The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-17

The Most Disastrous Display of Elemental
Energy Ever Known in That Region.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Jan 16.-Ths terrible storm
which has swept over the Northwest, blockad-
ing railroads in five States, is now over, and
the victims of its fury are being counted. The
pitiful list is growing almost every hour. 1t is
not improbable. when the record is complete.
il will show hundred lives sacrificed to the
awful fury of the blizzard. Next to this the
worst blizzard that the Northwest ever had oc-
Cured JAN Z, s and 9, 1873 In that storm
seventy persons were frozen to death and
thousands of dollars worth of property de-
stroyed. The present storm promises to be
even more terrible in its results It came with
out warning. At sunrise, last Wednesday,
Dakota never had more lovely weather. The
the air was clear crystal and every object
about the horizon was distinctly visible. The
wind was from the south. warm and bslmy,
and before the sun was high in the sky a de-
cided thaw had set in. Farmers took ad-
vantage of the beautiful weather to go to town,
cloud was seen along the northwestern horizon,
lying close to the ground, but stretching from
west to north in dark, semi-crcle Little at
tsntion was paid TO it, but in hour the cloud
scured, the snow was falling fast, and gale
was sweeping from the northwest with terrihse-
fury. The blizzard had begun. The mercury
fell rapidly, and by o'clock it was 15o bslow
below ALI the while the wind increased in
fury, the snow fell thick. and the large amount
of snow that was already on the ground was
blown into powder and hurled along
feet distant could not be seen. A mans voice
could not be heard six feet distant The air
was full of snow as fine as -four, and the roaring
of the wind and the darkness caused by SO much
snow in the air made the scene the most dismal,
dreary and forsaken that man ever looked upon.
Every railroad in Dakota Minnesota, Manitoba,
Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin was blocked.
Telegraph wires everywhere were down, and it
was not until Saturday that the full extent and
awful results of the storm became apparent.
The telegraph hourly brings the most pitiful
stories of suffering, terrible struggles for life,
and heroic deeds by the brave men and women
of the storm-stricken section that has never
been equaled
Mary Conne1l, a school-teacher near Caveour
started home with two of her pupils. boy and
girl The boy left them and pershed. Miss
Connell put her dress folds about the little girl
and made her walk all night, sheltering her
charge with her body They were found the
next day alive but horribly frozen. Another
teacher, Miss jacobson, near ST. Olofo, started
home with little girl. and both perished
When found Miss jacobson was crouched in
little hollow in the ground with her arms about
the little girl, and her dress skirt was wrapped
about her. Her own bonnet was off her head,
and her hand clutched her dress at her throat,
but there was d smile on her face. Two chill
dren, boy and girl, of Joseph Hutchinson.
near Gary, were lost while going home from
school Twenty-Five men at started
search for them, and the mother could not be
kept from going along The poor woman
with the party who found them. They were
lying close together. and the boy had his sisters
hands between his own.
Thursday forenoon, just before the blizzard
struck this point party of seven farmers.
about twenty-five mile northeast of here, started
for their homes, having here with wheat
The report comes that the bodies of four of them
have been found dead Searching parties are
out looking for the others.
Mrs. Knutson of Rushmore. was found frozen
to death within forty feet of her door. Her hnA-
band was absent, and. becoming uneasy. she
started in search of him. losing her life in the
act.
These are but few of the many terrible
stories which have come in, the majority of
which have been briefly mentioned before in
these dispatches. A number of the dead had
the appearance OF having died from saffocation:
some had torn their clothing away from their
throats. and others had thrown away their head
coverings and were clntchine aG their throats as
though struggling for breath. During genu-
inc blizzard the air is filled with fine ice dust,
driven with terrific force, which chokes the
fortunate victim in short time if he attempts to
stand against it.
A telegram from Aberdeen, d. t., says:
Bessie Stansfeld, pretty nineteen-year-old
teacher, three miles distans left her school dur
ing the storm, to go to farmers house thirty
yards distant. Her dead body was found nearly
a mile from the school-h At Mellette a
teacher left her school to get assistance and her
body has not yet been found. Miss Stubiarner,
another teacher, twelve miles northwest of Aber-
deem, was out all night in the blizzard. When
found sns barely alive. and died shortly aft
erward. William Morrell. hfteen-yaar-old
farm laborer. six miles west, went ous OF the