The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-01-21
HORRORS OF THE PLAINS.


dered People Perish Within . Few Feet
of Their Own Doors-Two Women Among
the vIctims-Loss of Cattle.
KANSAS CITY, January 15.-Specials
from Kansas say: The list of casualties
resulting from the late blizzard grows
alarmingly large. Two women in Seward
| County, two brothers In Ford County, two
unknown men in Ellis County and a man
in Lincoln County were reported frozen 10
death up to yesterday. AS returns from
searching parties come in it is found that
the frost king has claimed yet more VIC
| tins.
A mother and two small children were
| frozen to death in their claim shanty, ten
| miles northeast of Garden City. Their
supplies of food and coal were exhausted
and the father had started to Garden City
for both. He is still missing and it is be-
lieved he is frozen, and thus an entire fam
lily is swept away.
A young man named Elmer Smith started
for his claim four miles from Scott Center,
in Scott County, Wednesday evening, and
was lost on the prairie. He has not since
been heard of. 1t is supposed he became
bewildered, and falling down was frozen to
death. At Syracuse. in Hamilton County.
the bodies of NJ. L. Israel and another man.
unknown, were brought in frozen TO DEATH
They had periShed within 100 yards of Is
raers house.
The body of Mr.. Ford was found twenty
miles away from his home in Finney Coun-
ty. He had started home from Lakin with
load of hay and had passed within thirty
yards OF his own house, as the tracks of his
wagon in the icy snow showed and blinded
and bewiidered by the storm, had moved on
until he reached a final resting place,
twenty miles away. His team was
found within three miles of his body.
S. Higgs, who started to return home
from Kendall about an hour before sunset.
was found dead in the snow two miles east
of the town. He had passed within fifty
feet of house where he could have found
shelter. His body was found about 25O
yards from the house. He leaves a wife
and four children.
Two young ladies by the name of Beet
cher were found frozen last Thursday. They
with their mother, aged sixty years, started
to a house less than mile away and sue
ceeded in getting within few yards of the
house where they were all found Friday
morning. The old lady was alive and will
recover from her injuries.
ii. D. Ward and George Chapman, OF
Syracuse, and Isaac Staflie, of Window,
Kan, started last Wednesday for Greeley
County. They were caught in the storm
twenty miles out and after turning their
teams loose they started to walk back.
Chapman perished with cold shortly after
starting, and Staflie got within five miles OF
town and died. Ward got in at four o'clock
Thursday morning with both feet frozen
and will lose them. Staffle's body was
found yesterday. Chapman's body and the
teams are still out.
Two men named Meller and Powelson
had terrible experience in journey from
Wakeeney to Scott City. They travelled
together until one o'clock Thursday MORN
ing, when Meller gave up and sank to the
ground. POwelSon tried to urte him 10
another trial, but his entreatieS were of no
avail, so he started on alone. Meiler re-
manned where he was until one o'clock in
the afternoon, when he summoned I'D
strength to rise to his feet. He walked q
short distance when he stopped and cut his
boots off his feet, and found that one OF
them was frozen stiff. He hung his boots
around his neck and started on. His
gloves were so frozen that he could not get
them on, so was compelled to go bare
handed. He kept on his journey until
the banks of the Smoky Hill River were
reached, when he struck the camp of
number of Scott City gentlemen who were
prospecting for coal. They took him into
the camp and pOulticed his feet, hands and
face, which weIo BADLY frozen When hG
related his story, Isaac RuddOck, one OF
the prOSpeetOrs, started for Scott City i'm
quest OF aid for the frozen man and for men
to search for POwelsoH. When Mr.. Rud-
dock reached Scott City and related the
state Of affairs to the citizens, large num-
Der started in search of the missing man.
The horses are also missing. and it is be-
lieved that both man and horses are dead
1t is said that Mr. POwelsOn had several
hundred dollars on his person. The relief
party brought Meller in from the camp, and
it is thought his life will be saved.
1t is believed that the terrible report is
but begun. The above are principally from
the Southwestern part of the State. From
the Central, the Western and the North
western part of the State no reports have
been made. The whole western portion Of
Kansas is dotted with claim shantios that
are mere temporary structures of rough
boards, and which would not afford protec-
ton.
If the loss of cattle can be spoken of in
this connection that loss will be most Sc
we're. In some instances entire herds have
been frozen, and in other herds the losses
will run from twenty to ninety per cent.
The great irrigation bitches and the rail-
road cuts were filed With dead cattle. The
greatest sufferers in cattle were the bIoodedt
and graded stock, the natives standing the
blizzard much better.