Terrible
storms hit the broad prairie region
in both summer and winter. In
summer and spring
fierce
thunder and lightening storms would
appear in the nonwestern skies and sweep
down
on
the pioneer so swiftly he could not
seek shelter. Often the clouds
carried destructive hail.
After
the rain clouds passed, the danger of
flash floods on the streams was to be
feared.
These
sometimes destroyed the work of the
farmer if he had located too near the
creek or
river.
In
the winter, the blizzard held the greatest
danger to the settlers. The day
might be warm
and
sunny. Suddenly, the wind would
arise and sweep in from the north bringing
low gray
clouds,
the beginning of a snow storm.
The storm would increase in intensity
until a blinding
snow
storm took over the atmosphere. Stinging
pellets of snow cut the face and any
exposed
place on the body. Often the wind
would be so strong a person had no chance
to
walk against it.
Just
such a storm called the "Children's
Blizzard" occurred in the winter
of 1888. It struck
between
three and four o'clock in the afternoon,
at the time that pupils are dismissed
from
school.
Some were detained at the schools
over night by their teachers. Others,
with the
help
of their teacher, tried to make it across
the fields following the fences to the
safety
of
their homes. Many failed to make
it, and were found frozen to death in
the fields or
haystacks
when the storm was over. Many
heroic deeds of teachers and pupils
were
recorded
from this terrible storm, probably the
worst on in history.
