The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-17
4 A w ESIERN BLIzZARD.
For Three Days Ii Turiousiy WhirIed
snoss frnm the BAD Lands
to the Gulf.

To appreciate the severity OF the
storm that ragged in Nebraska from the
evening of November 30 to the morning
of November % one must have been in
the position of the stockmen OF the
state, exposed to all the fury of the
blizzard on the open prairie, where the
wind had an uninterrupted sweep from
the Bad Lands of South Dakota on the
north to the Gulf of Mexico on the
south, and from the Rocky Mountain
range on the west to the timbered
states of the Mississippi valley on the
east. For nearly three days and nights
the velocity of the wind was that OF
first-class tornado-75 miles an hour
and during the whole period the atmos-
phere was filled with fine particles of
snow and ice carried with the force of
rifle ball against all distractions. The
ranchmen found it impossible to with
stand the elements, even with their
ulsters and furs. But even if they could
have done this it would have been dam
gerous to l4ave gone many yards from
their homes to the rescue of the stock,
since it would have been Impossible to
have found their way back, as il was
not possible to see ten yards ahead for
many hours. They must inevitably
have persisted. During this time the
mercury had gone below zero, though
the sensible temperature was many de-
grees colder This was the condition
responsible for the heavy loss of sheep
and cattle on the ranges of Nebraska
81, Of 1,n
state.
Commission men of the eastern mar
kets kept the wires hot for several days
trying to ascertain the extent ofthe
loss, but it was week before the ranch
men could agree as o the loss sustained,
and even yet many of them admit that
their estimates may have to be changed
either way considerably, as some of
the cattle punches wandered 100 miles
from the range in their mad rsge to
keep ahead of the storm. One instance
as to the manner in which losses were
sustained in sheep is given by James
Berry, large sheep owner, whose
ranch is situated near Ashland. but a
few hundred yards from the precipi
tous banks of the Platte river. A bunch
of about 1000 sheep were securely
penned in large inclosure. After the
storm had prevailed with great fury
for several hours this bunch began to
smother the weaker animals, all crowd
ing toward the wall which served as n
windbreak. The herders went among
them for the purpose of saving the
weaker animals, when the whole bunch
made rush for the open, carried away
a strong fence and rushed madly off
across the prairie. When the river was
reached the whole bunch leaped into
the stream. piled many feet deep and
every animal persisted. This was the
worst disaster chronicled during the
storm. but there were many instances
where similar punches running with
the storm persisted in streams or met
death by rushing over precipices. Even
those herds which found temporary
shelter in rayines and behind sandhills
were little better off, as they crowded
together so closely as to smother half
of the number. Before the sheep could
be rescued that had been shut up in
small draws by large drifts, many of
them persisted.
While the snowfall of the three days
in the aggregate did not approximate
four inches, the furious wind kept the
mass constantly in the atmosphere, NOV
ing with great force, so that the snow
appeared to be falling in great clouds
the whole three days and nights of the
storm. Frequently rushing herds of
cattle and sheep would strike these
great drifts out on the open prairie
and GO half way through them by the
very force of their momentum, only to
then stick there and perish of cold and
hunger. This is especially true of
sheep, the cattle being sufficiently
strong in most cases to go through the
largest drifts or kick their way out
after time. The manner in which the
snow was piled up on the open prairie
in this storm was a surprise to the old
est pioneers in the state. None of them
had ever seen anything like it before.
DISTINCTIONS no larger than sandhill
a foot high would start drift, which
would assume the proportions of gil
gantic mountain within an hour, only
to melt away the next hour.-St. Louis
Globe-D Democrat.
Englsnd's National Menu Improving.
During the last 20 years there has
been an enormous increase in the con-
sumption per capita of certain staple
articles of diet. The consumption of
meat per head per annum has risen in
that period from 112 to 122 pounds.
This is largely owing to the enormous
importation of frozen meat from Aus
tralia and live stock from America and
elsewhere. From 1876 to 1873 the av-
erage annual consumption of wheat
was 5h bushels per head. From 1894 to
1896 it rose to bushels. Foodstuffs on
which the very poor mainly rely have,
to some extent, been replaced by more
nourishing matter. Thus potatoes
have diminished from BAT to 3O5 pounds
per head per annum. Oatme al has been
largely replaced by wheat and other
meals. Tea, on the contrary. has risen
from ~ to 5A pounds per head. and