The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-01-09
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THIS town and vicinity is rapidly re-
cuperating from the very worst snow
storm In the history of lis settlement
the memorial blizzard Of 1888 alone ex-
cepted. There are those even who are
ready to take oath that it outdid the
blizzard. 1t certainly drove the snow
harder and with more telling effect into
buildings and every exposed nook and
corner, but the roar of the elements, the
electric accompaniment and tha whirl-
ing, binding, suffocating snow and in
tense cold of the true blizzard was lack;
1t was snow storm, -tltnaxh, long to be
remembered.
The storm set in Sunday morning and
ranged with pltiless fury for 4S long
hours. The great blizzard lasted about
IA hours. The storm increased in in
tensity every moment during the first
"a hours, reaching the climax on Mon
day. For hours it was impossible to see
across Main street or building or other
object 80 feet distant. The wind blew a
60 mile an hour gale and drove the snow
like powdered steel. Neither man nor
beast could race it. aud happily all were
safely housed. Many business men
never left their homes and few there
were il town who yentured outdoors on
any pretext. The temperature was not
extremely cold, fortunately, aud not a
great deal OF discomfort, was experienced.
The mercury was at zero Sunday morn
ing. slightly above all day. eight above
Monday and degrees below when the
storm subsidized early Tuesday morning.
At this writing we have learned Of but
slight losses OF stock-mostly calf or
two here and there. The pleasant
weather for month previous had en-
ahled the farmers to prepare their build
ings for just such visitor. The storm
was duplicate of the one Thanksgiving,
only worse. So
The way the snow got into buildings
was terror-even into the best con-
structed dwellings-~into garrets, cellars
ane keyholes galore. The average key
hole let in a bushel of it; and crack the
thinness of knife blade, wagon load.
The west sidewalk on Main street was
banked as high as the store doors in
most places and 1t took all bands the
greater part Of two days to clear pass
age way. One drift at the rear of the
Plummer building is II feet high.
Railroad traffic for the first time in
seven winters was at a stand still. Not
a wheel was turned on this end OF the
division Monday. Tuesday morning the
train at Chamberlain started out and
succeeded in opening fifteen miles of the
road by sundown and with no plow OF
any kind on the engine. Meanwhile one
of the new rotary shoyels was working
west from Mason City itrcnaTge 81 Surt
Cosgraye. The plow came down from
Austin. Minn.. Monday nigh and reached
Mitchell Tuesday. The plow, backed by
two locomotives besides its own, will
Supt. COsgrave's private Car attached
left Mitchef Fuesday afternoon and got
into the Kimball yards about daylight
Wednesday morning. The plow was fiv,
hours coming the l2 miles from Whit,
Lake. The outfit with its seventeen
men laycd in the yards here until 10 a
M. melting snow for the engines, as NJ
water could be got to them, and nearl,
everybody took advantage OF the brigh
and beautiful morning to watch tn
rotary shovel clean the track of the hug
drifts that covered the track along tn,
elevators and stock yards. The plo,
moves through the drifts about as fas
as a person can walk, the huge revolvin
wheel in front cutting the SHOW int
fragments and sending it fifty feet ava
through discharge funnel. The sigh
however, is not as inspiring MS to see a
engine rigged with the old style Ilov
/. plunglng into drift after mile ru1
with Frank Woodman at the throttle
The drifts at the elevators we're onl
! about half as deep as when Englnee
Woodman cleared them in 1883.
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