Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-05-19
INCIDENTS OF THE BLIZZARD.
Stories Told OF the Great Storm in
the North Storm.

Stories Told OF the Great Storm in
the North Storm.
One of the terrible peouliarities of the
Dakota blizzard, says gentleman who
passed through it, was that the snow
was driven in one vast cloud at the rate
of sixty miles an hour. This whirled
it into the face, eyes and nostrils of all
| who were in it. At once it was melted
by the warmth of the body, all this
moisture would fill eye-lashes and eyes,
then freeze. Unless almost violent
| measures were used the eyes would be
frozen closed in ten or fifteen minutes.
A farmer in my county got lost in
that storm. On the following day he
was seen by q man wandering around
upon tree claim, apparently aimlessly.
The man went up to the wanderer and
found his face entirely covered with
ice. He was sightless from the effects
of it. The Good Samaritan had to strike
hard to break off that ice, and was sur
prised to see that the lost one was q
neighbor with whom he was well &C.
quainted. The density of the snow
storm was wonderful. Mr.. Gossley, the
wealthy farmer in Hand County, put q
lamp in the window and went out of the
door for brief Grand, expecting to re-
turn in very few moments. He never
returned alive. His neighbors tracked
him in the snow and saw where he
walked within four feet of his own house,
yet did not see it. He was living alone,
his wife wintering in the States. He
went within six feet of his nearest
neighbours house, but did not see it. He
walked around a clump of bushes 80
many times that he wore q hard path
there, yet supposed he was going in q
straight line. His body was found sew
eral miles from his house.
GLOW do We ive2 Well, I don't
know how we kept soul and body to-
gether siuce the great storm. By unit
ing several families in one and keeping
single fire going by the use of twisted
hay and straw we have just managed to
exc out q precarious existence. You
can hardly call it living. It has been
that way practically nearly month.
Only very few had any wood at all.
We have literally herded together, hud-
died up like sheep, and by the generous
use of blankets and robes kept little
life in us. There has been but three
deaths from freezing. All this would
have been more endurable if we had
feft that is was necessary. But we can
rightfully blame the Manitoba Railroad
officials for all the suffering there has
been there.
A story with romantic variations
comes frem Sioux City, Iowa. In q
rude log cabin by the Cheyenne River a
French Canadian named Robeaun once
lived lawless life. He married come
~ Indian maiden, and rosy checked,
brown-eyed girl was born to them and
they named her Lillian.
A band of vigilantes hanged the law
less Robeaun, and soon afterward his
wife died, leaving the young girl alone
in the world. A family at Chamberlain
adopted Lillian, and she grew up q
handsome and accomplished young
woman. Just before the great blizzard
came Miss Lillian was visiting friends
at Huron, and on the day of the storm
had gone short distance in the country
to see friend.
On Jan. II Harry Oglebee, st. Louis
commercial traveller, arrived at Huron.
The day of the dreadful blizzard he
found himself in the suburbs of Hnron.
After wandering about a half hour he
found woman in q deep snow drift.
Rescuing her from possible grave, the
two set out and soon found farm house
where their wants were cared for. The
young woman was Lillian Robeuun.
Sequel: The young people were
quietly married at hotel in Sioux City
on Monday last. The handsome daugh-
ter of q once notorious outlaw became
the happy bride of an industrious COM
mercial traveller, and the blizzard which
brought ineradicable sorrow to others
brought them gladness which cannot
be measured.
Louise Royce, a young school-teacher,
started from her school-house, eight
miles northeast of Plainview, Neb., to
go to q house twenty rods distant with
two little boys and girl, but lost her
way. The heroic girl sat down in the
snow in the open field with her back to
the wind, and gathering the children in
front of her sheltered them with her
wraps and prepared for battle with
death. The younger boy fell into q
death sleep and succumbed at 9 o'clock,
having been there six hours in the
storm.
Five hours later the second little boys
endurance gave out and he to, was
stretched upon the snow. For two or
three hours more the noble woman la
bored, with frozen hands and feet and
benumbed body, to rescue the little
girl, but about five o'clock she, too, fell
q victim to the blizzard. Then the
young heroine made her way to house
not over thirty rods away, which the
clearing storm revealed. Her feet were
frozen 30 that they had to be amputated