Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-24
THE DEADLY BLsZZARD.
Experience Of One who Has Witnessed
the Terrible ClOud. Bursts.


The term blizzard is OF western origin and is in.
tended TO convey to the understanding the nature
OF wind and snow storm, accompanied by an H.
tensely cold wave, which for suddenness OF ap-
proach, violence OF onset and appalling conse-
auential horrors cannot be adequately expressed
by any WORD known to dictionary makers. To
speak OF these peculiar storms as snow storms, in
the sense that the term is ordinarily understood,
would be misleading. They may be more correctly
termed cloud-bursts OF what has been aprly called
ice-dust OF great extent, violence and long dura-
tion so compact and flrm as 70 be impenetrable TO
both sight ana hearing, even in their very short
range. When IL is considered that this ice-dust Is
frequently driven through the air by an intensely
cold wind, at velocity OF from thirty 10 nifty
miles an hour, 1t can easily be Imagined
now very sm na. are sne ensnSes Oh escape
be caught in blizzard at any considera-
BILE distance from shelter. will here re-
ceded by several days of remarkably warm and
pleasant winter weather IL was on the sth ana
sth OF January, 1873, that l. having been rest.
dent OF Northwestern Minnesota, had personal
experience or a blizzard which, for severity and
disastrous consequences, has had no parallel since
until the recent one that swept over tue great
loss OF life 70 both man and beast. For four or
f1ve days preceding the approach OF the blizzard
Ke especiaiIy was the forenoon Of the DAY the
storm began warm, sunny and delightful, Turing
men 20 the meadows Tor hay. 70 the .timbersn for
wind blew freshly from the south and east TILL
noon, when OF q sudden 1t ceased and was sue
ceeded for a brief period by an ominous calm that
could almost be felt Whoever turned his eye
toward the northwest might have observed
black cloud rapidly approaching without com.
pretending its rriehtIm significance. IL as
proverbial among seamen that a nor wester In
winter on the coast OF New England always comes
"butt emo first." In this instance, though far
from the Atlantic coast the old nautical adage
was fully and fearfully ver1ned In less than half
an hour after the south wind had fallen calm, The
storm was upon US In all its fury IL Is doubtful II
q man had been approaching my house at dis
lance OF 30 rods, ten minutes after the storm
struck, would have reached IT. Being myself
warmly housed, abundantly supplied with wood,
water, and provisions, suffered nothing except
from the Consciousness that whoever might be so
luckiess ~ TO be exposed 10 the pSess perings OF
that storm must inevitably perish. was then
living upon q prairie farm four miles from town
and mile or more from my nearest neighborA.
As listened to the bowling OF the tempest and
pondered upon the fury and force OF the clements
was inspired with q sense OF my inconseQuence
and the Overwhelming majesty OF the powers OF
nature which will not attempt 70 describe. Al
the end OF twenty -four hours the storm sutsided,
% that the young man living with me was able 70
climb into the gable end door OF my barn and ma
his stock. II was day later before they could be