Out of the Past April 3, 1931 - 90 yrs ago

Broken Bow man sees results of recent blizzard

Thousands of cattle frozen in lakes and drifts on Sandhill Ranches

A. J. VanAntwerp has just returned from a two week trip to Grant county where he and Mrs. VanAntwerp were marooned during the recent storm. He brings back a story of battle losses of the storm that is quite appalling. The loss to the ranchers both large and small is wide spread throughout the sand hill cattle county and at this time is beyond estimate.

The most appalling sight Mr. VanAntwerp saw was at the Stansbie-Engel ranch 18 miles north of Ashby where the heads and backs of 112 head of cattle were sticking out of a frozen lake when the storm abated. The cattle were in a bunch and so thick that a person could walk on the backs of them. The loss at this ranch was between five and six hundred head.

At another place, six cows and 12 calves were dead in a water hole. The greatest loss by any one company was probably experienced by the Abbott Land and Cattle Company who have several ranches. This company estimates its total loss at 1800 head, there being 600 dead animals on one ranch.

Lowe Brothers lost 200 head, Charles Gremm 150 head; Brenneman brothers 50 head; all of these being in the vicinity of Ashby.

George Manning of Hyannis, whose ranch is southwest of that place, saved his cattle by weathering the storm with a force of men and keeping the cattle out of the lake. This was done at a great sacrifice as the men had their faces, hands and feet badly frozen.

Mr. VanAntwerp says that dead cattle were found with great blocks of ice hanging to their tails and parts of their bodies and their feet encases in blocks of ice that made it impossible for them to move. He states that ranchers in Grant and Cherry counties believe their loss is far greater than it was during the historic storm of 1913 when a terrific loss was experienced.

Mr. VanAntwerp went to the Ashby section to do some surveying for ranch men who contemplated the draining of some lakes. it is expected when other large ranch companies are heard from that the loss of cattle throughout the sand hill section will be tremendously heavy.