The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-02-13
CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD.

paul'h ny luClucnh tragic, tnrllllng anu
heroic, that will no doubt become part
of the history Of the vast region over
which the storm swept
II was in connection with hay hauling
IN one OF the marShy, unsettled town.
ships OF Iowa that there occurred an in
cldcnt OF extreme peril Of fortitudc and
intelligent exercise Of the faculties amid
great danger, which, at the time it came
To light, was almost lost sight Of in our
interest to the widespread caiamitic.
which fell upon our uuprcparcd neigh
Dor, on the more newly settled praries
OF the North aud West
The little railway station Of Dupont.
in one the thinly settled districts, was
built entirely in the interests of the hay.
pressing business, for which the unin-
habitrd flats of Lowland aud Gull Lake
townships furnished thousands of tons of
grass.
over this tract, a dozen mile. in cx-
tcu,, as far back from the railway as hay
can be hauled with profit, are scattered
every summer The camps of the haymak-
crs, aud the low rickS or "stachs" grow
and accumulate until they dot the prairie
so thickly as to become for the time the
distinguishing feature OF tn" landscape.
There are at the station large hay barns,
containing steam presses, to which, from
September until April, the hay is hauled
slowed and balcd ready for shipment.
Among those who were hauling hav at
the time oi the great storm were Dick
I,v,l.., Z l,t.
fellow, too young to attend school rcgu-
hrlr, who went along on pleasant days
to tramp down the hay in the frame of
the big rack.
1t had been pleasant enough for Orr
to - on every trip that week up TO the
night Of the blizzard. and the day was so
warm and fine that Dicks sisters, .Icanic
and Carrie, younger than himself but older
than Orr, obtained the permission OF their
teacher 10 80 home at recess, in order
that they might go with their brothers
for a ride to the hay field. Their mother
had promised that they should 90 upon
the first warm day after sleighing came.
They arrived at the house just as Dick
and Orr drove up for a lunch, before go
ing after their last load for the day, and,
as it would he dark before they could
get back, the girls, too, got each slice
of bread and cold meat 10 munich on the
road.
Dick spread two heavy horse blankets,
which were always carried in winter to
throw over his horses when standing,
upon one oi the bottom boards of the
rack, and seated .lcanic and Carrie upon
them. Then, little dreaming what wa,
before them. the brothers and sisters
drove swiftly out upon new sleigh road
which Tel them for several miles over a
prairie almost as level ~ barn floor.
The htystaCks were reached, and
while the boys worked at their loading
the little girls raced about, tumblcd in
the hay, or rolled snowballs as they
pleased.
The load of hay WAS taken from III"
bottom ot a stack around which the
snow had drifted. thawcd and frozen
until mucA of the outside hay had to he
cut loose with an axe or freed with a
shovel bo,h of which implements Dick
carried for that purpose. 1t took much
longer than usual to load upon this
occasion and evening was already draw
ing on when finally the little girls were
helped upon the load and the team wa,
turned toward home.
1t had been mild and thawing all day,
so mild, indeed, that Dick had feared
this would he their last trip with sleigh
! until snow should come again but as he
.lt,,,1,..l A.. a. L
! he noticed that heavy gray bank had
formed across the western sky, aud that
1t seemed to he growing thick overhead
The air Aad suddenly become rather
chilly.
lie told his brothers and sisters that it
would snow before thcy got home, and
that they had better "cuddlc down" in
the hay and throw the horse blankets
! over their laps. He drove forward for
"A few minutes, urging the horses to Il
half-trot, and neuSily glancing toward
the dcnsn gray bank, winch rapidly
| overcast the west aud north, aud threw a
| gloom and cold in advance, rs it ap-
preached.
The darkness came on rapidly, and
soon the roar of high wind broke upon
! Dick ears.
"lt's q bliz2ardl' he thought, with
alarm, for he had been born upon the
Northwest prairios and knew the dang Il
of being caught out upon that moved
fiat, so far from any house, for the near
est dwelling was that of farmer acros,
Gull Lake, two miles aud half to the
southeast
He hai not much time to think or tC
exercise his fears before the great storm
was upon them,
1t was nothing less than hurricane
from the beginning, and at the first fierce
gust the big unwieldy rack careenei with
its load SO that the little girls screened
with fright and the horses stopped ant
! stood turning their heads away from tn,
| peltiug sleet which drove down at thu
first burst Of the storm.
The air was filled instantly with thi
driving ice.
Dick shouted Mt the animals ant
slapped at them with the lines, but the,