Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1919-12-11
THE STORM OF NovEMBER 1856

1886, is well enembered by the older
residents of the county Many of them
tell about it but no better description
can be given than that which was pub
1ished few years ago IN Topeka pa
pers. It is given as the experience of
Captain Jack Downing, a former resi-
dent of this part Of Kansas, and has
direct dealing with the death OF Mrs
James Samuels who lost her life in
the east part OF the county on that
day: Following is the story:
Tuesday, November 16, 1886, the
day dawned with a cloud1ess sky. The
sun came up bright, with crisp
frosty favor, and the white frost of
the night before soon took the form
and appearance of sparkling beads or
pearly dewdrops on the scar and yell
low grasses. It was a typical autumn
nal morning on the plains, and SO con
tinued until after 9 o'clock when fore
boding clouds, began rising in the
northwest, followed by strong wind
from the same direction. The clouds
continued to spread and increase in
their density, as did the wind in its
velocity, and by 10 O'Clock the blizzard
was on in all its force and furry. No
trace of the skyline was visible, Meth
er was there a semblance of light
from the rays of the sun, while the
wild and whirling wind had increased
its velocity to sixty miles an hour and
was so filed with irfinitesima1 par
ticleS of dry snow as to absolutely
shut out the vision beyond an arms
length. Lamps were lighted in our
homes and business houses and were
kept burning all day long and until
far in the night, while the pitiless and
pelting wind moaned its death dealing
warning to all living creatures I'M
sheltered from its fierce, furious and
freezing blasts, and so the storm con-
tinued undated until long after mid
night.
"This was the day that found Mrs.
James Sanue1s, as teacher, and a bevy
of little boys and girls, as scholars, in
the little sod school house, the scene
OF our story.
'tSoon after the storm enveloped
old soddy' as the children lovingly
called their school house, the room
was almost as dark as if the windows
had been solid walls of the darkest
hue The children became nervous and
frightened were crying and
begging to go home-when the level
headed teacher, realizing the great
danger of a stampede from the room
through fright out into the death deal
ing elements, rose to the emergency
by quickly barricading the door the.
only exit, with benches Thus finding
herself and her little flock with no
lamp to light and with but-little fuel
within reach, as much alone and as
far from the rescue as if riding the
pillows on storm-tossed ship in mid
ocean, hoping to quiet their fears and
dry their tears she began singing to
them their school songs and telling
them cheerful little stories and it was
not long until their excitement had
subsidized and many of them had join
ed her in the singing and listened at
tentively to the little stories as she
told them.
1.-THE entertainment was kept up I'M
til near the noon hour, when the
teacher took the little dinner pals,
which were scantily filed, and care
fully divided their contests SO as
something might be left for anothe-
meal, each one taking his or her al
lowance and disposed of it with re-
llsh only known to children When
dinner was over and the little reserve
carefully put aside, this Godfearing
woman knelt down upon the dirt floor
ing likewise offered an earnest and
fervent prayer for their de1iverance
and safety, closing her supplication
by repeating the Lords prayer in CON
cert. After this there were more
stories and so the hours dragged their
weary length along
1T was about o'clock when the
last bit of coal went into the stove
children began breaking up the
benches to keep the fire going. Long
before seven o'clock had the little din
ner pals given up their last morsel
and had this motherly teacher made
pallets and put the youngest of her
little flock to bed
1T was between 8 and 9 O'Clock
when the teacher told the older ones
she was going to step outside to see
If the storm was letting up, but under
no circumstances must they open ne
door, permit the Younger ones 20