Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-15
STORM OF '88
IS RECALLED.
More Than Two Hundred
Lives lost in Northwestern
Territory 80 Years Ago.

Mitchell, S. D., June 15.-Just thir-
" years 6 January 1913, 1888, tho
worst storm in the history of the Uni
ted States weather bureau and the
states of northwest territory. ragged
over the central west. taking a toll of
more than 200 lives and killing thou
sands of farm animals.
ODD timers asserted that there
had been a storm Of equal, If not
worse proportions in October, 1880.
but there are no definite records ou
the first storm. and it is known 20
have been more locally confined than
the great storm of 49,"
The storm seems to have originated
in Nebraska. and extended to central
Iowa n Wisconsin eastward and to
the Montana line on the west. The
temperature was above freezing when
the storm cloud approached this city,
but by the next morning it had drop
ped to 81 degrees below zero. Grand
Forks, N. d., reported a temperature
Of SO degrees below while Bismarcn
claimed to be suffering to the extent
Of only 80 below. At Sioux City.
Iowa, it was % below.
The loss of life wal the heaviest in
what was thu known as the Dakota
territory, the two Dakotas having be-
come states in the same year: After
reports had been published in some
parts of the country that 1000 lives
were lost. the Mitchell Republican,.
then the only daily newspaper in the
territory, made an exhaustive study
Of the storms toll. and finally pub
lisEed a list of 100 known deaths. due
Immediately to the storm. Deaths in
Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Mon.
tana doubled this total.
The storm seemed to be at Its worst
here. Monday morning broke clear
and warm. While there is nc record
of the temperature, witnesses say that
women hung their washings out 20
dry that day without fear Of the
clothing freezing.
About noon q cloud was seen in the
southwest. A few minutes later q
6O-mile wind swept the town. ana
soon the wind driven sleet made it
impossible to see the length Of a city
block.
The drop in temperature in the first
hour is reported as having been from
40 to 60 degrees. Persons who were
only a short distance from their
homes in some cases never reached
safety. Several men were lost be-
tween their barns and their homes.
and were later found frozen within
a few feet of their doorways.
People here who ventured out Of
doors that afternoon were voted
either heroes or fools, depending on
their missions. Three men, j. E.
Wells (now mayor of Mitchell), j.
D. Wood and Tom Ball, all of whom
were caught down town, each visited
one of the three schools in the city
and told the teachers to. keep the
youngsters in until aid came to them,
promising to e food. This latter
promise, however, could not be kept.
Desks were used for fuel, but in ev-
cry case the teachers kept their
charges in doors.
! In the country schools there was
considerable loss. In one instance, u
teacher dismissed his pupils when he
saw h storm growing. OF the eleven
children who started out, nine never
reached home.
a 13-year-old boy was frozen 10
death in his fathers arms near here.
Frank Allen and his son were haul.
ing hay when the storm overlook
them within five rod of the residence.
The team refused to face the storm,
and the Aliens dug a hole in the fast
piling drifts, only to be crowded out
by the cold rae horses. After sew
eral hours battle to keep alive, the
father braved the storm, carrying the
weakened youth in his arms. The
boy had been able to stand when tho
the house was reached. The horses
We're frozen.
The storm accounts are not without
occasional rays of humor. The old
Alexander Mitchell hotel was evident
ly the hang out" at that time. and
a fight started there over the relative
merits of the storm Of tina day anil
the one Of October, 1880. Which side
won is not recorded but the few re-
naming "'79 'ers'' living here are
still positive that the first storm was
the worse,