The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-24
A BLIZZARD CLUTCH.
THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF A DA-
KOTA FARMER.
Graphic Story of the Awful Force Of the
Gtorm-Freaks of the Wind and the Fury
of the Snow-How q Farmer Cared For
His Flock.
Especial Correspondence

was but thin sprinkllnS of snow be-
fore that first awful storm. The preced-
ing mild winters had 1u1led US into
false security as complete as it was IN
wise. Cattle and sheep by thousands
were feeding far from barns and sheds
Many people were away from home on
business or for pleasure.
To make my story clear must say
that my buildings are located in
''dip' of the prairie, with a rise on
three sides of perhaps Is or IS feet,
which slope is covered with a ten years.
growth of thickly set cottonwoods and
naples. On the fourth side the ground
gradually falls away, and beyond the
belt of trees on that side lie most of my
fields, and there my cattle and sheep
were feeding on the day in question.
was at the barn getting things ready
to turn in the stock when Harry, my
1O-year-old boy, who had been to the
top of the windmill in boyish sport,
came running to me with white face
and frightened eyes.
ga billiards. comingP' he gasped.
ST know it's one. Oh, papa, the sheep,
OA4O cAOCPt AA6 AO 0C1 I'LL w Nv a. - e@AO
feld on a run.
''StopP' called sternly. go to the
house and stay there. -
felt an instant conviction that the
lad was right about the blizzard, for I
could hear the strange, weird humming
in the air. and now and then a gust of
wind came, cold as the icy breath of
death. The lad ran to the house, and it
was with relief I heard the door close
behind him and knew he was SAFE
Quickly fastening every shed and barn
| door wide open, I caught huge coil of
rope that had hung at hand for such an
emergency for years. I uncoiled it as
ran toward the house. Then, leaving
my wife to fasten an end to a post,
| sped on to the field, joined by my ia
Their, who was visiting US at the time.
| 1 shouted to the cattle as I ran, and,
hearing the call that always meant food
and being already instinctively aware
i of the oncoming white horror, - they
| came on at a mad run for the barn.
The sheep were farther away and paid
no attention to our calls. Paying no
further heed to the cattle, which knew
would not stop till their stalls were
reached, we headed for the sheep, but
had no more than left the shelter of the
trees when the blizzard was upon us.
Rushing, roaring, bowling like TO-
900 demons, it closed about us, the fine
snow singing like needle points and
filling eyes, ears and nostrils so that
breathing was difficult. Clinging to-
gether, we waited until the first fury of
the onslaught was over and then moved
slowly in the direction of the sheep.
Tho 1acf hod e
showed them alarmed and in motion
''Ca-da, ca-da, ca-dar' we called
Justify in concert, and by the time we
had gone dozen rods we had the salts
faction of feeling them close about us,
and we Immediately turned square
around, careful to be exact, as our lives
depended on such care.
We could not see each other or the
sheep, but father and never once re-
Taxed our grasp on each other, SO fearful
were we of being separated by the
crowding of the frightened sheep. We
kept them in motion by shouting our
selves hoarse, but when finally the shell
ter of the trees was reached they hud-
died up among the thick sheltering
NAPLES, and we had to leave them there.
/ We experienced considerable difficulty
in finding the house, wandering from
one side of the "dip'' to the other, but
at last were guided Alright by the ring
ing of a bell in the hands of my thought
full wife. We were well nigh exhausted,
but as soon as we got our breath we
followed the rope to the barn, and, find
ing the cattle all in their places, closed
the doors and thankfully felt our way
back to the house.
All the rest of the day and all night
the awful storm ragged. We slept little
that night, SO it was late when we
awakened. But even then we found the
house in darkness, every window being
walled up with snow. We found it the
same before both doors and could only
make a way out by filling the kitchen
with blocks of the hard packed snow.
When we had at last pierced the drift,
we carried it out block at time
Once outside we made curious dis
covery. The house is two story one,
but it was completely enveloped with
snow, only the chimneys protruding,
while two rods away, on all sides, the
ground was swept clean and bare by the
furious wind as it had eddied about the
building. We found the barns as COM
pactly incased, and it took hours of
hard shoveling to clear tunnel so we
could open door and get in to feed the
hungry stock
That done and breakfast over we went
to. see about the sheep. The snow was
packed so hard we easily crossed the
drifts on improvised snowshoes. 1t took
us some time to find the right place,
and then we dug them out and carried
them one by one in our arms to their
warm shed. We found some dead, smoth
cred, but out of 200 three-fourths came
out all right.
1t was hard, wearisome work and
took us all day and part of the night.
When the last terrible storm struck