The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-07

Even the Cattle Ina Montana Eecognize the
First Breath OF the Benign Wind.

Picture 20 yourself O. wild waste CT
STOW, wind-Dcateu and blizzard furrOWed
until the vast cXpause resembles a biz
lOWy White sea. The lrlgld air, blowing
half gale. Is nlled with ucculo-llke snow.
ana Ice crystals which Sung the flesh
Ike tho bites Of poisonous insects, and
slit through the finest creYices. The sun,
low down ID tie southern horizon, locks
Ike frozen globe. with halves, cres-
cents ana bright primaIc bars encir-
cling It,
Great herds Of range cattle. which roam
at VIII and thrive Ou the nutritious
grasses indigenous 90 the northern slope,
wander aimi,ssIy here and there or more
frequently lriit with the wind in vain
attempts 10 md food and shelter, moan
ins IA distress from cold and hunger,
their noses hung with bloody icicles, their
legs called and bleeding from breaking
tAe nara snow crust as they traNtl-tncy
appeal TO the hardest heart Tor pity. 10
ls suro death for human beings TO lie
cAu6hl out IN enc oil these awful biz
1ards, with tie temperature down 10 20
OF OJ degrees below zero, unless rescue is
speedy let. such conditions frequently
exist ln thla latitude as they did Tor III
teen days in November. 1896. when II
seemed as " the elements-lad cOnspired
10 bring about another ice ase. and ami
nilate every living thing
culu tue chinook never Gomez The
WlnQ Neefed and backed, now bowling
As II IN derlslon. ana anon becoming calm
as IT IA contemplation Of the desOlatiCn
on the face OF nature while the poor.
dumO animals continued their ccaselcss
tramp crying with pain and starvation.
Al ldst on December lst. at about the
houf OF sunset, there was change which
NpetIohced plalnsinen Interpreted as fav-
cradle 10 the coming OF the warm south
west wind. At sunset the temperature
was only ID degrees. the air scarcely
Ia moton, hut occasionally seeming to
descend from overhead. over the noun
talnS IN the southwest a great bank OF
black clouds hung, dark and awesome.
whose vice eXpansc was unbrOken by
Inc or break; only at the upper edge the
cuIicd ana serrdtcd cloud, blown into tat
teis by Wlnq, was seen 10 be the advance
courier OF the lcng-prayed for Chinook"
HOW eagerly We watched its approach
How We strained our hearing for the first
welcome sigh OF the gentle BREATH But
IL was not until ll.35 Il. NJ. that the first
innuence was felt. First, a puff Of heat,
suininer-llke IN comparison with what
HaH eAlSteu Tor two weeks, and we run
70 our instrument shelter TO observe the
temperature. Up goes the mercury, "a
degrees IN seven minutes. Now the wind
mas come with q twenty ave mile yeloci-
", NOW the cattle stop travelling and
with mlzzles turned toward the wind
low WIN Satisfaction. Weary with two
weeks standing on their feet they lie
GOWN IN the snow. for they know that
their salvation has come; that now their
bS1les VIII not freeze To the ground.
me wind Increases In strength and
warmth; II blows now IN one steady roar;
tho temperature has risen 10 81 degrees.
the great eXpanse OF snow. 30 Inches deep
on n level Is becoming damp and honey
combed by the hot wind and we retire
satisfied that the 'chlnook'' Is a genuire
and lasting one.
lWelVe hours affcrward there are bare
brown mis- everywhere. tho plains are
covered Win fools Of water. In a few
days the wind will evanorafe Tho 49,
ture. and the roads Will be dry and hsr1
Were II not for the chinook" winds he
northern slope country would not be hab-
itabIe. nor could domestic animals sur
Review. S~'''''