The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-04-08
THEAWFULBLIZZAR
AN uNMERclEJL MORSE GOD THAT
RULES THE PLAINS.

No Person Can Understand What Terrible
Things They Are Until He Has Seen
One-With All Mans Care, They Are
Still His U~nconquered Enemies.
The blizzard, as the plain mans YER
nacular designates the prairie snow
storm, is utterly incomprehensible to
one who has not experienced 1t, Gen.
Grated in the great storm breeding re-
gions Of barren British America and
swept on arctic blasts along the vast
level reaches that stretch eastward from
the Rocky mountains, with no forest to
break its force, it becomes a demon OF
the air, second only to the cyclone or
tornado in destructiveness. The moisture
is ground as between millstones, hurl-
ed with bulletlike energy over hundreds
of miles Of level plain, and finally,
transformed into yeasty sleet by the sof-
tening effects of lower ATTITUDES, falls in
bleak showers on the ranges Of Texas
and No Mans Land.
Lack of cheap building material and
the brevity of the winter season on the
prairies contribute to make the settlers
cabin a poor refuge. When the blizzard
comes, every resource Of fuel is hus-
banded, and it is faced with a grim de-
termination to see it through.
But not all are prepared v sc we'll
as the settler. Occasionally a belated
emigrant, ell route either to q chosen
claim on the frontier or toward the
pleasantly remembered east, where he
hopes to find old friends and helpers, is
caught by the blast. He may have a
tiny stove inside the canvas topped prai-
RE schooner, but its heat can do little
against the power of the storm. Shell
tered by the low bluff Of some ravine or
water course he may weather the drag
ging hours of suffering, but the chances
are that team and driver will be found
a CHASTITY monument to the storm kings
strength.
The farmer who has hurried 10 or Is
miles to the nearest village to secure
supplies for the impending visitation
is often overtaken before reaching his
waiting family and perishes on the road,
for no matter how we'll he knows the
path when the blizzard RACES his way
Is az that Of the mariner without q COM
pass. :
AT the prairie sc~hoolhouses, where
the settlers children are gathered from
q territory covering many miles in ev-
cry direction, the blizzard brings terror
to the pupils as we'll as to their parents.
Rescue is impossible until the lull
comes, and awful possibilities Turk in
the bosom Of the storm. A Dakota
schoolmistress failed to dismiss her
scholars in time for them to reach
home and found herself and them pris-
oners from q billiards. approach. A
night and q day at least were before
her, during which her little charges
must be protected. Deliberately she
apportioned the food remaining in the
dinner pals, divided the larger boys
into squads to keep the fire burning
steadily, and when darkness came put
the younger pupils to sleep or the bench
es. Then through the bitter night she
sang, acclaimed, told stories, invented
games and kept the frightened children
amused and cheered as best she could.
The following day passed much the
same, but still no abatement of the
storm nor any rescue. The second night
was dreary indeed. The children cried
themselves to sleep. hungry and cold.
With her own hands the teacher broke
up desks and blackboard to feed the vo-
racious stove. With morning came q
shout at the door as the settlers shovel
ed away the snow, and then the plucky
girl to whom the children owed their
lives showed her womanliness - and
tainted.
The loss among stock on the plains by
each blizzard is appalling. There is less
exposure OF herds and f1ocks now than
in earlier times, yet every season causes
the destruction Of thousands Of head Of
cattle and sheep on the ranges and in
the unshelterd corrals. Several years
ago, during the height Of the Texas cat
tie trade, a blizzard in western Kansas
early In December destroyed more than
half OF 300, 900 cattle that were being
herded on the open prairie. AT one rail
way station, after the storm, 30, 900
hides were shipped, at another 20, 600.
One ranchman found but 225 head alive
out OF $500 that had been grazing be-
fore the catastrophe. Several hundred
ponies and q score Of herders also per-
ished.
The blizzard is a permanent feature
OF the prairie winter. Nothing but aide
cided climatic revolution can secure to
the great transmississippi religion i'm
munity from its death bearing presence.
Better preparations are yearly being
made to Withstand its fury and to pro-
tect more generously the dumb animals
who suffer equally with their masters.
The signal service is rendering aid in
warning communities reached by tele-
graph OF the storms approach, while the
settlers, taught by bitter experience,
take with each season better precautions
n provide more intelligently for their
time Ut need, which is sure to come.
But, with all man 9 care and defense,
the blizzard remains unconquered. 1t is
cruel. relentless and unmerciful as some
Morse god, from whose kingdom il