Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-01-14
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Yankton,
LOST IN THK BLIZZARD.
John Crayens' account of his ex
periences with the blizzard Of Thursda,
afternoon gives an idea OF tn,
astonishing vigor of the storm and th,
great danger encountered by peopl,
abroad upon the prairie. He left the in
cane asylum, only two miles from th,
business center OF the city, acco mpaniet
by the lasyidm gardener, to coaae {,
Yankton. When he startea there WA
no indication of any serious commotion,
a warm southeast wind was blowing
the clouds were heavy and a fine rair
was falling. The road from the asylum
to the city in one of the most extensive
~ used highways leading into Yanktor
broad, plainly defined aud bounded
By familiar land marks. When about
half way to the city proper and nearly
to the city limits, the wind suddenly
shifted to the northwest and blew with
terrific force. The moisture in the 81.
CONCEALED instantaneously and the at.
moapbere became heavily laden with ths
fine, houry snow which ia the I'M
mistaksble characteristic of the genuine
blizzard. 1t filled the eyes. cara, moutha
and nostrils Of the travellers and their
So heavily laden twas the air
with this powdered snow that
they could not see the team
front OF them. They became bewilder.
ed in the mad xhirl of the elements and
the horses shared their uncertainty
They began to drift with the storm, i'm
percepsibiy, and to go with the wind In
It's s~oathenstward course. How long
their struggles continued Mr.. Cravens
cannot say and where he was he did not
know. Finally they we're compelled to
their team. The horses were nm
fastened from the cutter and abandoned
and they began the fight for life on foot.
the wind rs much as possible
On the right they plunged forward
the rapidly accommodating drifts.
was visible. The atmosphere
charged with nov and it was ali
they could do to keep clear o breathing
place for their nostrils. Mi. Craveus'
began to freezs and 1t was
great difficulty that, hs sould be
persuaded to costume the battle for life.
in their aimless plunging they
a telephone pole. They ran
it,else thsywould not have known
it was there. Hating they gazed up.
The wind made an opening in
snowy mass suspended over their
heads and the telephone wire became
They made O forward rush,
guided by the %momentary view OF the
wire, until the ssething mass of sno
again closed yer them. They halted
there and strained their eyes upward
until another riff in the snow clond gays
them a glimpse OF the wire. Once more
they ran, hand in hand, until the riffs
and chaos Was again about them
This process was repeated time after time
until they had accomplished q half q
mile OF distance, under the guild
ance Of the constantly disappearing wire.
Then they encountered e fence. Be-
yond q house thrust itself upon their be.
wildered vision and simultaneously dis.
appeared. But the glimpse assured
them that they we're saved and they
through the snow TO the
house and found that they were opposite
the Milwaukee depot in a thickly settled
suburk Of Yankton. Mr. Cravens' COM
was badly frozen about the face
and neck and he accepted the hospital
ties OF the house, while Mr.. Cravsns
after a rest, made his vsy TO the business
part OF the city, guiding himself BY
fences and sidewalks, and telephoned
his rescue to his parents at che Asylum
II was found yesterday that he had
wandered more than a mile TO the east.
ward and off the Asylum road aud wal
. hundred yards OF Mr. ox's farm
when he abandoned the team
The horses we're found the next incoming
whore he left them, half buried in q
drift. Mr.. Cravens encountered the
telephone pole which saved his life
al the Stone farm and was then within
few rods of two or three houses. Had
they missed the pole In their aimless
they would have gons on to
The Missouri rivsr, ACROSS it aud into
and would, without doubt,
have died in the Snow. This is one
story Of the blizzard.
FRAGMENTS FROM THE STORM.
The school house about three miles
vest of Yankton, on the Bon Homrne
road, was the scene OF a night session
Thursday night. Miss Ollie
P~ierson, the teacher, detained her flock
Of little ones In the school house until
morning, when they were safely
taken home. The teacher at the school
house near the Stone farm adopted
tactics and kept the school safely
housed until the blizzard was over.
R. w. Burns and j. L. Foskett, resi-
dents on college hill, we're almost lost
going home Thursday night. They be
~bewildered, wandered a little. has
recovered their bearings and reached
their homes.
Maud Stubbs, Who gave her parents
alarm BY not getting home Thurs.
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