The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-01-26
The Western Blizzard by an Eye
Witness

mai says Inc term DllZZlTu 10 OF w est
erp origin and IS intended to convey to
the understanding the nature of wind
and snow storm, accompanied by an in
tensely cold wave, which, for sudden
ness of approach, vic ence Of onset and
appalling consequential horrors, can not
be adequately expressed by any word
known to dictionary makers. To speak
of these peculiar storms as snow storms.
in the sense that the term is Ordin arily
understood, would be misleading. They
may be more correctly termed cloud
bursts of what has been aptly called ice
dust, of great extent, violence and long
dura ion, 40 compact and firm as to be
impenetrable to both sight and hearing,
even in their very short range. When
it is considered that this ice dust is fl'e-
quently driven through the air by an
intensely cold wind. at a velocity OF
from thirty to fifty miles an hour, it ca n
easily be imagined how very small al e
the chances of escape to man or beast
who is unfortunate enough to be caught
in blizzard at any considerable dis
lance from shelter. will here remark
that these terrific storms are always pre-
ceded by several DAYS of remarkably
al uliu w weather. ~
was on the 7th and Sth of January 1878
that having been a resident of North
western Minnesota. had personal eX-
perience of blizzard, which, for sever
ity and disastrous cOnsC quences. mas had
no parallel since until the recent one
hat swept over the great Northwest
causing such terrible suffering and loss
OF life TO both man and beast. For four
or FIVE days proceeding the Apr zach OF
the blizzard referred to, the weat her had
been mild and springlike; especially
was the fournOon of the day the storm
began, warm, sunny and delight full, lur.
ing men to the meadows for hay to the
''timbers' for fuel, or to town for bust
ness or pleasure The wind blew fresh
ly from the south and east till noon
when of a sudden it ceased and was sue
ceeGed for brief period by an omiI ,ou.
calm, that could almost be felt. w hO-
ever TUNED his eye towards the moi TIL
west might have observed a black cl Que
rapidly approaching without comp re-
bending It's frightful significance.
1t is proVerblaI among seamen tina t {
nOr'wester in winter on the coast OF Ne "
England always comes butt end first
In this instance, though far from the
Atlantic coast. the old nautical adage
was fully and fearfrIly verified. In les:
than half an hour after after the soutl
wind had fallen calm, the storm wa,
upon us in all its fury. 1t is doubtful il
n man had been approaching my house
at distance of thirty rods, ten minutes
after the storm struck, would have
rrache it. Being myself warmly
housed, abundantly supplied with wood,
water and provisions suffered nothing.
except from the consciousness that who
ever might be so luck'esS as to be expos
ed to the pitiless peltlngs of that storm
must inevitable perish. was then liv-
ing upon prairie farm, four miles from
town and mile or more from my near
est neighbOrs. As | listened TO the
bowling OF the tempest and pondered
upon the fury aud force Of the elements
| was inspired with sense of my own
lnconsequence and the overwhelmn g
ma esIy of the powers of nature, which
| will not attempt to describe. A. the
end of twenty -four hours the storm sub
sided, so that the young man liN ing with
me was able to climb into the gable end
door of my barn and find his stock. 1t
was day later before they could be
watered. The sad tales of suffering that
came to Us within few days were alb
sOlutely heartrending, but | will not re-
port them, since the accounts of the re-
cent visitation with which the papers OF
the past few days have abounded are
but the counterpart. In conclusion, lei
me add that persons who have always
lived in New England can hardly have
just conception of the meteorological
eccentricities of the great and famous
Northwest. 1t is well worth while tC
spend year or two in that prairie land
not in towns and villages, but in the
country, on farm, if for no other pur-
pose than to observe contrasts. 1t will
pay. But one word more: II there be
any New England farmer boys who are
discontented with being warmly clad
comfortably housed and well fed, and
prefer more adventurous life, let them
by all means pick up stakes and &c
West But, If an old mans advice il
worth anything, do not burn your
bridges behind you.