THE BLIZZARD OF 1888


The storm of Thursday, though of only one-third the duration of the old-timer, is justly entitled to the name of "blizzard." Snow was coming down in great abundance, what little wind there was being from a southerly direction, when, all at once, without any warning, the wind shifted to the northwest, and the storm was on, continuing from 3 p.m. until 3 the next morning.

An unusual number of persons perished in the storm, probably owing mostly to the suddenness of its coming. It was at first feared that the loss of stock would be far beyond any previous year because of the sudden, fierce wind and blinding snow driving them from their feeding places and before the wind into dangerous places. Such, however, has not been the case, although the loss of stock was pretty severe, here and there.

INCIDENTS

John Miller's boy was out with cattle, and not coming in, John started after him, but could make no headway. Coming against the wire fence at Dave Anderson's pasture he walked along it, back and forth during the night. There were reports the next day that he was froze so badly that he would not live, but fortunately these are not correct. His ears and the tips of his fingers were frosted. The boy found comfortable quarters at Abel Coffey's house.

The school children in this city were cared for by parents, teachers and older pupils, not an accident happening to any of the host. Mike Welch and Johnny Albaugh would probably have been lost in the storm had it not been for Mazie Albaugh who piloted them home in safety.

The report in Omaha dailies that Judge Geo. W. Post had been lost in the storm, while out hunting, had no foundation in truth.

G.W. Hulst and Bert Arnold, on the day of the storm were hunting on Buck island, and got separated, Bert reaching home and safety about 6 p.m. Fears were entertained of Mr. Hulst until next morning, when it was found that he had reached Hon. Guy C. Barnum's all right the evening of the storm.

Mrs. Joseph Miller started from here Tuesday of last week for her home near Bliss, in Wheeler county, accompanied by her son, Frankie Metz and little daughter. In attempting to get to her home, by wagon, from Ewing, Holt Co., the storm coming up, Frankie was frozen to death and Mrs. Miller had her feet badly frozen.--The remains of the boy were sent to Omaha for burial.

The number of deaths in Dakota will probably reach 200. It was reported extremely cold all over the northwest. At Brainard it was 58 degrees below on the morning of the 15th, and at Duluth 48 degrees below.

The loss of two children of J.W. Westphalen, of Cotterell township, fifteen miles from Fremont is reported. They attempted to go home from school, and nothing has been heard from them since, although diligent search has been made. They were 8 and 13 years old.

Two deaths are reported from Nebraska City by freezing. Emil Groosman, a farm laborer, and a child of a farmer named ____________, Friday, and are supposed to have perished.

Beatrice reports the death of John Sparks, a farmer, frozen in the storm Thursday night. Edward Maxwell, another farmer in the same section, lost his way in the storm and was compelled to pass the night in a hay stack. His left foot was badly frozen and his fingers and is not considered serious.

Mr. Mattes, 2 1/2 miles east of Dustin, was found frozen to death twenty rods from his house. Mr. Mason, 18 miles south of Stuart, was found frozen to death. Mr. Burtrand and son, 5 miles northeast of Stuart, went out Thursday morning after a load of hay and have not been heard from. M.B. Lisley and Enoch Bowman, being out, unhitched their teams and wandered with the storm until night, when they came to a hay-stack into which they crawled, getting out the next morning, with faces and feet badly frozen.

Mrs. Malinda S. Chapman, Eddie and Minnie Faust, aged respectively 51 years, 5 years and 11 months, were found frozen to death near Stuart, Neb. Mrs. Chapman was lying in the snow by the side of the sleigh, the two children were in the seat, the baby had fallen over on its face in the seat that Mrs. C. had vacated.

A man, warmly dressed, and with a grip full of clothing by his side, was frozen to death near a hay-stack in the suburbs of Fullerton. Name not known, but he had been seen a few days before at Silver Creek.

[Columbus Journal, January 18, 1888]


CRESTON

It seemed on Thursday, Jan. 12, as though the elements had fallen into the hands of a fiend who had determined to vent his concentrated ire upon humanity while his reign lasted; fortunately, it was brief, only 12 hours. Had it been much longer, great suffering would have resulted. From a moderate south wind with snow falling, it changed almost instantly into a fierce hurricane of wind and snow boiling and seething as from a blast furnace, rendering it impossible for man to breathe in it. Many herds of cattle were out in the stalks; they stampeded and went with the storm, some were never found, others not until Monday.

There were many narrow escapes, R.C. Hart was returning to his home about 2 miles from town when the storm overtook him; he groped his way along, fearing he should never see home again. At length he reached a wire fence, this he followed until he was near enough to his home to recognize land marks, but he could go no further than Mr. Maynard's, where he remained exhausted until the storm abated. Mr. Brown and son were at a neighbor's about 160 rods from home; they tried several times to reach the house, but were lost each time; they were also compelled to stay until 3 a.m.

The teacher and children of Dist. 45 were obliged to stay all night in the school-house without food or light; there was plenty of fuel so they did not suffer from that cause, but the breakfast did the next morning, when their fathers were able to break the roads through the drifts and rescue them. Even our veteran mail carrier was compelled to stay in town all night. When Mike Welch can't do his duty you may be sure there is something the matter.

The N.W.R.R. has not been able to run any trains since Wednesday; the snow plows have been at work, but the cuts have filled as fast as cleared, consequently no mails, no freight, no papers, no coal. This last is a serious trouble; the mill and elevators are stopped; as yet, no suffering is reported for lack of it but there will soon be if some does not arrive soon. A freight engine came in from the west Thursday morning; it has been compelled to stay; getting out coal to keep the boiler from freezing, men were obliged to cut up a pile of ties and burn them.

Mr. R.C. Moran went to Omaha with a load of cattle, he was detained by the storm to his great regret.

For many years this iwll be called the great storm.

The young lady teacher Miss Freeman who saved the lives of thirteen pupils during the storm, by tying all together and striking out for shelter to a dwelling three-quarters of a mile away, is a niece of S.E. Cushing of this city. The door and the roof of the schoolhouse blown away by the wind, she did a wise, brave deed to save the little ones and herself from the fierceness of the storm. Ord may well be proud of such a girl--wise, brave and good.

Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Miller and babe came down Friday from their home in Wheeler county to be here where Mrs. M. could have medical attention during her recovery from the effects of the storm. Drs. Martyn & Schug are in attendance, and it is hoped that no amputation will be necessary.

Mr. Miller tells us that none of the published accounts, so far as he has seen, were accurate. The morning of the storm was nice and pleasant. Two colored men, neighbors of Mr. Miller, had been to Ewing with hogs, and on their return trip had two teams, attached to sleds, boxed high. In the forward sled the men rode, in the rear sled Mrs. Miller, her son Frank Metz, aged 11, and her daughter aged 4 1/2; and when the storm began, the hind team was tied to a spring seat, loose on the rear of the front sled. The storm had raged but a little while when the men noticed that the other team was not following. They walked a long distance back, wandered along the sides of the road, and halloed to make known that they were near, but there was no response, or none that they could hear. Frank imagined, at times, that he could hear a man and would get out of the sled to listen and try to urge the horses along, the fact being, as afterwards learned that their eyes were completely encased in ice. Thus the dreary night was passed, Mrs. Miller with the babe in her arms, hugged close to her body and wrapped well, was comparatively comfortable; the sled filling with snow, Mrs. Miller's feet and hands were frosted and benumbed, and Frank, though clad warmly in overcoat, with good overshoes, exhausted himself getting in and out, in endeavoring to urge the team to move and in trying to keep the wraps on his mother and little sister. At last he lost heart, said to his mother, "We might as well die here as anywhere; nobody will find us; we've got to die anyhow." He had done his best, exhausted his energies, and was soon froze to death.

In the meantime, the colored men abandoned their team, lost their way, wandered; at last they struck a wire fence, followed along it until they came to a hog pen, in which they rested awhile, recovered from their panic, made calculations as to where they were, and started out for the dwelling on the premises, which they reached about three o'clock in the morning. At daylight they again went in search of lost ones and found them at about 9 o'clock as above described. The party were at the time about seven miles from their home.--Mrs. Miller may, possibly, lose some of her toes and a joint of one of the fingers of her left hand. One of the babe's feet was slightly frosted.

[Columbus Journal, January 25, 1888]