Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-09
Details of Fatalities in the South Dn-
EOta blizzard.

| CHAMBERLAIN, S. D., Dec S.-(Special)
Notwithstanding that more than a week
has passed since the recent blizzard, re
| ports of a reliable nature are just be
| ginning to be received from remote portions
west of the Missouri river, eighty or 100
| miles from railroad points or telegraph
stations. 1t has Leen believed that no
| loss of lie resulted from the storm in
| South Dakota, but the belated reports from
| the remote sections referred to show that
| six and possibly eight persons perished in
this state during or as the resul; OF the
terrible storm, which will for years be re-
ferred to as one of the worst billiards. ever
experienced in Dakota.
An unknown man and boy were frozen
to death on the Belle Fourche river. They
went across to the north side of the stream
during the storm for load of hay, lost their
bearings and perished. The bodies CT two
men known as "ScOtty" ard Bob Carson
who were employed by John D. Hale OF
Tiford as sheep herders, have been found
since the storm. When caught in the
blizzard the men were on their way to
Hales ranch on Red Owl creek with eighty
head of sheep. They reached the Belle
Fourche river before being overcome by
the elements. Two white men became
bewildered within four miles of St. Marys
mission, on the Rosebud Indian reservation,
and attempted to make camp. Both are
reported to have sucCumbed to the storm.
Probably the greatest losers by the bliz-
zard were the Lewis brothers, who owned
a flock of 5000 sheep in the western part
of Nowlin county. They not only lost
1000 sheep. but William Lewis himself per-
ished in the blizzard, and Dr. j. Kenidy,
an employe. died the following Monday from
exposure during the storm The brothers
were living at a temporary ranch on Big
Plum creek, one of the tributaries of Chey-
enne river, and their sheeplin two punches,
were about seven miles distant. One Of
them was in the care OF DIR Kenidy and
Ralph Washbern, and the other was looked
after by a German herder. The herders
lived in tents, and the sheep were kept at
night in wire corralS, which could be moved
from place to place as feed became scarce.
On the morning Of the Blizzard William
Lewis tried to move the. sheep to the home
ranch, but they stampeded and piled up in
the pen, which had to be cut so they
could escape to the ppeny prarie. Lewis
followed them, and was Joined by Washbern,
who had left DR.. Kenidy lying in bed in the
tent seriously i'll. After securing a portion
of the sheep Wdshbern again hastened to
Lewis assistance, but htai employer had
disappeared. Washbern, who had now
reached a point many miles from the tent
only saved his own life by following a wagon
track, which took him ITO house wagon
which had been driven into a sheltered
bend OF Buzzard creek by its owner All
night long DR.. Kenidy remained in the
tent with the blizzard bowling through the
holes In the canvas and filling the interior
with snow, A hardy Indian pony that was
plcketed outside so securely that 1t could
not get loose, was frozen to death. Kenldy
was found the next day. but died the fol
lowing Monday. Parties have been
searching for the body OF Lewis, but thus
far have failed to find IT,