Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-02-02
BLIZZARD EXPERIENCES.
Popularity Of the Dreadful snOw-Storm
that Recently Swept the
West.
Some Remarkable Incidents and Es.
capes-An Old Soldiers Descrip.
tiOn or the Blast.
Isioux Falls lpakotal Ietter.l ]

Iuo Rreht DllLZhru OI luuiruhJ, 0ous -,
will long be remembered. In fact, the day
will 60 down into history as the date of
most extraordinary event.
That fifty or one hundred persons moro
or less should have been frozen to death is
truly terrible calamity. And yet Dakota
ought not TO be condemned and stunned
by home seekers because Of this heartrend-
ing occurrence. The truth Is, the blizzard
of Thursday was absolutely the worst ever
known in central and southern Dakota.
IL was q peculiar blizzard. Generally
the Dakota storms, whether in winter or
summer, last for at least part of three
days. But this baneful blizzard seemed TO
cut itself in two. 1t began on Wednesday
and proved 10 be very severe storm, with
fresh snow, which the wind took up with
great force and whirled with bewildering
effect. By Thursday morning the snow
ceased falling, the wind died down, and
people began congratulating themselves on
comparatively easy escape from what
seemed at the beginning to be severe
three days blizzard.
So far so good; but that lull In the storm
is what did the murderous mischief. That
bright sunshine which came out 80 enticing-
ly for an hour or two on Thursday morning
Wdb llkO tuo NOlCo VI luO bnCh, MOOAhB
hapless victims to a terrible death. Men,
women, and children were deceived. Chill
dren went 70 school and men went about
their work as usual, when they should not
have ventured from their homes.
Between 8 and 10 o'clock the storm again
broke forth with terrific fury. An old vet
eran. who engaged in the battle of Gettys-
burg, said the lull in the storm OF Thurs :
day was Just like the luff I'm tho battle just
before the charge of Picketts cavalry. A
tremendous cannonading had been going
on between the artillery force on each side.
General Meade, suspecting that the heavy
firing of the rebels was done TO cover up an
attack, ordered the artillery to cease firing,
to let their guns cool, and TO get ready for
an aggressive movement on the part of the
enemy. On the other hand the rebels
thought they had silenced the Federal bat
teries, and Pickett was ordered TO make
that famous and fatal charge. Never be-
fore-except perhaps when into the jaws
of death rode the six hundred-was O
charge made with such disastrous effect.
From all along the Federal lines Iwere
poured out the bullets from the musketry,
and grape and canister from the artillery.
The earth fairly rocked with the terrific
thunder. So deathly was the conflict that
in short time Pickett's command of H.
UUU men, tQ6 uOW6T VI Tue IoDol army Wun
reduced to less than / 800.
AS it was the lull that deceived Pickett
at Gettysburg, so was it the lull that de-
f6ey t66SSaSh 66SSa the ff fSf Saf OF fse storm kad
been spent, it really had not begun. II
started again with fury and it gathered to
itself increasing ferceness as it went along.
The air was full of snow, which was liter
ally as fine as -four. 1t was driven by q
north wind which blew with tremendous
velocity. So thick was the air one could
| not see over two or three rods, and some
times not one. The wind howled with O
dismal sound which foreboded nothing
good, and all the time it seemed to rise to 0
higher pitch and become more mournful
and defiant. The luckless wayfarer who
attempted to beat his way against the ter
rible Storm in O few minutes found his
eyes all but completely blinded and his
cheeks coated with snow and ice. The
foice of the wind fairly took his breath
away and he was compelled to turn aroun6
to breathe.
The storm lasted ell Thursday ant
through most OF the following night. i
is not strange that persons who were on
became bewildered and ultimately los
their lives; but it is strange that any should
have ventured out during the storm.
But this storm cannot be charged up Il
Dakota alone. 1t extended throughou
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and mos
of Iowa. Fatalities occurred in all thes,
sections, but Dakota suffered the most be
cause of the deceptiveness of the storm.
Amid the many pathetic and distressing
stories of intense suffering and loss of life
il is gratifying to hear of q number of es
capes which were planned by the cool an,
thoughtful heads. Some persons, whel
they realized they were lost, quietly burie'
themselves in the snow, covering them
selves as best they could. In this way nc
only were their lives saved. but some sur
yived without being even slightly frost
bitten.