The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-04-08
Saturday. April s. 1893.
AN APRIL RLlZZAKD.

The storm which broke over this 10
cality at an early hour on Friday. thu
1th OF April. was unprecedented in fur,
end will long be remembered as a not
able elemental disturbance. 1t had
been breeding for days with a stiff cas-,
WIND and an overcast sky. but when on
Thursday afternoon the symptoms ex.
ploded IN a wind storm with accom-.
panying electrical display. and the wind
chopped squarly around to the west. it
was reasonable to suppose that the OK.
-pected disturbance had eventuated and
That with the changed conditions. We
might look for fair weather. But
though the wind remained in the fair
weather quarter. it continued to increase
velocity during Thursday night and
about , O'Clock Friday morning if be-
gan to rain: this was almost immedia-
teiy succeeded by snow and the biz
card was ushered into n~xistence. Morn.
ing brought a sorry sight 10 the people
Of this vicinity. Tie bowling wind.
which at n time reached "a velocity of
fOrty-seven miles an hour. was whirlipr
b snow before It in dense clouds.
while drifts four or five feet biob had
formed in every place where an obstruc-
Ton had broken the force of the gale,
Inc snow was wet and packed closely
wherever it struck, and when driven by
HE furious gale against the unprotected
10fAn m hanIc ~ <,,. E1..
Aettles. All during the forenoon it
hOwled with increasing fury but as the
sun approached the meridian it seemed
to have reached its maximum and
though it continued to be a pretty
respectable storm all the afternoon if
sxradually quoted down and at ) O'Clock
the snow had stopped and the wind
merely a gale instead of a hurricane.
h great anxiety of all was of the
effect 1t would have on the range stock.
Strong or weak, young or old. whatever
was found in its pathway during the
twelve or fifteen hours thai it raged
must perforce move with il. and the fear
is that weak stock may have succumbed
IN the weary drive. and that even the
strong may have been piled up on each
other IN some coulee or under a cut
bank and many died from suffocation
oheep may have suffered butonly where
tney were exposed to the weather, and
IN those Hooks when Landing has com
menced as a rule the sheepmen are pre-
pared Tor any short seiee like this. hay
ing ample shelter for their tlocks. For
fnna,eiy for all. the storm was not \ cold :
One; tne mercury was not at any time
lower thar - and despite the discom-
forts OF the storm the air had "a fresh
and almost balmy fleeing |
As We are general. booked for a Iii
version Of this kind some time in the Z,
spring Of every year. it is perhaps ,
to render thanks that il
has come and gone and that we are
through with if. While it has unboabt- a
caused much damage. it might |
have been worse if il had come later. ;
II 1t clears of warm now, as it probably :
viii, there will be big water all over the
country. as il looks as il as much snov I
fallen in this one storm. as We had +
during the whole winter. It should
have been a rain. but in its effects in !,
producing early grass, it will be better
han any rain. Though the storm has I
departed. those who faced its fury yes
terday will not soon forget it. n