Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-02-21
A WINTERS TALE
Dakota's Blizzard of BIizzard.
Recalled.
Bencflcent Results or tho Lat,
Storm by Comparison-An Old
Settlers Vivid RecoiIections.

MITCHELL, s. d., Feb fo.-The
recent snow storm, with many OF
the symptoms of blizzard, reminds the
writer OF the terrible January IL, 1883.
In some features the late storm resem.
bled that one, which will ever be mem.
orable as a climatic phenomena, In this
that q strong wind swept from the
northwest, and tho air was filled with
snow, but II lacked the electricity and
the biting cold OF the former, the dis.
tressing, bewildoring features OF thai
terrible storm. The latter came in tho
night time, and the people we're given
warning not TO venture out The other
came in the daytime, after a cloudless,
balmy morning, and the loss OF life was
fearful.
On the morning of that memorable
day the writer sat in barber's chair at
Aberdeen when tho first few fakes Of
snow began to fall. Tho morning was
SO warm and beautiful that an oyerco al
YVES burdensome. Before the Job Of
shaving was finished tho storm had
grown 80 bad that it was almost impos.
sible to find the way back to tho hotel.
two blocks distant. This was about .
O'Clock. by noon the air WIS so full Of
snow that IL was darker in
the hotel than cloud Y
twilight, and tho lamps were lighted.
All day long tho building shook and
rocked, but none within ventured even
outside the doors Bewildered citizens
OF the city struggled into the hotel dur.
ing the day, not daring TO venture
nome, and In many household In Aber-
deem that night there was mourning for
supposed lost ones.
The storm spent It's force that night,
and surrey OF the field showed a bad
condition OF things. Many small build
iDgs were buried beneath huge drifts.
the streets were impassabls and re-
scueing parties were sent 10 release the
imprisoned In those humble homes. In
one ward school house the childeen had
TO remain until the noXt morning and
their parents didn't know whether they
were alive or frozen in some snow bank.
Several farmers who had come 10 tho
city were found frozen on the prairies,
one or two within sight OF their homes.
but unable TO reach them.
The second day following the storm
train started south, and on this the
writer took passage. 1t was combina-
tlon train OF two cabooses. two engines.
on board OF which were three travelling
men and some thirty snow shoyelers.
The head engine was a gigantic
'moguL with a snow piow. II was an
interesting sight 20 see that giant make
a ran OF two miles for a snow drift. For
q moment nothing could be seen but a
rising bank OF snow, as if some sub
terranean force was hurling il into tho
air, and then tho "mogul" would
emerge on tue other side, quiyering and
SHAKING as If IL were human instead OF
iron and steel.
The train worked its way slowly south
without anything out Of the
ordinary occurring until we came
near 10 Alpena There we
were reminded OF death. In cut north
OF Aipcna tho large engine in hurting
snow out OF q cut also threw out
human being frozen into the most hor-
riblo shape. In his death struggles he
had placed his head on his knees. and
with eyes and mouth wide open met mis-
-
into the caboose occupied by the traY-
cling mon. Jokingceased as we beheld by
the dim light ofan old lamp the distorted
features OF human being who only
few days before had been as fun of life
as we VINO sat and viewed the corpse.
1t was late at night when tho body was
left as Alpena, and il was with feel
ing OF relief that we all saw IL leave the
car. During the night the train reached
Woonsocket The next day wo got 70
Mitchell, and two days later started
south toward Sioux City. The one
corpse found IN the drift north OF Al
pena was nothing compared to the
sights that met us at the stations in
Hutchinson and Bon Hommo counties.
Here the storm struck in the afternoon,
and moro than score Of farmers re-
turning from the markets perished on
the prairies In one depot we saw four
frozen bodies, in another three, besides
the half dozen on the train being sent
east for burial.
To the writer balmy mornings
in midwinter bring shudder
tho mind will not forget that
12th OF January or the horrible
sights that followed for q week among
its dead. A north wind in balmy
weather is ominous, and whether the
shock to the nerves has created super
stition or whether the impressions OF
that day and It's sad endings have cre-
ated n feeling o; dread that comes when
nature seems to duplicate the morning
OF that memorable day, cannot be told.
But sure il is that the fear of blizzard
is anything but idle fancy.
Instead of being destructive TO life
and property the late storm has been a
blessing to the state. In the Jim val
Icy south Of Redheld fully twelve inches
of snow fell. IL will do much good. 1t
may also induce further moisture. Thus
far no fatalities are reported, and there
is no reason why any fatalities should