INTENSE COLD IN AMERICA

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 212, 22 February 1872, Page 7

INTENSE COLD IN AMERICA

(From the " OmaJia Bee," Dec. 6th.)

Although it would be impossible for us to present our readers with a complete list of the victims of the late storm and severe cold weather, an adequate idea of the sufferings of our settlers, and the enormous loss of life, may be had from the following items, which we glean from onr State exchanges. Words are faint to describe the misery of the poor homestead settlers, who, totally unprepared for such a sudden and extremely cold season, have been compelled to succumb to the fury of the elements on our prairies.

George Hunter, a farmer of Wayne County, was frozen to death during the severe storm last week. It is feared that a son of the Hon. G-uy C. Barnnm, of Columbus, who was out on n buffala hunt last week, was caught during the storm and frozen to death. From Went Point we hear that on the night of the 25th November William Hunter, Har rison Allen and Albert Miner, while travelling near the Indian Reservation, lose their way. Hunter perished during the night, and his companions are so badly frozen that they are not expected to survive.

Probably the most touching and heart-rending incident caused by the late extreme weather is related by Ihe " Plattstnouth Herald " of the sth. It says: Mr. Alfred Pyzer, of this conn ty, came in from the Republican a few days since, and reports the freezing to death of a roan and his wife and child, on the Republican, during the recent storm. They were out of fuel of any kind, and the man started for the timber to obtain some, and froze to death beside his team. The .woman burned evei*ything she could find to burn, and finally placed the infant in the oven of the stove, and burned a part of her own clothing to prevent it from freezing, but without avail. The infant was frozen to death, as well as the mother, and both were found, the babe in the oven, and the" guardian mother beside it, after the storm had abated. {From Uie " St. Joseph Gazette," 1 Dec. 7th.) Gentlemen who came in on the JfomfeM City, St. Jbseph and Council Bluffs Roads yesterday, informs us tbftfc on Saturday last a terrible affair occurred in Saline County, Nebraska. A

party of immigrants, with their families, were passing through the county westward, wnen, the cold increasing, they concluded to camp and light a fire. They were on a piece of high prairie and several miles away from any hon^e; but some three miles from them was a piece of timber. After unhitching their teams, the men started for this timber to procure fuel. Not returning for several hours, the women left their children and started to hunt them. This is all that is known, save that next day the bodies of seventeen persons, who had perished from the intense cold, were found. The children, who were left in the waggons, were the only survivors of the party who had started to procure homes in the West. These are the meagre particulars we have been enabled to glean of the sad affair. We are assured that they are strictly true.