Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-01-21
The Great Storm.
WONDERFUL HERoIsM. TERRIBLE SUI
EERING AND TWENTY DEATHS.

WONDERFUL HERoIsM. TERRIBLE SUI
EERING AND TWENTY DEATHS.
A terrible storm has swept through
Nebraska, Montana, Kansas and 9th
err Western sections, so awfully cold
as to have swept into eternity num-
bers Of desr lives and destroyed a
large amount valuable cattle. The
suffering must have been intense
and the incidents of great heroism
displayed by tender youth riv-
al in moral courage any event is his
tory. The following are of such in
cidents as gathered by the press.
Mary Connell, a little school teach
err near Cavour, started home with
two of her pupils, boy and girl.
The boy left them and persisted.
Miss Cornell put her dress folds
about the little girl and made her
walk all night, sheltering her charge
with her body. They were found
the next morning alive, but terribly
frozen.
Another teacher, Miss Jacobson,
near St. Olef started home with
little girl and both persisted. When
found Miss Jacobson was crouched
in little hollow in the ground with
her arms about the little girl, and
her dress skirt was wrapped about
her. Her own bonnet was off her
head and her hand clutched her dress
at her throat, but there was smile
on her face.
Two children, a boy and girl,
of Joseph Gary, were lost going home
from school. Twenty-Five men at
once started on the 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 be-
tween his own.
sUFFooATED BY ICE DUST.
Thursday afternoon, just before
the blizzard struck this point, a
party of seven farmers, abont twenty
five miles northeast Of here, started
for their homes, having been here
with wheat. The report comes that
the bodies of four Of them have been
found dead. Searching parties are
out looking for the others. Mrs.
Knutson, of Bushmore, 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
act.
These are but few of the many
terrible stories which have come in,
the majority Of which have Seen
briefly mentioned before in these dis
patches. A number of the dead had
the appearance Of having died from
suffocation. Some had torn their
clothing away from their threats and
others had thrown away their head
covering and were clutching at their
Threats as though struggling for
breath. During a genuine blizzard
the air is filled with fine ice dust,
driven with terrific force which chok-
es the unfortunate victim in short
time if he attempts to stand against
it.
Human nature has also its weak
side and in contrast with the above
we find the following record of
oowARDLY YOUNG MEN.
Miss May Henning and a boy nam.
ed Julius, IL years Of age, started in
a sleigh to attend party, in COM
pany with two young men. When
the storm struck them they lost
their way and the young men de-
serted the lady and the boy and
reached a farm house in safety. The
deserted pair remained out in the
storm all night, and in the morning
they were found patially covered
with snow. The young lady will
lose both legs, and the boys hands
and feet were badly frozen. He was
saved from death by the brave girl,
who wrapped him in the only blank
- l. g.