Storm Toll ■ f Livestock Mounts Steadily
24 Out of 60 Head of Catt k
Perish on Taylor Place
At Chambers
i
Karlv today (Thursday) live
stock men in the O Neill
still had no idea how many head
of livestock might have
ed during the historic March 7
storm—worst in the annals of
Holt county history. •
But most of the stockmen
large operators and small—con
ceded that the losses will be
hSome stockmen, particularly
the extensive operators, won t
be able to determine the full
extent of the losses for days
County Agent A Neil Dawes
said "1 can't help but think
Sere'll be lots of I^ses-prob:
ably most of it caused by sul
location and smothering.
Mondav nights ram set th
stage for staggering JojJM
if the temperature h*d been
lower than it was cattle deaths
would have been wholesale.
The rain wthe coats of
ihe animals. Then the ice an
mow built up in their eyes
and on their nostrils.
Bill Babutzke, who lives l’a
miles east of the O’Neill Live
. stock Market, was one of the
first country people to town aft
er the storm. He reported a loss
of 5 head of last fall’s calves.
John Storjohan, who has a
place south of Spencer, was con
fident he had suffered losses
but hesitated to estimate hov
™ wev C. Schaffer, who is
considered one of Holt’s biggest
stockmen, told The Frontier he
had been unabe to contact his
ranch and his other P^es in
outer reaches of the county. He
said he felt certain his men had
exercised every precaution but
was prepared to learn of some
losses." 1
mm _a-. nlr%on nHfhllt 10
He went to nu. --
miles south of O’Neill Wednes
day afternoon, saw a hole in a
snowdrift that resembled a rab
bit hole. He kicked away the
snow and a husky cow climbed
to her feet and walked away
The Wedigre Bros., near At
kinson, until this morning said
they “hadn’t found” a number
of their cattle.
L. D. Putnam, O’Neill stock
man, reported late Wednesday
he had no losses on 2 of his
places, but cattle there repre
sented only a small portion o.
his total.
Lloyd Durre, Chambers air
man who won fame as a mercy
messenger a year ago, was
scouring the Chambers and Ew
ing vicinities by air searching
for dead critters.
Connie Funk, of Atkinson, re
ported that 3 milk cows at his
dairy farm 1 mile west of At
kinson. had become blinded and
wandered into the Elkhorn riv
er where they perished.
Thirty head of cattle were re
ported dead at the Golden ranch
by Earl Wright. This news was
brought to Inman by Gene
Clark, mail carrier. Gallagher
Bros, who have a ranch near
Inman, until this morning told
of the loss of 4 head, and Harry
Hart, who lives northeast of In
mart, said he would suffer
“some losses.”
Wallace O'Connell, father
of Timothy Joseph O'Connell.
O'Neill's widely - publicised j
blixxard baby, told today of
the loss of at least 2 head of
livestock — "possibly there'll
be others."
Guv F Cole, of Emmet, told
The frontier of the loss of one
head
In the Chambers locality loss
es were heavier. Percentagewise,
Lloyd Tavlor, who lives 1 mile
east and 4 miles south of Cham
bers, absorbed one of the heav
iest losses in the region. From
a herd of about 60 head. 24 were
reported dead by noon today.
B. W. Waldo, who lives 8
miles west of Chambers, count
ed 20 dead. Earlier he had re
ported the loss of 13.
Four out of a herd of 20 per- j
ished at the W. A. Smith place,
1 mile from Chambers. Mr.
Smith lives in town.
Louis Vitt. who lives south of
O’Neill, said Thursday he had :
lost 2 calves.
Stories were rampant about
other losses, but in making its
regional survey by telephone
The Frontier has attempted to
limit reports to specific instan
ces.
Losses will mount as the snow
melts and herdsmen are able to
count the noses.
Overshoe Is Springy;
Snake Explains It
ATKINSON — Joe Kokes, of
fice manager at the Atkinson
Livestock Market, dug an aban
doned pair of 4-buckle over
shoes <vit of his basement to
wear enroute to his work the
day after the big blow.
He thought one shoe felt
“springy.” Removing the shoe,
he discovered the reason why.
A small garter snake had been
stowed aw ay in the shoe, but
was killed by the pressure of
the heel ‘The snake was in a
hibemat/ed condition,” Kokes
said
"Voics? of The Frontier" . . .
"80 on vour dial . . 945 a m
three times weekly—Monday**.
Wednesdays, Saturdays
4 ——————————
BLIZZARD SNARLS
A LL TRAFFIt
Rails, Busses, Highvwt
Travel Curtailed
40 Hours
For more than 40 hours high
! way traffic, rail and bus tran.«
' portation was tied in a knot
i the weatherman during an i
following the storm that swep:
into the O'Neill and North
Central Nebraska regions early
Tuesday morning.
Both the Chicago & North
; western and the Chicago, Bur
lington Sc Quincy railroads were
hampered by the reduced visi
bility and the giant snowdrifts
I which swirled onto their res
j pective right-of-ways.
Both railroads temporarily
! ceased operations during the
i storm.
The last train pulled nto the
C4NW depot here 20 minutes
! late Tuesday morning. It was
I westbound. Before normal rail
operations, either east or west,
were resumed, more than 36
hours had elapsed.
Drifts along the CB&Q rail
lines were reported to be in
the neighborhood of 7- to 8
feet deep with some of these
drifts ranging in length from
200- to 500-feet.
i m mmm . H Sol
V. J. Towle, C&NW depot ag
ent. said a wedge plow slowly
Eicked its way from Norfolk to
ong Pine Wednesday clearing
the rail right-of-way. Towle re
ported to The Frontier the main
tenance crew on the plow en
countered drifts from 2- to 6
feet deep and were from 100- to
500-feet In length. The rail snow
plow crept through O’Neill at
noon Wednesday.
The CB&Q’s regular schedule
has not, up until press time, been
resumed. Freight train 96 left
Wednesday morning headed for
Sioux City but was forced to
return when it ran into a 12- to
14-foot drift some 1,650 feet
long east of here. It was the
Burlington that had such a hec
tic experience in drifts east of
O’Neill a year ago.
It took 17 men and a
large wedge type railroad snow
plow more than 3 hours to work
through the “granddaddy” of
the drifts thus far reported in
the Tuesday storm.
A crew of 14 men with an en
gine and snowplow left O’Neill
at 7 a.m. this morning (Thurs
day) and by 12:55 p.m. had
reached Brunswick, a distance
of only 36 miles.
Bus travel was cut off sharp
ly Tuesday morning as the vis- [
ibility grew steadily worse. The
bus terminal said today (Thurs
day) that operations ceased aft
er the midnight bus had arrived
in O’Neill Monday.
Partial bus service commenc
ed again Wednesday afternoon
at 5 p.m. when a United Motor
Ways bus traveled south. How
ever, this morning (Thursday)
the regular schedule of daily
busses was resumed.
Motorists and salesmen were
stranded in O’Neill for more
than 48 hours as the snow
blocked roads snarled highway
traffic.
John D. Osenbaugh, resident
engineer for the state highway
department, said today (Thur&r
day) that main highways were
open in all directions from O’
Neill.
The flash blizzard and howl
ing gale-like winds made all
roads impassable and virtually
all county roads were blocked.
As the blizzard swept into the
O’Neill region Osenbaugh an
nounced no maintainer crews
would venture out in the driv- j
ing, blinding snow storm until i
visibility was “good.”
The operation of opening the ,
main highways began early :
Wednesday.
All equipment that was avail
able was pressed into action to
clear the highways. It was
about noon on Wednesday that
the crews slowly began to carve
their way through the moun
tain-like drifts.
Highway. traffic is slow as
reported by some observers and
there is one-way traffic in var
ious spots where drifts have
been cut through.
State Highway Patrolman
Faye Robeson reported there
was one-way traffic where
drifts occurred: From Or
chard west on highway 20 and
then on highway 275; between
O'Neill and Atkinson on high
way 20; from Atkinson to
Butte on highway 11 and vir
tually all of highway 281
north.
Since the digging out and op
| ening of the roads began at 7
am. Wednesday, rotary and
, "V” (wedge-typel snowplows
have been in continuous opera
tion.
All main state roads are open
as reported by Osenbaugh. High
, way 20 and 275 east to Ewing
was the first piece of road to be
opened by crews. This was open
to traffic by noon Wednesday. !
By 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon
the highway east to Norfolk and
Omaha was clear.
Highway 20 west to Valentine
was opened by 7 p.m. Wednes
day evening. The last of the
main roads north and south on
highway 281 were opened by 1
a m this morning (Thursday.)
Drifts nearly reached the Royal theater marquee on O'
Neill's Douglas street. In case you've wondered, there are auto
mobiles burled under the biy snowbank.—The Frontier Photo
i by John H. McCar’Vlie.
O'Neill was stilled by the paralyzing storm that belted the
region for over 18 hours. It was reminiscent of the Recurring
Blizzards of 1949. Automobiles are being burrowed out of the
a
giant drifts on Douglas street between the Royal iheaier and
the Tom Tom cafe (bus depot).—Aerial Photo by Lawrence
Robinson courtesy Omaha World-Herald.
i
Osenbaugh said the snow re
moval machinery did not break
down although kept in opera
tion more than 34 hours. He also
reported the maintenance crew
suffered no casualties.
“The largest drift we tackled
in the highway clean-off opera
tion.” Osenbaugh said, “was a
half-mile long drift 8 feet deep
three miles west of Danceland."
With a rotary plow on each end
it took 5 hours to conquer.
Highway 108 to Page is still
blocked and some state roads
north of Stuart and in the New
port area have yet to be plowed,
Osenbaugh added.
Mayor Hugh Coyne, of O’
Neill, reported a maintainer, a
bulldozer, 3 trucks and a scoop
working in the city in an at
tempt to open up all of the
streets both in the business
) district as well as residen
tial areas. Mayor Coyne said
“most all of the main streets
are opened and the crews will
keep working until every street
. in the city is opened.”
Coyne said they have run in
to some large drifts which has
slowed the process of digging
I out.
NO ROOM AT INN
Ironically, M. J. Golden, pro
! prietor of the Golden hotel,
i couldn’t get a room for himself;
instead, he slept on a roll-awav
cot.
Visit* Ewing—
Mrs, Gene Streeter was a
weekend guest ir. Ewing at the
homo <>f her mother, Mrs Marv
Hot h.r ham
Wind Rips Roof,
2 Sides Off Barn
EMMET—A 66x100 foot barn
here Tuesday was stripped of
its roof and 2 sides as the 60-to j
100-mile an hour gales spread
the debris over the country
side. The barn, owned by Guy
Cole, of Emmet, practically
vanished from the scene dur
ing the historic storm.
The l-oof gave way about
10:30 a. m. and soon to follow
were the two sides. For a while
timber and hay were flying
through the air and pieces wer -
scattered for several hundred
feet.
STAY IN DEPOT
INMAN — As in all cases of
flash storms, traveling people
seek cover of any town, large nr
small. The Chicago & North
Western railroad depot here
served as a haven for nine trav
i elers that were caught in the
! flash storm early Tuesday
morning. All stayed until the
roads were cleared early Wed
j nesdav.
INMAN — Riverside 4-H
1 Community club Sunday eve
| ning held its annual program
and banquet at the IOOF hall
here with 75 members, their
parents and guests present.
Gene Streeter and Clyde Me-,
Kenzie. jr., visited in Winner,
I S, D.. Sunday at the home of
: the latter’s brother and sister-in
! law, Mr. and Mrs. Dan McKen
• 21^,
WEATHER SUMMARY
High Low Prec.
March 2 _ 30* 28
March 3 50 15
March 4 58 15
March 5 50 35
March 6 .. 71 32
March 7 63 12 .90
March 8 27 -3 1.20 :
Expectant Mother
Marooned 10 Hours
(Continued from page 1)
wrapped warm in blankets.”
Rescue party members who
performed this act of heroism
included, besides Godel: Hugh
Benson, Walter and Dick Me- j
Nichols, Sandy McKim, Dale
Curran, Charles Yarnell. Virgil |
Tomlinson, Vernon Gorgen, By- j
ron Grenier. Red McKim, N. O.
McCrary, James Donohoe. Don
Donohoe, Eldon Waldo, Harold
Hubert. Gerald Harding and
James Coker.
Radio stations and newspa
pers throughout the land fol
lowed closely the story of the
rescue.
Wednesday afternoon Chuck
Apgar, announcer for the “Voice
of The Frontier," and John H
McCarville, The Frontier's staff
photographer, went to Mrs. O’
Connell’s bedside.
Mrs. O'Connell told her storv
which was broadcast-over radio
station WJAG and subsequently
over Omaha’s radio station
KF\B. . .
Mrs. O’Connell uttered undv
! ing words of praise for the 19
1 m“n who came to her rescue
Memorial Fund At
Lynch Started
LYNCH — An. improvement
fund for the Sacred Heart hos
oital here in memory of the late
Mrs. Olive D. Guttery. wife of
Dr. J. A. Guttery, of Lynch, has
been established.
A balance of $21.25 remained
after business people of Lynch
collected funds for flowers for
Mrs. Guttery’s funeral. Dr. Gut
terv gave the money—plus
73.75 to make an even $100 —
to start a memorial fund.
However, it was suggested the
fund be used to convert the
front porch of the hospital into
a reception room.
Dr. Guttery stated: “Why not
start a fund here at home and
STORM ISOLATES
24 CITIES, TOWNS
Maintenance Crews Forced
To Return Because
Of No Visibility
Many cities and towns in
the O’Neill area were cut-off
from their sources of power
during Tuesday’s historic storm.
Lack of electricity caused
considerable hardship for peo
ple depending upon power for
heating and refrigeration units.
L. C. Walling. O’Neill district
manager for Consumers Public
Power, estimated line damage
in his district “between 15
and 18-thousand dollars.”
First' towns to be isolated
during the early hours of the
louble - barreled storm were
’age, Inman, Ewing and Or
hard. As the storm intensi
ied, many towns’ power con
vections snapped and the com
nunities were without service
intil Wednesday morning.
Some maintenance crews set
ut in the teeth of the unprece
ented storm but their efforts
vere abortive They had to turn
>ack. Visibility was nil and
he wind blew them off their
ourse.
During the peak of the tooth
hattering gale that reached
i e a r hurricane proportions,
hese were the towns that were
emporarily cut off from the
lower supply:
Wausa, Page, Inman, Ewing,
>rchard, Bassett, Atkinson,
Tewport, Emmet, McLean,
llearwater, Tilden, Creighton
Irunswick, Center, Winnetoon,
lagnet, Crofton, Battle Creek,
leadow Grove, Oakdale, El
in, Petersburg, and Royal.
However, today (Thursday),
Vailing reported that all lines
o these towns were back in
•peration.
Late Tuesday morning the
lain line west from O’Neill to
tins worth broke and Atkin
on, Emmet, Bassett and New
iort were without power dur
ng most of Tuesday and Wed
esday. There was, however,
some intermittent service” to
hese 4 points.
As the wind grew stronger
many power lines in the area
were unable to stand the pres
sure and broke? This was true
also of many power lines in
the residential sections of O’
Neill.
The storm was a stiff test
for the new all-weather high
voltage line completed last
year, linking O'Neill and Nor
folk and the main source of
power in this region from the
Loup river hydro - electric
plants.
“The line stood up *100 per
cent,” Mr. Walling explained.
Workmen have for several
months been rebuilding some
of the lines that yielded under
the stress of Tuesday’s winds.
Harry Peterson, Northwestern
Bell telephone manager in O’
Neill, reported to The Frontier
today (Thursday) their damage
in this region was small.
Peterson explained there was
{ only minor toll line trouble dur
ing the storm. Page and Inman
were severed from telephone
communications Tuesday. Ser
vice was restored early Wednes
day morning.
“Our local calls doubled the
day of the storm and the day
following,” Peterson said. Toll
calls doubled Wednesday. Ten
operators, who normally work
8-hour shifts, worked 12 hours
during the storm to handle the
increased number of calls.
Here’s a comparison of the
number of calls handled before,
during and after the storm:
Monday—3.100 local calls and
473 toll calls.
Tuesday—6,391 local calls and
35?. toll calls.
Wednesday—6,173 local calls
and 648 toll calls.
Manv long distance calls had
♦n take circuitous routings. Line
noise, caused primarily bv static
alectricitv. was "very bad” dur
:tjg the hgh wind. Peterson said.
HEADS FRATERNITY
PAGE—Darrel Heiss. son of
Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Heiss, was
rpcentlv elected president of
his fraternity at Nebraska U.
'urther our own resources and
still have a memorial to those
gone on before us. It might sur
prise all of us what this mem
orial fund may accomplish in a
period of time and be a refil
blessing and benefit to all in this
area.”
