The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-17

THE BLIZZARD HAS PROBABLY
COST OVER 200 LIVES.

ST.. PAUL, Jan. l6.-The terrible storm
which has swept over the Northwe t, block
aiding railroads in five States, is now over,
and the victims Of its fury are being
counted. The pitiful list is growing almost
every hour. 1t is not improbable that when
the record is complete it will show 100 lives
sacrificed to the awful fury of the blizzard.
Next to this, the worst blizzard that the
Northwest ever experienced occurred Jan.
Z, S and g. 1878 In that storm seventy
people were frozen to death, and thousands
of dollars worth of property was destroyed.
The present storm promises to be even more
terrible in its results 1t came without
warning.
COMING OF THE STORM.
AT sunrise last Wednesday Dakota never
had more lovely winter weather The air
was as clear as crystal and every object
about the horizon was distinctly visible.
The wind was from the south, warm and
balmy, and before the sun was high in the
sky a decided thaw had set in. Farmers
took advantage of the beautiful weather to
go to town to draw wood, hay, etc. About
noon cloud was seen along the northwest
horizon, lying close to the ground, but
stretching from west to north III a dark
Selnl- Duu llUJl6 diuenJlOu NuS paul
to it, but it had swept over the country, the
sun was Obscured, snow was falling fast,
and gale was sweeping from the North
west with terrible fury.
A BLIZZARD IN ITS FURY.
The blizzard had begun. Tho mercury
fell rapidly and by o'clock it was l5' be-
low zero, and the next morning it registered
so below All the while the wind increased
in fury, the snow fell thicker, and large
amount of snow that was already on the
ground was blown into powder and hurled
along by the wind. On the prairie objects
40 feet distant could not be seen. A mans
voice could not be heard feet distant. The
air was full of snow as fine as flour, and the
roaring of the wind and the darkness caused
by so much snow in the air, made the scene
the most dismal, drear and forsaken that
man ever looked upon. Every railroad in
Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and
Wisconsin was blocked. Telegraph wires
everywhere were down, and it was not until
Saturday that the full extent and awful
result of the storm became apparent
TALES OF HERoIsM.
The telegraph hourly brings the most
pitlful stories of suffering, terrible strug
giles for life and heroic deeds by brave men
and women of the storm-stricken section
that have never been equaled. Mary Con
started home with two of her pupils, boy
and a girl. The boy left them and perished
Miss Connell put her dress folds about the
little girl and made her walk all night,
shetering her charge with her body. They
were found next morning alive but horribly
frozen
Another teacher, Miss jacobson, near
Stolotf started home with a little girl and
b Jth perished When found Miss jacobson
was crouched in a little hollow in the ground
with her arms about the little girl and her
dress skirt wrapped about her. Her own
bonnet was off her head and her hand
clutched her dress at her throat, but there
was a smile on her face
BROTHER AND SISTER DIE TOGETHER.
Two children, boy and girl, of Joseph
Hutchinson, near Grey, were lost while
going home from school Twenty-fiv men
at once started on a search for them. and
the mother could not be kept from going
along The poor woman was with the
party who found them. They were lying
close together, and the boy had his sisters
hands between his own.
Thursday, Just before the blizzard struck
this point, party of seven farmers, living
about twenty-five miles northeast of here,
started for their homes, having been here
with wheat A report comes that the bodies
of four them have been found dead. Search
WIZ NN''NA''f
PERIsHED WHILE SEEKING HER HUSBAND.
Mrs. Knutzeon was found frozen to death
within forty feet of her door. Her husband
was absent and becoming uneasy she started
in search of him, losing her life in the at
tempt.
These are but few of the many terrible
stories which have come in, a majority Of
which have been briefly mentioned before
in these dispatches. A number Of the dead
bad the appearance of having died from suf-
location. Some had torn,their. clothing away
from their throatS and others had thrown
away their head covering and were clutch
ing at their throats as though struggling for
breath During a genuine blizzard the air
is filled with fine ice dust driven with ter
rife force which chokes the unfortunate vic
tim in a short time if he attempts to stand
against it.
Saturday night and yesterday were ex-
ceedingly cold all over the Northwest At
Brainerd the thermometer registered So
below zero at o'clock yesterday morning,
and at Bird Island MINI, 3S' below. At
Fairbault Mimi, Saturday night il was Az
below: at Duluth yesterday "a below, and
at Clearwater, Mimi, AZ below yesterday
morning.
1876 DEAD AND s. MISSING.
MINNEAPoLIs, MINI, Jan. 16.-The
.JolTaopS revised list of blizzard fatalities
show ~ dead in Dakota, IL III Minnesota, .
in Iowa, II in Nebraska and in Montana
a total of 1856, besides 81 reported missing
Additions are constantly being made to the
lists
SEVERAL DEATHS NEAR ABERDEEN.
A special to the Journal from Aberdeen
Oak, says: bessie Stansfield, "A pretty
l9-year-old teacher three miles distant left
the school during the storm to go to Il
farmers house, thirty yards distant. Her
dead body was found nearly a mile from
the school house. Four children froze to
death in the school house at Mellctte. The
teacher left them to get assistance and her
body has not been found Miss Steubierner,
another teacher, twelve miles northeast Of
Aberdeen, was out all night in the biz
zard When found she was barely alive and
died shortly afterward. William Morrill,,
80 years old, farm laborer, six miles west,
went out Of his house Thursday evening to
90 few rods TO the barn He became con-
fused and was found dead two miles away.
II. S. Chaplin, of Minneapolis, collector
for a threshing machine firm, left
Worthwhile, near Aberdeen, Thursday
morning with liveryman to
visit a farmers near by. They have not
been heard from and are probably dead.
O T. Owens and wife, of Wentworth,
Oak, were lost on the prairie Friday night.
They were out eighteen and half hours,
and when found Mrs. Owens was dead and
he, badly frozen, was travelling in circle,
- I'LL