The Dickinson press., 1902-03-22
Estimates ot
Losses Too Large

~
Losses Too Large
The three.days' storm ending Sunday /
night, March Is, will long be remem-
bered by the people of Western North
Dakota. 1t was cool and cloudy the
morning of the 14th and before noon was
showing a little and by night time the
was falling fast. A northwesterly
wind was blowing which increased in
velocity during the night. SATURDAY.
morning the air was full Of snow and
mercury registered around zero, its range
during the day and also the following
day. The few delivery teams that APP
peared on the streets Saturday morning
were put back into the barns after an
hour or so, and no n thought of having
a team out during the afternoon. The
storm was worse if anything Sunday
morning, but during the afternoon the
weather improved somewhat and was a
good deal better in the evening.
By Monday morning the storm had en-
tirely abated and the people commenced
to shovel out. 1t was still cool and the
thermometer did not indicate many de-
grees above zero at any time during the
day. On Tuesday, however, it began to
warm up and the snow was melting fast
in the afternoon.
1t is hard to tell how much snow fell
but it could not have been less than 5 or
6inches. All of the coulies were filled
with snow, the hills and table lands being
blown bare.
The storms made business for the
Northern Pacific, no trains being re-
ceived from the east from Friday after
noon until Wednesday. Trains came
in from the west, and it wasnot very bad
between Dickinson and Mandan, but on
the Dakota division, east of the river,
trains were tied up as they had not been
for years.
The snow storm OF March 10 and 20,
1884, was similar to this storm except
that it was much warmer and was not Of
so long duration. So it is necessary
to 60 back to the winter Of 1867 to find
anything as bad as the present storm, an
many old timers say there has be en- moth
ing to approach it for 20 years.
LIVE STOCK
No one seemed to be thinking oflosses
among sheep or cattle until Sunday when.
it was learned that the D. B. Zimmerman.
band Of 37oo at Sentinel Butte was badly
scattered and nearly half Of the number
persisted. News also came Of a 1000
loss Of sheep out Of a band Of 1900 be-
longing to Banker Moss of Billings. OF
course these were extreme cases but it
put the stockmen around the city to
thinking.
The Zimmerman sheep were on the
open prairie Friday morning without amy
shelter or protection whatever. The fore
man was apprehensive Of a storm and
headed his large band for the hills. But
to hold such a band of sheep outside of
good sheds in such a storm was an i'm
possibility. Z
The Moss case was another extreme
one, only little worse. The sheep
were shipped from Billings last Thurs
day and unloaded on the prairie t Craze
few miles west Of Wibaux. There was
no protection, moi even hills. and when
the storm came up the herders were al
the mercy Of the elements.
The weather. il will be remembered
for a week proceeding the storm had
been very fine. The snow was getting
welltof and many Of the ranchman were
partlya at least, of their guard, thinking
that it was nearly spring time and tina,
there would probably be very little more
bad weather. However, the storm came
up gradually on Friday and those ranch
ers who were grazing stock that day gen.
orally headed their flocks and herds fol
home at an early hour, which saved many
an owner from severe losses.
The loss Of the VIM. Wamsley band
about 4,ooo-was the first bad news e
come from the south. The Wamsle,
ranch is IL or IS miles southwest d; New
England. The herder attempted I,
bring the lamb band in Friday noon
but missed the corral by about 100 yards
MI. WamsleY and a number of men )
the ranch went to the rescue, but with a
that they could do the lambs could no
be brought in and soon were scattered Il
the -four. winds. probably less than 100 be
, being saved out Of 1900. The old shee]
were out further and did not get in at Al
This band Of sheep was owned by rev
erals individuals. Parker Bros. and .
!, F.Alleyfowned 3ooo. John CLARK som
: over 400 and G. Boney the balanc.
The exact loss will not be known for
day Or two. but when J. G. r. Parke
$ went out on Tuesday he did not expes
anything less thania 50 per cent los
This is sprettys hard. but dozens Of me
]. like Mead. Current, Griswold, Crawfor
Barnett, Pearl, Rumble, Hilliard& Merr
I and others inthe same locality, havin
from 4, 100 to 5000 sheep, are suppose
s 10 BE all right.
NJ. Wamsley va considered anon