The Delta independent., 1889-11-19
The New Mexican Blizzard.

Special to the Denver Republican.
TRINIDAD, Colo, Nov. II. The
present snow storm is without doubt the
worst that has ever fallen in this section of
country at this time of year, and the dam
age to property will be very great Hun
dreds Of cattle, sheep and even horses are
no doubt frozen upon the plains. And the
stockmen who are shut out from towns and
cut of from provisions are suffering from
the cold and for want of food to keep them
alive. A gentleman who came in from the
south yesterday morning and who has been
showed in at Texline, says that the suffer
ing in that part of the country is beyond
description. The people are almost desti-
tute and no one in position to help them.
He says that fourteen men are known to
have frozen TO death near Clayton and Fol-
som, in Colfax County, New Mexico, and he
thinks the number, when positively known,
will be fully fifty. The poor people in the
small towns are q pitiable sight to behold
One cannot look upon them without a sense
Of deep sympathy for their sutferings.
Those who have property are almost en-
tirely out Of provisions and fuel, and now
that this last storm came when the former
SHOWS have frozen hard and will receive
the other without chance for it TO melt,
there is no telling to what extent the dis
aster TO those people will reach. The road
has again been blocked and there is no
chance for them to get provisions or fuel
by rail and the surrounding country is one
OF ab.ect poverty that can afford no relief
and they are, therefore, without source
TO draw fr, Ii. II is not known how far
south the storm has reached and il is hoped
that help may come from their southern
friends. The Fort Worth road is doing all
in its power TO aid the suffering on its line
and deserves great praise and gratitude
for the magnanimous disposition its OH
GERS and employees have shown 10 the suf-
fercrs.
SANTA FE, n. NJ, Nov. lit is snow
ing again to day along the Atchison, To-
pcka * Santa t'o cast of the Glorieta
Mountains, and al! trains are delayed from
six TO ten hours. There is no general bad
weather in New Mexico, as dispatches
sent from Trinidad w,rld lead your read
crs TO infer, but in the northeastern cor
ner Of the Territory, east of Red River, is
strip Of country 15 miles wide, which is
in the blizzard belt OF the Colorado and
Kansas plains, and 1t is from that section
that the reports Of terrible suffering TO
man and beast are now coming. In this
belt Is the thlc&ly settled cattle and sheep
range, lying east Of Springer and between
trinidad and Clayton on the Fort Worth
* Denver road. Nearly three feet of snow
covers the ground on the level, and II has
driftcd into great dykes in places and
frozen over with hard crust Probably
'reoJ head Of fattcd beef cattle ready for
the market have perished or scattered SO
that they are as good Us lost 10 their own
cTs, and not less than 80, ,0c0 head Of sheep
have died Of exposure. The .oss of human
life cannot now be estimated. Thus far
the hfelcss bodies of six men have been re
covered and eight or ten stockmen, COW
boys and hcrdcrs are missing, among them
o. w McCuis,ion, II prominent citizen OF
Ration, who was counting 1000 of 5. w.
Dorscy's beef steers for shipment when
the blizzard first struck the range ten
days ago. No fair estimate ot the loss to
life and property can be made inside of a
week, Ms 1t is impossible to get news from
the exposed ranges In the present state Of
affairs