The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-25
Some Incidents of the Western
Blizzard.

HIGHMoRE, Dakota, reports that Sister
Wiimena of st. Stephen Mission, twenty
miles south of there, was caught by the
blizzard on her return from the home of the
priest. The quarter-section within which the
mission buildings are is fenced, and when
she was found by the searchers, who used a
rope to guide them, she was standing up
and still alive. She was carried to her room,
where she died.
A NUMBER of the dead had the appearance
of having died from sutfocation. 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
genuine blizzard the air is filled with fine
ice dust, driven with terrific force, which
chokes the unfortunate victim in a short
time if he attempts to stand against it,
JOHN OLNEY was found in snow-drift
near Marathon, frozen dead. Miss Mae
Hennng and boy named Julius, twelve
years of age, started in a sleigh to attend
party, in company with two young men.
When the storm struck them they lost their
way, and the young men deserted the lady
and the boy and reached a farmhouse in
safety. The deserted pair remained out in
the storm all night, and in the morning were
found partially 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 blanket left them.
Miss LOUISE ROYCE, school-teacher
eight miles from Plainview, had but three
pupils on the day of the storm. She started
at two o'clock with the children for house
about twenty rods distant, but lost her way.
All lay down in the snow and Miss Royce
wrapped up the children as best she could
Early in the night one child died, and later
a second one, and just as morning broke
the third child succumhed to the cold. Miss
p,A,r that, nod TO oh ha LOGS
than twenty rods away. Both her feet We're
badly frozen and they will probably have
to be amputated. a school-teacher and
eight children, names unknown are re-
ported from Neigh to have persisted.
THE following story of the storm was told
by resident of Ord, Nebraska " Miss Min
ME Freeman, the lady teacher of the Myra
Valley district school, had thirteen pupils
under her charge, whose ages ranged from
six to fifteen years. When the blizzard
struck the school-house the building was
unroofed and the little ones We're eX-
posed to the elements. Miss Freeman, with
rare presence of mind, gathered the pupils
together, and, securing coil of strong
Irvine, she tied them all together by the
arms, three abreast. The youngest child
she took in her arms, after tying the end of
| the Irvine around her own body. Selecting
! her way carefully, she led her little charges
| with words of encouragement through the
deep drifts and the binding blizzard to a
farmhouse, three-quarters of mile distant,
where all were taken in"
MARY CoNNELL, a pretty little school
| teacher near Cavonr, started home with
two of her pupils, a boy and girl. The boy
left them and persisted. Miss Connell 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 horribly frozen. Another
teacher, Miss jacobson, near Staloif, started
home with a little girl, and both persisted
When found, Miss Jacobson was crouched
in little hollow in the ground with hel
arms about the little girl, while her dress
skirt was wrapped around her. Her OWL
bonnet was off her head and her hands
clutched her dress at her throat, but there
was smile on her face. Two children, q
boy and a girl, Of Joseph Hutchinson, neal
Garry, were lost going home from school
| Twenty-Five men at once started on the
search for them. and the mother could MOI
be kept from going along. The poor woman
was with the party who found them, They
were lying close together and the boy haC
his sisters hands between his own.