Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-06
WHAT A BLIZZARD Is LIKE.
Ex-Judge BrOOkings Describes One
that SwOOped Down ON sioux Falls.

From the New York World
Ex-Judge WimOt W. Bookings, OF sioux Falls
Oak, Is stopping at the Aston House. He is not
a blizzard victim" although he lost both feet
from the cold while a resident OF that territory.
That was thirty years ago, when he fell through
the Ice on river at Eight many miles from any
house. He wears two cork feet now and gets
around with the aid OF a cane quite briskly. He
went TO Dakota thirty years ago. and was one Of
the original nine white settlers OF that territory
Since then he has held many positions OF trust,
and has grown rich In the home OF the blizzard. lie
was supreme court Judge OF the territory for four
years under President Grant, and Is now president
of the Mnnehaha Trust Co, of Sioux Falls and 1t
IS business connected with this company that has
brought him East a. the present time.
"BZzards." he said, last night, letting his fancy
Tun back over the years. ''YOu people In the East
seem 10 think we have nothing else out there
That is great mistake and the stories OF this last
blizzard have been much exaggerated 1t was Sc
we're, To be sure. We have had nothing before like
II, nothing that would call blizzard since 1873.
ms last one struck Us ut Sioux Falls about $3.50
or O'Clock the afternoon Of January L.. IL had
been showing that morning and the day was mild
anu clear and thawing little when all at once
almost Ike Hash OF lightning, the blizzard
struck Us and Instantly the wind from the north
west gathered up the six inches OF light Snow
which mad fallen and filled the air with IL. IL was
at the very worst time OF the day too, when peO-
pie were watering their stock or coming home
irDn town, and children Were coming home from
SCHOOL The Thermometer dropped In an hour or
TWO from about 10 10 zero anu Kept on going down
uht IL was - below the next morning, but II was
perfectly clear then In fact, the blizzard did not
last over SIN or eight hours. But while Il lasted
~ was very severe. The air seemed charged with
electricity and the snow whiTled up from the
ground, for do not think any snow fell during the
storm. 10 was Ike fine sand.
"a popularity OF the BLIZZARD is that while gen.
eraly coming from the northwest II seems TO blow
IN little whiriS Ut eddleS, which Keep the snow In
the air and make II impossible 10 tell really which
way tue WIND Is coming from You turn your
back 10 IL and you md you are still facing IT, and
TINS Is what bewilderS people, IL Is IS different
from an ordinary wind and snow storm as cy-
tloIe Is inherent from summer breeze. You see
II coming Ike the FOG blowing In from the sea- and
IN a moment IL Is upon you. STILL some people
move about fearleSSly In a blizzard ana seem TO
nave no trouble In keeping their bearings, but
others get blinded and bewildered in a moment
anu then they are lost. Snow gets into their eyes,
nose and mouth, and they are helpless. The num-
Der OF deaths this winter has been greatly over
rated, however. In the whole territory II will be
somewhere from l25 TO 10. In our county, Min
hehaha, we had nine, and In Turner county,
Wnere the most deaths were reported, there were
only ten. Often, too, the weak escape, While the
strong become victims.
in our county a man and his two boys, aged
nine and seven, were out when they saw the
storm coming. They had horse and big New
iOun1land dog with them. one OF the boys was
rheumatic, and his father put him on the horse
anu tOld him 10 get home as soon as he could. The
DOy dd 80 anu escaped. but the blizzard caught the
other Two. Then the man dug hole in the snow,
wrapped his OvercOat around the other boy and
put MIN and the dog into It, The boy and the dog
escaped all right but the man frozen to death.
He knew he was freezing. too, and asked the boy
To say "A prayer for him. II ne had crawled into
the hole WIFE the dog and the boy and stayed there
he would probably have come out ali right, but he
help and got chilled. IL was in Just such ways
a. that that many lost their lives. sun the total
number was probably ten times as many ever
lost their lives before in that way since the terri
tory was settled