The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-10

with no more warning than has been
suggested.
II was impossible 10 see across the
street. the mercury that. d few seconds
before, had stood above freezing had
dropped close to zero. and the wind was
blowing, apparently, from all points at
once The streets were quickly emptied
Of people. teams that had been standing
out unblanketed were FASTENED 10 shelter
and while no one realized for a time the
real nature Of the disturbance. it did not
need the remark Of an old-timer 10 con-
vince the little group that clustered
around the big stove in the offi-s Of the
old Alex. Mitchell Hotel that twas a
blizzard. sure enough"
Darkness fell early. but brought no let
Up I'm the violence Of the storm. In fact.
the wind grew fiercer, while the mercury
went lower. Word was sent 20 the teach
ers in the several public schools about
town 10 permit none OF the children TO
start home unless their parents came for
them, but 70 keep up the fires and arrange
to spend the night in the buildings. Pro
visions were sent TO the schools, although
{
ana coming. ana Instructions left as TO
keeping up the fires. there being no jaui-
tor in some of the buildings
Everything Closed Up.
Farmers who had delayed starting for
home when the blizzard struck were dis
suaded from making the attempt. Bust
ness men and merchants found it profit
{ 2
and by 4 o'clock nearly everything was
closed up. while various attempts were
made by persons downtown 10 get 20
1 their homes. Some were successful. where
/ the direction was away from the storm
and the distance not too great but many
a man backed out after going a few
/ blocks. and put up at the hotel for the
night. And yet the area Of the Town was
/ Jess than ten blocks from the center in
any direction.
] lived seven blocks from the Office I'm a
( nortbeasterly direction, and after put
ting the paper To press about $50 D. M ]
started Tor home. For five blocks due
east / struggled and houndered along
/ through the sWirling. deepening drifts OF
/ fine snow that cut the face like SHARP
/ sand. binding the sight and freezing
about the nose and mouth until breath.
/ ing became very difficult As / felt ny
/ way along from fence 20 fence, I could
/ imagine what show for life there would
/ be for either man OF beast out on thf
( open prairie. Near the end OF the trip il
/ was necessary TO cut diagoHally across
! some vacant lots 20 reach the house. q
J distance OF about q block and half. and
although I could not see an inch ahead
and was almost exhausted from the twist
/ ing grip of the shifting snowdrifts about
10y feet and legs, and my breath was
almost sucked from my lungs by the pc
culiar effect of the whiriing wind. I de-
/ Jermined to take the chance OF crossing
! that open stretch.
Lost His Way.
But had not struggled ahead ten feet
before I lost all sense Of direction. II
/ turning to get my back against the vino
/ had let 20 of my objective point viii
my mind or instinct, or whatever it was
that was working. and 1 could not regain
it, To ,he north a short distance were thC
bluffs Of Firesteel Greek. and 10 the eas
the Jim River bottoms and 1 had no de
sire TO explore either. Darkness was fas
/ descending. the cold was getting NOR,
and more bitter. and there began 10 com,
/ over me that sense of drowsiness and in
/ difference to further effort that is said {,
I precede freezing 10 death. \ slight rift il
I the clouds of snow, however. gave me q
/ glimpse Of the fence corner / had just left
and I realized that 1 had turned almos
entirely around and was headed down
town AGAIN. took the hint made a des
perate plunge or two for the fence, and
imagined that it would be easy 10 Sc
back to the hotel for the night.
But it wasn't. and as the storm lifted
again for a moment. ] saw tuat 1 had un
Willingly turned a corner and was HEADED
due south toward the railroad tracks. in
stead of being on my way west TO thC
| hotel No further warning was needed
and I fought my way TO the nearest h0uSi
10 ask shelter for the night. j struggle
lup the steps To the front door aaI
pounded on it Justify,
The door was opened very cautiously
and an old German baker, who lived ther'
with no family but his wife, stuck his fac,
a little ways out into the storm anC
l gruntad:
81 would like to come in and rest Unit
this storm lets up little I aImos
gasped. thinking, of course. 1 would b.
welcomed under the circumstances.
CouIdn't Get Home.
you no come in here growled tn
old baker as he slammed the door In ml
face. and / without breath enough lef
to do justice to my feelings or strength
enough TO force my way in. Across tn
street was another house where I wa
sure I would be admitted, but it lOoke'
miles and miles away. After furthe
strenuous effort I managed to reach
and was Hospitality put up fer the night
but the sensation OF being within a fey
blocks from home and naturally anxiou
TO know that the family was safe an,
comfortable. and Yet absolutely barre,
from getting to them or hearing from
them. was decidedly peculiar, not TO sa.
painful
Meanwhile the blizzard was distribut
! ing comedy and tragedy with equal non
chaance along its track across the prai
ries. The next day the stories Of drol
happenings and awful disaster began 4
come IN. for the violence of the stor5
had passed before daylight. leaving IN
snow drifted high and the mercury 1T Il
lowest ebb. The school children ha
passed a far more comfortable night :ha
their parents, who imagined all sorts o
harm coming TO the little ones. Two me-
had bumped together on a downtown cor
ner and each yelled at the other:
"Hollo, Who's this?"
ind back the double answer came
! This is Smith, who are yOU2"
And so it was-NVill Smith and ]. h
fellow county officials, each trying TO &c