Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-07
THE CHINOOK.
Pen Picture OF Lite In
the Northwest.

Interesting Pen Picture OF Ike 4"
the Northwest.
"a. b. Coe, in United States weather
Review0
Picture to yourself wild waste OIL
snow. wlnd-beaten and blizzard furro"eu
until tho vast expanse resembles
billowy white sea. The frigid air, dow |
ing half a gale. Is filled with needle-like
snow and ice crystals which sting the
flesh like the bites OF poisonous Insects
and sift through the finest crevlces. Inc
SIM low down in the southern horizon
looks like a frozen globe, with halves
crescents. and bright prismatic bars en-
circling 1t.
Great herds OF range cattle. which roam
at will and thrive on the nutritious grass
IS indigenous to the northern slope, wan
der aimlessly here and there, or more ire
ouently drift with the wind In vain at
temnts TO find food and shelter; moaning
I'm distress from cold and hunger, their
noses hung with bloody icicles, their legs
CALLED and bleeding from breaking the
hard snow crust as they travel-they ap-
neal to the hardest heart for pity IL IS
sure death for human beings to be caught
out In one OF these awful blizzards, WIN
the temperature down to 30 or 90 degrees
below zero, unless rescue Is speedy. YET
such conditions frequently exist In TINS
latitude. as they did for fifteen days IN
November, 1896, when 1t seemed as IL the
elements had conspired to bring ABOUT
another ice age, and annihilate every Nv
ing thing.
Would tho chinook" never come?
The wind veered end backed, now howl
ing as II In derision. and anon be
coming calm, as IL In contemplation OF
the desolation on the face OF nature,
while the poor, dumb animals continued
| their ceaseIess tramp, crying with pam
| and starvation. At last, on December
| LIST, at about the hour OF sunset, there
was a change which experienced plains
men interpreted as favorable TO the
coming Of the warm, southwest wind
At sunset the temperature was only 10
| degrees the air scarcely In motion, but
| occasionally seemed TO descend from
| overhead. Over the mountains In the
southwest a great bank Of black clouds
| huug-dark and awesome-whose VIDE
expanse was unbroken by line or break;
| only at the upper edge the curled and
serrated cloud, blown into tatters by
wind was seen to be the advance
courier of the long-prayed for chinook"
| How eagerly we watched It's APP
proachl How we strained our hearing
! for the first welcome slsnI Va .nS 81
tie breath But II was not until 30 p.
M that the first influence was felt.
First a puff OF heat, summer-like In
comparison with what had existed for
two weeks, and we run to our instru-
ment shelter to observe the temperature
lid goes the mercury, "a degrees In seven
minutes. Now the wind has come with
a a5-mile velocity. Now the cattle stop
travelling, and with muzzles turned to-
ward the wind, low with satisfaction.
Weary with two weeks standing on
their feet, they lie down in the snow, for
thew know that their salvation has come;
that now their bodies will not freeze 10
the ground.
The wind increases In strength and
warmth; Il blows now In one STEADY
roar. the temperature has risen TO 81 de-
grees. the great expanse Of snow 80 in
ches deep on a level is becoming damp
and honeycomed by the hot wind. and W