The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-02-01

Remarkable Individual Experiences
How to Save Ones Life in
Blizzard.
Isioux Falls tDakotal letter.

The great blizzard of Thursday, Jan. IL,
will long be remembered. In fact, the day
will 60 down into history as the date OF a
most extraordinary event.
That fifty or one hundred persons more
or less should have been frozen to death is
truly terrible calamity. And yet Dakota
ought not to be condemned and stunned
by home-seekers because of this heartrend-
ing occurrence. The truth is, the blizzard
OF Thursday was absolutely the worst ever
known in central and southern Dakota.
1t was a peculiar blizzard. Generally
the Dakota storms, whether in winter or
summer, last. for at least part OF three
days. But this baneful blizzard seemed TO
cut itself in two. 1t began on Wednesday
and proved TO be very severe storm, with
fresh snow, which the wind took mp with
great force and whirled with bewildering
effect. BY Thursday morning the snow
ceased falling, the wind died down, and
people began congratulating themselves on
comparatively easy escape from what
seemed at the beginning TO be severe
three days blizzard.
so far so good; but that lull in the storm
Is what did the murderous mischief. That
bright sunshine which came out so enticing-
ly for an hour or two on Thursday morning
was like the voice of the siren, wooing
hapless victims to terrible death. Men,
women, and children were deceived. Chill
dren went 10 school and men went about
their work as usual, when they should not
have ventured from their homes.
Between 8 and 10 o'clock the storm again
broke forth with terrific fury. An old vet
eran. who engaged in the battle of Gettys-
burg, said the lull in the storm of Thurs
day was just like the lull in the battle just
before the charge of Pickett's cavalry. A
tremendous cannonading had been going
on between the artillery force on each side.
General Meade, suspecting that the heavy
firing OF the rebels was done TO cover up an
attack, ordered the artillery to cease firing,
to let their guns cool, and to get ready for
an aggressive movement on the part of the
enemy. On the other hand the rebels
thought they had silenced the Federal bat
teries, and Pickett was ordered 10 make
that famous and fatal charge. Never be-
fore-except perhaps when into the jaws
or death rode the six hundred-was q
charge made with such disastrous effect.
From all along the Federal lines lwere
poured out the bullets from the musketry,
and grape and canister from the artillery.
The earth fairly rocked with the terrific
thunder. So deathly was the conflict that
In short time Picketts command of H.
900 men, the flower Of the rebel army, was
reducedto less than 800.
AS il was the lull that deceived Pickett
ut Gettysburg, so was it the lull that de-
ceived the people of South Dakota. When
they thought the fury of the storm had
been spent, 1t really had not begun. 1t
started again with fury and it gathered to
itself increasing fierceness as it went along.
The air was full Of snow, which was liter
ally as fine az flour. 1t was driven by n
north wind which blew with tremendous
velocity. So thick was the air one could
not see over two or three rods. and some
times not one. The wind howled with
dismal sound which foreboded nothing
good, and all the time it>seemed to rise to a
higher pitch and becoma more mournful
and defiant. The luckl9&s wayfarer who
attempted to beat bis W. q. =. srsrthe ter
rible Storm in oI''rmfy Md his
eyes gil i rom ona ,@e blinded and
Cheeks coated with snow and ice. The
foice of the wind fairly took his breath
away and he was compelled to turn around
to breathe.
The storm lasted all Thursday and
through most of the following night. 1t
is not strange that persons who we're out
became bewildered and ultimately lost
their lives; but it is strange that any should
have ventured out during the storm.
But this storm cannot be charged up to
Dakota alone. 1t extended throughout
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and most
of Iowa. Fatalities occurred in all these
sections, but Dakota suffered the most be-
cause of the deceptiveness of the storm.
Amid the many pathetic and distressing
stories of intense suffering and loss of life,
it is gratifying to hear of a number of es-
capes which were planned by the cool and
thoughtful heads. Some persons, when
they realized they were lost, quietly buried
themselves in the snow, covering them
selves as best they could. In this way not
only we're their lives saved, but some sur
vived without being even slightly frost
bitten.