The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1891-02-20
WINTERS TALE
Dakota's Blizzard Of Blizzard.
Recalled.
Beneflcent Results of the Lat.
Storm by Comparison-An Old
settier's Vivid Rccoilections.

MITCHELL, S. D., Feb. 1o-Th
recent snow storm, with many 0
The symptoms of a blizzard, reminds tn
writer OF tho terrible January IL, 1885
In some features the late storm resem
bied thai one, which will ever be mem
orable as a climatic phenomena,.in thi
taat a strong wind swept from TIL
northwest, and the air was filled witt
snow, but it lacked the electricity AM
the biting cold of the former, tho dis
tressing, bewildering features of tina
terrible storm. The latter came in the
night time, and the people were civel
warning not to venture put. The othe
came in the daytime, after a cloudless
balmy morning, and the loss OF life wa
fearful.
On the morning of that memorable
day the writer sat in a harber's chair Al
Aberdeen when the first few fakes OF
snow began to fall. The morning wa.
so warm and beautiful that All oycrcoa
was burdonsoAne. Before the lob ot
shaving was finished tho storm had
grown SO bad that it was almost impos.
sible to find the way back to tho hotel.
w blocks distant. This was about {
o'clock. BY noon the air w; 9 SO full q
snow that it was darker In
the hotel than a cloud y
twilight and the lamps wore lighted.
All day long the building shook and
rocked, but one within yentured even
outside the doors, Bewildered citizens
OF the city struggled into the hotel dur.
ing the day, not daring to venture
home, and In many a household in Aber-
deem that night there was mourning for
supposed lost ones.
The storm spent it's force that night.
and a surrey of the field showed a bad
condition of things. Many small build,
lngs were buried beneath huge drifts.
the streets were impossible and re.
%scueing parties were sons to release tho
imprisoned in those humble homes, In
one ward school house tho childeen had
10 remain until the. next morning and
their parents didn't know whether they
we're alive or frozen in some snow bank.
Several farmers who had come to the
city were found frozen on the prairies.
n or two within sight OF their homes.
oaS Z
The second day following the storm
a train started south, and on this the
writer took passage. 1t wa a combina-
ton train of two cabooses, two engines,
on board OF which were three travelling
mon and some thirty snow shoyelers'
IRE head engine was a gigantic
''lnogul," with a snow pillow. 1t was nm
Interesting sight to see that giant make
q ran or Wn mi1aa fn,s , ;, - =, 4 a.; TO- M.
a moment nothing could be seen but a
rising bank of snow, as If some sub
force was hurting it into the
air, and then the '.mogul, would
emerge on the other side, quivering and
shaking as If it we're human instead of
iron and steel.
anything out of the
near to Alpena. There we
were reminded OF death. In n cut north
OF Alpena the large engine in hurting
out OF a cut also threw out q
being frozen into tho most hor-
rlble shape. In his death struggles he
a placed his head on his knees, and
with eyes and mouth wide open met his
rate, aud when found was a horrible
sight to behold. The body was brought
into the caboose occupied by the tray
ellng men. Joking ceasedas VIC behold by
the dim light ofan old lamp the distorted
features OF a human being who only n
few days before had been as full of life
we who sat and viewed the corpse.
II was iatsat night when tho body was
left at Alpena, and it was with n feel
ing OF relief that we all saw 1t leave the
car. During tho night tho train reached
Woonsocket. The next day we got to
Mitchell, and two days later started
south toward Sioux City. Tho one
corpse found in the drift north Of Al
pena was nothing compared to the
sights that met us at tho stations in
hutchinson and Bon Homme counties.
Here the storm struck in the afternoon.
and moro than q score of farmers re-
turning from the markets persisted on
the prairies. In one depot we saw four
frozen bodies, In another three, besides
the hall dozen on the train being sent
east for burial.
10 the writer balmy mornings
in midwinter bring a shudder
tho mind will not forgot that
18th of January or the horrible
that followed for a week non
us ucau. a north wand in balmy
weather is ominous, and whether the
shock to tho nerves has created a super
stition or whether tho Impressions of
that day and its sad endings have ere
ated a feeling OF dread that comes when
seems to duplicate the morning
that memorable day, cannot be told.
But sure it is that the fear of a blizzard
is anything but lido fancy.
Instead of being destructive to life
and property the late storm has been a
blessing to the state. In tho Jim val
ley south Of Redlield fully twelve inches
Of snow fell. II 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
have occurred.