The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-11
A BLIZZARD'S VICTIMS.
Many Deaths From Cold and
Hunger in the West.
Poor Settlers Suffering Intensely
for Want of Fuel.

A number of lives have been lost in the terri
BILE blizzard prevailing in the western part OF
Nebraska, and hundreds Of cattle and horses
have been frozen to death. In the newly Or
ganized county of Perkins the death of
man and a boy is reported. They were
attempting to make their ranch, twen'
ty miles from Ogallala, when the storm
overpowered them. Both were frozen to
death. Another man, named John Grant,
who had been on railroad construction work
OIL the Black Hills extension of the Burling:-
ton and Missouri River road. was found
dead mile from-camp.
Reports from Kansas state that deaths from
cold and hunger are constantly coming IN
from the more thnly populated districts, and
that many isolated portions have not vet
been heard from.
L. C. Clark, living near Golden, Grant
County, left his family at home to. go to
Hartland, the nearest railroad point, for the
purpose of getting coal, his family being with:
out out fuel. He left Hartland at night and
the next morning was found six miles
from home, lying by the side Of his horses,
frozen stiff. Clark's wife and three children
had, in the meantime nearly perished, and
had only saved themselves by leaving then
house and taking refuge from the blizzard II
a cave. Two deaths are reported from
Greedy County, on the Colorado line.
A brother and sister named Robert and
Sarah Holzapfel, who lived on q claim in an
unsettled part of Grant County, found them
selves without fuel Sunday evening. They
tore down small shed to burn the lumber,
and that night all but the small amount
which they had themselves burned was
stolen from them. Early in tho morning the
young man went to the town OF Horace,
about seven miles distant. and succeeded III
getting 200 pounds of coal late in the after
noon. Being obliged to travel against the
furious wind then blowing, he did not reach
home until nearly midnight. His limbs were
then numb, and he was so exhausted that it
was with great diffiulty that he gained ad-
mission 10 the house He found his sister
in bed. insensible and almost stir. She had
been without fire all day, and the poorly built
house affol ded her little protection. Although
the Young man was almost frozen, he tried 70
revive his sister, but without avail. 5,
A farmer named johnson was found dead
near his house in Greedy County, Kansas
He was out looking for fuel and perished.
A widow named Mrs. Riley and her two
little children perished in the storm near
Dighton, in Lane County, Kansas; s1
storm came so suddenly. upon them
that they were unable to get
it. The woman's eldest son started
out in the storm to get coal He was over
come by the intense cold, but fortunately
wandered to tie house of neighbor. he
was unable to speak, and his arms, ears anu
feet were frozen His life was saved, although
he will probably lose his feet.
There are also reports of great suffering III
Clark County, Kansas, on the Indian Terri
tory l:ne A family of four were travelling
overland, and, being but ten miles from home
and several miles from any other house, de.
termined to reach home that night III spite OF
the terrible storm. The horses were over
come. and the family were obliged to aban-
don tho horses and walk to the nearest house,
A two-year. old child froze to death IN ITS
fathers arms before shelter was reached, and
others were also badly frozen. The condl-
dition of the people in Western and South
western Kansas is very bad.
This part of the State has only been re
Gently settled, and some of the counties are
still unorganized. Nearly all the people set
tied on Government claims and were without
money, depending entirely on tho crop to be
raised this fall. The crop, however. was
total failure because Of drought, leaving the
people destitute. The majority of the people
live in rudely built houses, which afford very
little protection.