The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
BLIZZARD KILLED GAME.
GREAT DAMAGE DONE IN THE
woods OF s0UTH JERSEH

Thousands OF Birds and Small Animals
Found Dsnd-Msrsh Hens That Failed
to Migrate "a Usual Frozen in the
Meadows-GRme In the South Suffered.
SEA ISLE CRY, N. j., Feb. 25.-Now that the
snow is melting. the fact Is divulRed that
thousands Of birds and small animals perlshed
during the recent blizzard In the woods OF
South Jersey. Large numbers OF duails and
rabbits. which were either starved or frozen to
death. are being found every day by farmers
on the mainland. One day this week Penn
Bauer of South Seaville. n. j., found a gray
fox and a pheasant lying side by side. at the
foot OF a tree, dead.
Opossums and raccoons by tho score have
persisted. and many bodies OF these animals
have been found in the woods. Rabbits were
almost exterminated. it is asserted. In o field
near Woodbine an entire bevy OF duails. num-
boring fourteen. was found frozen to death.
On a number OF farms the qualls ventured into
the barnyards aud fed among the chickens.
Hawks. owls. crows and buzzards fell victims
TO the intense cold. The greatest destruction
occurred among the birds that frequent the
great salt marshes extending from Great Egg
Barbor Bay to Cape MAY Point. On the
meadows adjacent to Sea Isle City gunners.
In search OF ducks. have found several hum
dred meadow larks frozen to death. Thousands
Of the smaller varieties OF birds. including the
"SuS'NO "i' ohuip pau hNhV SbO" lNihk
song sparrows and crossbills. are dead.
1t Is usual for the marsh hens to migrate to
Virginia and North Carolina in October. but
for some reason thousands OF these birds re-
manned on the south Jersey meadows this fall
instead OF going south. They died by thou
sands. During the past week hundreds OF
dead birds have been seen on the Anglesea.
Seven-Mile Beach. Sea Isle City and Ocean
City meadows. Charles CloutinG and Capt.
| William 2htfAn On AnnIay Fn,,nI ,o..1, pnn
dead hens along the banks OF a small
creek. The mud hens met death In a pecu-
liar way. When the blizzard began the sur
face OF the meadows was covered with from
three TO five inches OF water. The birds sought
shelter under the large tussocks Of sedge grass
that grows along the banks ofthe small streams.
standing in water several inches deep. During
the night the weather became intensely cold.
The water in which the birds were standing
froze solid. and when the morning came thou
sands OF the birds were held captive by the ice.
Struggle as they would. the birds could not re-
lease themselves. and in this manner they
either froze or starved to death. Capt.
CloutinR examined a number OF the birds
and in nearly every instance found that tho
birds had broken legs. which resulted. un-
doubleday. from the desperate efforts the hens
made to free their feet from the ice. A num-
Der OF ducks were found at Corson's Inlet alive.
but held captive by the leo. The only birds
known to have weathered the storm In south
Jersey were the biz white winter or Iceland
gulls. They fairly revelled in the snow. ice
and zero weather.
CHARLESTON. s. c.. Feb. 24.-The recent bliz-
Zard killed thousands of birds. Around Charles
ton. where snow is seldom seen. birds were
frozen to death by the wagonload. Woodcock.
cartridges, quails. doves. and robins suffered
most. After the first day of the heavy snowfall
numbers OF woodcock especially were driven
into Charleston. THE SUN correspondent. who
was writing at midnight in a Broad street
newspaper office on the first night OF
the storm. saw n fine woodcock stunned
by being driven against n window at his
side. The bird had probably ZONE from miles
away. On the same night woodcock died all
over the city and were picked up in the snow
on the following morning. The village Of
Mount Pleasant. which is Just across the river
from Charleston. was overrun with wild birds.
One afternoon a boy went out and in an hour
picked up seventy four woodcock. The birds
not frozen were forced in to the cleared
grounds. where shooting was easy. and the
hunters had q picnic while it lasted.
AneRro hunter tells of having killed twenty
two partridges with one shot during the
storm. He was out late in the afternoon when
his dog pointed. In some grass thirty feet
ahead he saw a covey OF partridGes. all
punched. The negro could see them plainly In
the snow. and the birds would have probably
scattered had 1t not been for the cold. The
negro fired. A few stray birds got up and few
away In a wild. confused manner. and when
the hunter went to investigate he found
twenty-five birds dead. None had died Of
the cold. but mail shot had killed them. The
negro had the birds. at any rate. to show to
prove his story.
The robins were caught unawares. and hun
dreds. IL not thousands. died. Doves suffered.
too. and in some parts OF the State the little
tribe OF bluebirds was practically destroyed.
The bluebirds have been dying out rapidly OF
late years and this last freeze has about ended
their troublesome career. The English spar
row. the bird Of all others which people would
like to see disappear. was unframed. In fact,
the sparrows seemed to like the snow. for they
hoped about and twittered while other birds
crouched in the cold and shivered and died.
The birds throughout tho entire State did not
suffer seriously. though very few regions
escaped the freeze and general destruction.
One peculiar feature of bird life which was
shown conspicuously In the storm was the
helpless manner in which the buzzards drifted
| around. The buzZard is one OF the noted flyers
OF Charleston. Every day dozens OF them can
be seen sitting quietly on the top Of the public
markethouse. and they have none OF that fear
Of people which is the chief Characteristic OF
the buZZard in the country. The birds in
Charleston have grown tame through constant
association with business life and they walk
around the street to the surprise Of the visitor
from the North. When the storm came the
buzzards were out OF their element. They sat
on the markethouse Disconnected and appar-
emily helpless. The cold was too much for
them. and not until the sun returned did the
flock scatter out to hunt for food. A few OF
the buZZards were frozen to death here in
Charleston. and the flocks in the planting dis
trict suffered considerably.
Pussy's Midair Victory Over an Eagle.
From he Chicago Times. Herald.
MuKERRAnnT Pa. Fab Ia ilnar CAT hn-