Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-04-09

New tales Of hardshipS suffered dur
ing Montana,s worst spring blizzard II
% years drifted out of the northern
part of the state a few days ago as that
area dug itself out of SnoWdrifts more
than eight feet deep. The storm TOOK
the life Of two men at least and pos
sibly others. Elmer Erickson, so, was
frozen to death within the city limits
of Fairfield as he attempted to battle
his way home against the terrific
storm, got lost and fell into q ditch
where he died.
Near Joplin, posses found the body
of Ralph Fremo, ranch hand, missing
several days, who left the ranch house
of Joe Mcdonald to go to an outbuild-
ing 200 feet away and disappeared. The
body was found three miles from the
farm house.
At Glasgow an extensive search was
launched for Victor Roberts, lS-year-
old sheepherder who disappeared while
sheep belonging to Lou Bretzke of
Glasgow. The sheep were being. grazed
In the Missouri river breaks about 20
miles southwest of Fort Peck.
Bretzke left Glasgow and reached the
sheep camp after battling heavy drifts
to learn his young herder was missing.
lie called members Of the sheriff's Of
lice LII NJldokOM ain OAAAAAEAA1 eeA \ Wv
Peck joined In the search.
Officers learned the band Of sheep
split during the blizzard and o number
were traced to high bank Of the Mis-
souri, It was thought at least part
of the band had plunged over the bank
into the river.
Members of the searching party said
it was possible Roberts had followed
his sheep to the river bank and when
he was unable to turn them had started
back the eight miles to camp and got
lost enroute.
While the search goes on for the
missing man other stories of hardship
are coming out of the center of the
storm area IN northern Montana.
Mr. and Mrs. Alton g. Taylor and
son, Joe, 20, Neihart, spent the first
night Of the storm in their car on the
Riceville- Monarch road, stalled in a
snoWdr1ft. They kept their motor run
ming until the gasoline gave out, then !
tore up blanket to use as wrappings
to protect their legs and feet from the
cold.
The following morning the storm |
abated sufficiently to permit them to
get their bearings. They sighted a ranch |
a short distance away and struggled |
through drifts for hours to reach the |
ranch house They were unable to COM |
municate with relatives who had re-
ported them missing, because there |
was no telephone at the ranch. A snow |
pillow crew reported finding the stalled |
auto and half an hour later Sheriff
Guy Palagi of Great Falls and his |
searching party found the Taylors in
the ranch house and returned them to
their home.
Marrow Escape
Joe Lundy, %, who lives on ranch
about three miles west of Iona, in
Chouteau county, escaped with his life
when the horse he was riding stumbled
and plunged over q 75-foot cliff into a
coulee filled with eight feet of snow.
The horse was killed instantly and the
rider suffered injuries about the Shout
ders, neck and back.
Lundy was on his way to round up
some cattle when the accident hap
pened. The youth struggled out of the
snowdrift and made his way to ranch
two miles distant, whence he was taken
home by car.
A hunt for Gus Hermansen, service
man for a Great Falls tire company,
ended when he was found at SunburSt.
Caught at Ranch
He had left Great Falls with a truck
load of tractor tires to be delivered to
the SweetgraSS hills, along the Mon
tana- Canada boundary. When the
storm arose HermanSen took refuge at
q ranch l8 miles east of SunburSt