Lost in Snowstorm Near Halbur, 1886

FRANTRUP LANGENFELD, SCHMITZ

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 5/15/2005 at 19:20:39

I translated the following article from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published on 29 January 1886. Any information in brackets or notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Thursday evening around 9:00, Henry Langenfeld and Hen. Frantrup from Halbur were making their way home. These men live only about a mile from Halbur. Suddenly, a cold snowstorm began raging from the northwest. Frantrup had several newspapers, which he had obtained from the post office, in his coat pocket, and the terrible wind blew them away. Both men went about trying to gather them up again, but they got separated. After wandering about for two and a half hours, Langenfeld arrived in Halbur again from the east. Frantrup wandered around for a full three hours, until he finally came upon the railroad tracks and arrived again in Halbur from the west. Both men were almost chilled through and had several frozen limbs. They both stayed overnight with John Schmitz, and did not go home until the next morning.