. This makes the fourth we have had this month, and the frost lasted nearly a week. We like to've starved to death.'
 'All that day and night the storm continued without seconds cessation. And all the next day and the next, until we had been in the house for four days and four nights. In the meantime the horses and COWS were nearly famished, and none of us dared to venture out in the bowling storm to feed them. Finally, at the beginning of the fifth day Young concluded that he would try trip to the barn and give them some food. The weather was bitter cold. don't think I ever knew before what cold weather meant. Young bundled up until he looked like an Esquimaux mummy. He was wrapped in furs from his head to his feet, and round his waist was tied Q piece of clothesline. This was intended to insure his return. If he stopped too long by the way or fell or became be- numbed we could use the rope to pull him in with, otherwise he might freeze to death in 8 very few minutes before he could reach either the house or the barn, for he couldn't see a foot before his face. After he left we waited with considerable anxiety for him to give three quick jerks to let us know that he had reached the barn. In about fifteen minutes we felt the rope twitch three times, and we knew he had gotten there all right. Then we waited again for him to pull the rope and let us know that he was ready to start back. This trip would be comparatively easy, for all he had to do would be to follow the rope, which we would pull in.
 "In the course of an hour VIC began to be uneasy. The rope hadn't moved. Finally I offered to go to the barn and see what had become of him. I bundled up and started out. I followed his rope and reached the barn in a very few minutes. The horses were all feeding; the COWS were up to their horns in fod- der, but Young was nowhere to be found. Not trace of him was left. The barn door was tightly closed, which showed that he had not stepped outside intend ing to return in & moment. I shouted until was hoarse, and finally returned to the house and made my report. Then the hired man and I went back with two lanterns, for it was growing dark. We searched the barn as thor ouehly as possible, but he was not there. Then we stumbled around the barnyard, keeping hold of one end of the rope, but all to no avail We were obliged to go back without our host. His wife was inconsolable. She insisted that he must be in the barn, and to please her we made third trip, but with the same re- suit as before. Two days afterward the storm lifted and we started out to search for Young. We found him about twenty feet from the barn door. frozen stiff. He had rope around his waist. He had evidently made mistake in fastening on the rope in his hurry to return and tied on the wrong rope. The one he used was not attached to the house at all, but was lying in the barn beside the one he had just taken of. He had probably tramped around in the snow for an hour, trying to reach the barn or the house, but was unable to do either, and finally fell within a few feet of his starting point