THE HORRORS OF A " BLIZZARD."

Temuka Leader, Issue 1708, 8 March 1888, Page 4

THE HORRORS OF A " BLIZZARD."

Descriptive details of the suffering from the great snowstorm in the North-west have just been received, and are of an appalling nature. It is now thought that the victims will reach 200.. The storm was a genuine " blizzard," and came without ; any warning. The following description of its appearance in Dakota applies, aays the New York correspondent of the Daily News, as well to all the localities visited:—

Dakota never had more perfect winter weather than at sunrise last Wednesday, January 11th. The air was clear as crystal, and every object about the horizon was distinctly visible. The wind was from the south, warm and balmy, and before the sun was high in the sky a decided thaw set in. The farmers took advantage of the beautiful weather to go to town to draw wood, hay, &c. About noon a cloud was seen along the northwestern horizon lying close to the ground, but stretching from west 'to north in a dark semicircle. Little attention was paid to it, but in an hour the cloud had swept over the country. The sun was obscured, the snow Was falling fast, and a gale was sweeping from the north-west with terrible furv. The "blizzard" had begun. The mercury fell rapidly, and by five o'clock it was 15 degrees below zero, and next morning 30 degrees below. All the while the wind increased in fury, the snow fell thicker, aud the large amount already on the ground was blown into powder and hurled along by the wind. On the prairie an object 10ft distant could not be seen. A man's voice could not be heard 6ffc distant. The air was full of snow, fine as flour, and the roaring of the wind and the darkness caused by so much snow in the air made the scene the most dismal, drear, and forsaken man ever looked upon. Every railway in Dakota, Minnesota, and many of the lowa, Nebraska, aud Wisconsin railroads were blocked. The telegraph wires were everywhere down, and it was not until Saturday (January 14th) that the full extent and awful results of the storm became apparent. The telegraph hourly brings the most pitiful stories of suffering, of terrible struggles for life, and of heroic deeds by brave men and women of the storm-stricken sections. I append a few typical instances.

• A female teacher started home with a little girl, and both perished. When found the teacher was crouched in a little hollow in the ground, with her arms about the little girl, and her dress and skirt wrapped about her. Her own bonnet was off her head, and the clutched her dress at the throat, butthere was a smile on her face. Two children, a boy and a girl, were lost going home from school. Twenty-fire men at once started in search of them, and the mother could not be kept from going too; they found the children lying close together. The boy bad bis sister's hand in his own. They were frozen to death. Two other teachers left the children in f;he schoolhouses in order to seek assistance at the nearest farm-house, but they were frozen to death on th§ way, The children were frozen in the schoolhouses. Another teacher walked all nig : it in the snow, but was terribly frozen, and died soon after reaching' shelter in the morninj;. One woman was found frozen to death within 40ft

of her own door. Becoming uneasy about her absent husband she started irk search of him, lost her way, and died. Many of the dead had the appearance of having died from suffocation. Some had torn their clothing away from their throats. 0 ther bh ad thrown away their head covering, and were clutching at their throatß as though struggling for breath. During the genuine " blizzard " the air was filled with fine ice dust, driven with terrific force, which chokes , the, unfortunate victim who attempts to stand against it. Thousands of cattle perished in their stalls, and many of the owners died in trying to save them. People are suffering from wane of food and fuel, not daring to go and seek them. An old Englishman who was lost in the " blizzard " buried himself in the snow,.aud escaped with a few touches of frosts

The extreme coldness is shown by the fact that the Colorado River in Texas is frozen over for the first time since the settlement of the country, the ice being a foot thick. Even the Southern States were visited by the storm, and in Memphis a negro has been frozen to death.