The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-01-19

In the accounts OF the storms last
winter frequent mention was made OF
the great blizzard OF 49," and some
short descriptions given in the papers
carried me back into the very heart
of that frightful tempest and caused
me 20 re-live, ia the most vivid manner,
the whole of the three days expert
ence. j have been in many similar
storms of snow but never in any which
had the same sustained, inexorable
fury.
As n matter of fact. blizzard on the
prairie corresponds 10 IA tempest on
the sea, which never affects the sailor
twice exactly alike. Each norther
seems 10 have n character OF It's own;
one may be short sharp, high-keyed
and spiteful; another slow. steady, re-
lentless, wearing out the prisoned peo-
pie by day after day of storm
siege. while another would be simply
appalling with the suddenncss and in
finite weight of its snow and the in
tensity of its cold.
Then again each storm has its spe-
cial mode OF attack. One threatening,
nuttcring and lowering for days, while
another, like 1.-THE great blizzard"
leaps like stalking tiger on the tray
eler 1t is this storm which is so de-
structive 90 life. Coming almost in
stantly out OF clear sky. IL finds the
traveller far from home. the children
at school and the husbnndman unpre-
pared for the assault Such was the
character OF the blizzard in February,
1874.
All day on that memorable date the
neighbors In their sleighs streamcd by
the schoolhouse where we youngsters
sat listening "wistfully TO the music
OF the bells" Everyone was tempted
out by the brilliant sunshine and the
warm south wind. Farmers went by
with wood racks. bound for the tim
Der which grew along the river several
miles below Others jingled past in
light sleighs, with their wives seated
beside them, on the way 10 the stores
in the neighboring town.
All day, until half-past three, the sun
shone warm and the caves dripped
merrily. The windows 20 tho south
were open and the children played
without mittens. But about n quarter
10 four the scholars on the north side
of the room looking out saw wide
seamless. gigantic dome of slaty-blue
cloud rising. swift, ominous and noise
.lsxS, sweeping on TO the south like
- shad ow OF night At its upper
shses there was beautiful fringe OF
lfver-white vapor which was in mo-
vNpn, wavering TO and fro, shimmering
nm frost. But the mass of the cloud
r,ua a dense, sinister look.
At four o'clock the sun was still
shining but the edge OF the cloud had
crept, or, more properly, shot across
the suns disc, and It's light was grow
ing pale and cold In a few minutes
more the wind from the south ceased
there was n moment of breathlcss
pause-and then. borne on powerful
north wind, the streaming clouds
swept upon us. Large flakes Of snow,
damp and wide-winged, drove in a
level line into the face OF the trav-
cler, sticking TO the clothing and
cheek and melting rapidly. IL was
not yet cold enough to freeze, but the
thermometer must have been rapidly
falling. We dashed home merry with
the beautiful snow.
by the time we had reached home, n
half mile away, the wind was gale,
the snow n vast binding cloud driving
through the air with a peculiar faint
whispering murmur, eddying and sour
rying In fantastic and beautiful lines