Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-07
. RLIxzAnD DEsoRIBED.

The several Characteristics of the Gen-
 uine, Fierce, BlIndIng Dakota Bliz-
 zard-An Old New Haven Boy's Lett
 ter.
 RANSOM COUNTY, Dak., Jan. 30, 1888. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Perhaps it will interest the many readers of your valuable paper to hear something about "blizzards," and the late blizzard in particular, that proved fatal to 30 many in this section of the country. A genuine bliz- gard, such as that of the 18th inst, occurs but seldom. The name is often applied, wrongfully, to any snow storm accompanied by strong breeze of wind.
 In true blizzard there are several eharac tsristics not seen in the lesser storms, and they constitute the danger to be feared. The wind blows a gale, driving before it the fall ing snow, ground as fine as flour, each par ticls as hard as flint, and filling the air with 8 cloud as impenstrable as one of your Sound fogs. The thermometer varies somewhat iR the different phases of the storm. Before, it is generally quite warm, but after the storm has fairly set in there is decided change in the temperature. A short description of the late blizzard will suffice for all. The morn ing of the 10th inst. was unusually warm and pleasant with gentle south wind blowing. Up to 10 8. m. there were no signs of 8 storm. About that time the wind shifted into the northwest in almost an instant and before you could count ten the blizzard was upon us. In fifteen minutes the mercury in the ordinary thermometers had gone out of sight and the standard spirit thermometers registered forty, drop from fifteen degrees above. All day and all night the storm kept up, the wind blowing if it would un- | F. Al H. R,o which am writing.
 Every house in this country during the win ter has double windows, leaving an air space between the outer and inner one. If the outside window is put on properly the lights will not become covered with the frost and thus obstruct the view and light. Hence great care is taken in making the out side sash air tight.
 In ordinary winter weather this does very we'll; but during blizzard, such is the force of the wind and the penetrating power of this snow, this air space becomes filled up, the snow finding ingress where it would seem nothing could.
 lights were about the only material sign that there had been anything unusual during the past twenty-four hours
 Although great quantity of snow falls, it does not stay long, but is driven off before the gale, leaving the ground about the same es it WIRE D9IO19 IuS SIO1u.
 This territory, most of your readers are aware, is mostly prairie land with no fences, and houses few and far between. The roads in most cases are mere tracks, plain enough ia summer, but almost oblite- rated in winter. The reason so many per- ished during the last storm is because it came Ut the time of day people were driving about and attending to their farm duties. Horses will not face these storms and they soon wander from the track, and as iU is inn possible to take any bearings, a person is soon bewildered and lost. In this way a majority of the fatalities occurred. Scattered about over the prairie are~iittle school houses, attended by the children roudd about and presided over by some young lady teacher. Some of these children come from some distance to attend school, and when the weather is too stormy of course school is net held.
 On the morning of the blizzard it bade fair to be pleasant all day and most of the schools were well attended.
 Thus the storm caught them, and those teachers and scholars who ventured out to seek their homes were soon lost upon the prairie and perished as stated in the reports of that date.
 That the fatalities were more numerous in South Dakota, an older and warmer country than North Dakota, is explained by the seem ingly paradoxical fact that they have more and heavier snow than up here in the north. Here the intense cold and high winds keep the snow hard as crystal and continually in motion, driving it away or filling up de- pressions in the surface of the country, where it soon solidifes and remains until spring, when it melts and forms a slough, 8 charac- te1istic feature of this country in the sum- mer.
 The snow upon the prairie here in the north is never more than & foot deep on the level, while in the south, it being heavier on account of the dampness, it resists
 the action of the wind, and is sometimes three or four feet deep on the level. Hence it is easy to see how a person overcome by the storm would readily succumb. In spite of the blizzards this is glorious ter ritory and is destined to become one of the most productive and populous States in the Union.
 There promises to be big tide of immi- grafton in the spring and of the better class. The climate is exceedingly healthy, and in spite of the severe cold one seldom has 8 cold or suffers from the ills of 8 damp climate.
 Although this winter has given bad name to Dakota, assure nay New Haven friends that it is not so bad as they suppose, and if any of them think of coming West would advise them to take look at this country before settling elsewhere.
 AN OLD NEW HAVEN Boy.