GREAT SNOWSTORM IN THE UNITED STATES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1788, 13 March 1888, Page 3

GREAT SNOWSTORM IN THE UNITED STATES

200 PERSONS FKUZBN TO DEATH,

Tho " Daily Newa " correspocdeut telegraphs regarding thia terriblo storm :— Deßcriptive details of tho Buff ring frtin the groat onow storm iv the JSorth-vreat have just been received, and are of an ftppalhug natura, It J a thought that tho victims _ will re&ch 200. 'I'b.e foiluwidy deaoriplion app!i ea .as well to afl tho looultlt-B vialttd :— '« Dakota never had more perfect winter weuthar than nt sunilae on \V\daeoday, January 18. Thu airwascloar aa crystal, and every obj.c. abous the horzm wen diatinoiy valbl' . The wini w«b f i-( m the south, wavm «nd balmy, and before tha oun waa high iv the eky a decided thiw act m. Ab>ut noon a cluud v/.b seen ali n-j tho nonh A^eatein honzio lyin^ nluße to tbo ground, but BU'etcniiig froju west to north m v dirk semi-circle. Liulo atteutioti «ai paid to it, bat m an hour the cloud hui «wept over tho country. T.io buu waa obscured, the snow waa falliny f tst and a gale wai sweeping from thj n>nh-wddL with terrible fury. The "blz2».d" had begun. The muicury fell rapidly, anl by five o'clock it was 15 deuroea bjlow zaro, aud next morning 30 decrees Delow. All tha while the wmd i icroa^td m fury, the snow fell thicker, and the large amount already on tho ground wts blown into pmder and wnided uloug by the wind. Oa the pralre au otj ct iurty feet distant o;U d not bo seea. A m*n'a voice c uld not be heaid MX feet distant. Tne air wa 8 full of au.»w, Hue aa fljur, uad the roaring of tho wiud and tho dwkneoa ciuatd by bo mush unow m motion tuade the bcbuo the moat d smul, drear, aud forijakau, mun «vor OJked up.ju. Eve y railroad m Dak >ia, JliauesoU, aud uittny tf the Jowa, Nebraska, aod Wiscoasiu railroads woro blocked. The telegraph wirua were overy*h ra down, and if. waa not until aatutduy that the foil ox en; und Awful reau.ts of the Bturm Deouue auparen-'t Tne tel< graph hour y brings tho tuot-t. pHlful btjlleß of bliifjri. g, of t«nibli) otru^uldß for life, ana oi heroic daeda by brave mea and Women of the atorm stricken sections 1 iippend a few typical lnaiaiiCdd. A feui.lj teacher c ariud h iina with a little gir', and Doth poriahedvVhuti fouud tho t Richer waa cn,uc in.t In a little nolluw m tho ground with her arms abiiu.t ihe lutle girl, aud hi*r drees and ukirc wxapped üb^ui- he - . H r own oonuet Waa oil h«r hea.i, aud her h-tnd olmchd her drtea at iiHr thrust, but th<.re was a amio ou her faoo. T«-o chid eu, a boy ai.d a were* Inat going horn» ♦■•om a<hool. Twt»niy-fiv^ me'i at one i atane 1 m Bciaro^i of thorn, aud the m Jthof oucld udi keep fr.iiu iomg t O ; taey fouud the chtidreu lymj oloao togoiher. Tho b y had hta «i3Cwr'a hauda hoivraea hu . w ■», Thoy wero frozen to dda'h. T#o oher teßclnra left the chndres iv the boo >lhousoa m order lo set assißuuice at tha nourost faimhnus-i, but were fr 2 n to ri juth mi their w«y. The achool o -ildrtMi waa fr Ssin m th achoolhoiise. Another teacbur walked all nifjht m thistiOA', bm was ti rribly fr E;n und died coon uftor r -hcliing eceltur m tho m >mini». O.»» woman w-is foaud froa no ■ o do. th win m4O foet of her own uoor Bee mtuij uoensy abcut her »bsen w . liubbiud aho start o.l m Brt*rch of him, loat ii«r wuy »nd died. Many of the de*d h d 'he appeisraucu <f having died from sulT c.tion. Some had torn the olothin^ jmtbv fr^m tho.r threats. Othera h d t'"ir<-wu HWiy thoir hjal covering, at.d wore dv ching at their throatß aB though BtriK-i»hrg fl r breath. During the uenuine " blizz ird " tho air was fit'^d with five ice duA% dtlvon with terrific f< re , which chokja tho unfortunate vioMm m a short urn-) who M-l a to etau 1 agiin.-t it Th Misamiß <-f ciutlg piriahed iv their atnlls *nd m".ny of t' oir ownem died m trying o save ttyjni l*n< pie ure suQ-rirg for t.he waut of food aud fuel, not dannj; lo go stud B' ck them. An old ISnghuhman wh'> v^aa li B m the "bl'zz rd " buried himself m .the anow, uud CBCrtpod with a few touchoa of ftrost. The tx.r«me ooldueuß ia ahown by tho fact that thtj Colorado riv«r m T'xat is fr< zia over for thj firut time Biuce ihe Battlomont ol the country, the ice beicg a foot thick. Even the Southern States were viaitei by the ?torm, nnd m Memphis a negro waa frozen to death.