The Portland daily press., 1897-12-18
Experiences in the Great Storm OF
1896.
HOW 1T IMPRESSED THE MAN
FROM THE EAST.
Mountains of Snow--Nine Days without
Trains-General Suffering-A Half
Breed Hero, Etc.

Drank B. Tracy in New York Evening
Post.)
The day before Thanksgiving day, 1896,
was blustery, cold and storm brewing at
Langdon, N. D., which lies in the great
wheat belt of the valley of the Red River
of the North. The snow fell scantily
most of the day, and the chill, sharp
winds blew it and the previously fallen
snow into drifts. The train came into
the little station behind time. but rush cd
back to st. Paul as quickly as possible,
for "lay out" on the prairie during a
blizzard is Stunned and feared by the ex-
perienced trainmen of the Dakota roads.
There were many people in town that
day, preparing for tie New England OBJ
servance, and they hurried home in their
rough, ). unpainted sleds, just trife ap-
prehensive of the morrow. Not thai. they
were afraid; but the day inspired uneasi-
ness, and it is not pleasant to be lost on
the prairie on winter night where one
miles without seeing house, and where
roads and fences are almost unknown.
But the storm lessened in intensity at
nightfall, the stars came out, and all fear
of blizzard passed away. Those who
attended the rattle at "Big Jake's" that
night saw no signs of a storm when they
retired. and the dancers at Easily felt sure
on their way home at O'Clock that the
day would be calm and fair. But the
editor of the Weekly News, when he was
Cup" at o'clock, to pour another sout-
tleful of that Sill. so anthracite coal into
the hungry stove, thought he heard some
thing strike the house with roar, and as
he crawled back into bed the cottage
shook, and he sighed az he lsy down again
well, guetss we're in for storm after
ALL"
He had often heard of billiards., but he
had never seen a genuine Dakota affair,
this being his first winter in that section
Of the world, and he was little prepared
for the scenes of the next day. When he
arose for breakfast he found to his amaze
ment and dismay that the snow had
poured into the cottage through thous-
and invisible creyices, and was piled in
heaps over carpet and floor. 1t was
oacked in between the.storm window and
7e inner window, SO that the light did
4 penetrate, He tried to open the back,
..,uth door, but that was impossible. The
snow had been carried round the corner
from The north and had ouddled up to
S)uth fronts. and exposures like brood
oI,;a CT 80
roar of the storm, and then he began to
realize that there had come to that
Dakota town real blizzard.
But, as soon as possible. he hurried
off to the office, for it was publication
day, and he intended to get off the papers
early and send the boys home. AS he
stepped out upon the street the swift rush
ofythe wind struck him and almost hurled
him to the ground. And with that fear
full wind, coming straight from the north
came the snow in torrents, cutting,
binding and freezing. Objects across the
piled up on the walks and only few
lights were to be seen at intervals in the
d stance. 1t was an awful day, and the
editor CROPPED his way along as we'll as he
could. He fell again and again in going
those two blocks to the office; he had to
stop at the hotel on the way, and when
he rushed through the front door of the
Weekly News building he was exhausted
and almost ready to drop. although he
had been an athlete at college and in no
sense q weakling.
The office was a remarkable sight.
Snow was over everything from the
"power press" of which the publisher
was very proud, to the box of sound
money literature, most of which.had been
distributed and had done good work for
the cause during the previous months.
II presume the train will be late to-
day." ventured the editor timidly to the
visitors who dropped in and mounted the
high stools near. the fire.
CLAW, haw, haw! Late? Well, yes. i"
they all roared. "You won't see any
train into this town before Monday, and
you'll be lucky If you get it them
The editor paled at the thought No
Train lcF i've OdyS anu UQo wires all DOWN
Then he frightened up and determined
to make the best of it. He shut the office
up, sending the boys home, and with his
wife spent the day with the college chum
who had induced him to come up into
that frigid zone few months previously
Throughout the day the wind grew higher
and the cold more piercing, the drifts be-
came greater, and the day became so
gloomy that lamps were lighted in many
of the houses all day long.
Although no farmer came to town that
day, there was one boy who did come,
a I'd his coming deserves to rank with
some of the great rides of history, not for
its heroism in q grand way, but the de-
yotion to simple duty of the rider and the
awful risk of the journey. 1t was an as
group of loungers at the post
Office into which the boy burst that day.
''What is that your" cried the post
master; Joe you're the biggest fool |
ever saw. "