Schoolchildren's Blizzard | The Frozen Remains | 4

0:00A listener note, Against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research. This series contains depictions of violence and death involving children, and may not be suitable for everyone.

0:23Twelve-year-old Lena Vabecki shivers as she wakes up from a fitful sleep. She feels the winter sun on her face, but when she goes to open her eyes, she realizes that she can't. They froze shut during the night. She reaches a hand to her face and peels off layers of ice. She whimpers in pain, scratching away the ice tears the delicate skin of her eyelids. She finally steals herself and tears the rest of the ice off all at once, letting out a sharp gasp. But at last she can see. The morning sun on the snow practically blinds her. She squints as she gets to her feet, her joints throbbing. It's just after sunrise on January 13th, 1888.

1:14Lena stands in a field of fresh snow outside Seward, Nebraska. Although the wind and snow have died down, it's still brutally cold, well below zero. When the blizzard struck yesterday, Lena left her schoolhouse in the teeth of the storm to get home. An older boy named Lawrence was guiding her, but they got into an argument about the best way to go. She veered off to cut across a field toward her foster parent's farmhouse while he continued down the road. After that, her memory is hazy. She remembers staggering back and forth in the whiteout, unsure where the farmhouse was. At some point, as darkness fell, she crumpled to the ground and pulled her cloak over her head for the night.

2:01Maybe she should have gone with Lawrence after all. She recalls their argument again, how Lawrence tried to pull her along the road, but she beat him off with her lunch pail. The lunch pail? Her foster mother will be furious if Lena lost it. She drops to her knees and paws at the snow. Her hands are so numb that she doesn't even feel the cold. Her fingers finally detect the pail's shape. She brushes the snow off of it. What a relief. But then, she remembers her textbook. She spends several more minutes digging through the snow until it turns up. She's pained to see that the cover is torn and the page is warped with moisture.

2:41She's going to get a licking for this. She knows it. As she struggles to stand, she can't believe how exhausted she is. She wants to lie down again, but she knows she can't stay out here in the cold. Thankfully, she can see her farmhouse a quarter mile in the distance, just past a ravine. There's smoke rising from the chimney. She grips her textbook and lunch pail and trudges in that direction, but she's so weak, she can barely stand upright. Her feet might as well be frozen stumps. Every muscle in her body aches, too. Down to the bone. After 20 painful minutes, she's barely covered 100 yards.

3:22Suddenly, her foot catches a gopher hole. She tries to keep her balance, but it's no use. She tumbles to the ground. She tries to get back up, only to fall again. Her body just won't obey. She looks out at the ravine between the field and her house. It's not too wide, but it has steep sides. and it's full of snow. She worries that if she slides into it, she'll never get out. She could skirt the ravine by doubling back to the road, but that would add at least a mile to her journey. The mere thought of this makes her almost cry. Still, she doesn't think she has any other choice. But as she tries to pick herself up, she slumps over into the snow.

4:06She just can't go She cradles her lunch pail and textbook to her chest and closes her eyes. She needs to sleep. And as she's drifting off, she realizes that she doesn't much care whether she ever wakes up again.

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6:02From Wondery, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds.

6:15After the huge blizzard pummeled the American Midwest in January 1888, residents fanned out to find those who'd gone missing. But it wasn't easy. Snow had buried everything in sight, and a bitter cold snap put the lives of the rescue crews in danger as well. Those who were stranded realized it could take too long for help to reach them. If they wanted to live, they would have to summon every ounce of strength they had to save themselves. This is Episode 4, The Frozen Remains.

6:55Farmer Wilhelm Vebecki kicks the snow away from the barn door, then pulls it open with a grunt. He grabs his saddle off the wall, then places it onto his mare. The animus breath sends clouds of steam into the cold morning air. It's just before 7am on January 13th, and Wilhelm is heading out once again to search for his foster daughter, Lina. His first attempt to find her, yesterday, just before dark, almost killed him. Just as his wife predicted, he got lost in the whiteout, and ended up stumbling around blindly. Only through dumb luck did he find his way back to the farmhouse. He spent a sleepless night waiting for the storm to break so he could try again.

7:42He can only imagine what the little girl is suffering out there all alone. He mounts his horse. The mare seems reluctant to leave the shelter of the barn, but Wilhelm digs his heels into her sides. He yanks the reins toward the road. It's so covered in snow that it's barely distinguishable from the rest of the landscape. As he rides along, he scans the fields in every direction. Lena could be anywhere out here. But before long, he notices something about a quarter mile distant. A dark lump against the stark white snow. His pulse starts to pound. Lena? Lena! He can't hear any response, but the dark shape begins to move.

8:26Wilhelm squints into the sun, staring at the shape. Soon, he's sure of it. It's Lena. She's alive, and she's trying to stand. Come on, come on, let's go. He kicks his horse, urging the mare forward. But after a few steps, he remembers the deep ravine that separates him from Lena. It will be nearly impossible for him or his horse to scale its steep sides. He pulls on the mare's reins to slow her down. He'll have to take the road that goes around, even though it will take longer. Hold on, Lena! Hold on! Wilhelm yanks the reins to the left, then spurs his horse again, pushing her as fast as he dares in the snow.

9:04Every second is agonizing. His eyes dart back toward Lena, whose body and face turn to follow him like a frozen sunflower. He reaches the road that passes over the ravine, then doubles back toward Lena. At last, he's close enough. He hops off his horse and runs as best he can through the snow toward her. She seems dazed as he approaches, but when he's a few feet away, she holds a tattered book out to him. Wilhelm takes it, confused. What is this? My textbook. I'm so sorry. I tried to keep it safe, but... She can't even finish before she breaks down crying. Wilhelm is stunned. Lena, I don't care about the book.

9:53Come here. Wilhelm wraps Lena in his arms, squeezing her for several seconds and kissing her cheek. But her skin is like ice. He pulls back and looks at her closely. Her face is a ghostly white. He lifts her in his arms and then carries her back to his horse. He's got to get her inside and warm as soon as possible.

10:23Johan Albrecht Sr. cops his hands around his mouth and hollers to a member of his search party a hundred yards distant. Hey, any luck yet? No. It's the answer Johan Sr. expected, but he's still disappointed. Where on earth could his son and the other four boys be? It's 5 p.m. on January 13th. Sunset is approaching. Johan Sr.'s shadow on the snow is long. Early this morning, Johan made his way to his son's schoolhouse, expecting to find Johan Jr. safe and sound. Instead, he learned that the teacher had tried to lead his students to a nearby farmhouse during the height of the storm. They'd gotten separated in the blizzard, and five of the boys went missing.

11:14Johan Sr. rustled up a search party and they have been combing the fields here outside Freeman in the Dakota Territory all day. They started near the schoolhouse, working their way toward the Graeber farm where the students had been headed. Johan Sr. and the others walked over every inch of ground but found no trace of the boys. When that search came up empty, they fanned out to other fields. Johan Sr. can't imagine how the boys could have wandered this far away, but they've got to be somewhere. Despite the bitter cold, Johan Sr. pushes aside any thought of stopping. After all, it's his fault his son is even out here.

11:56If he hadn't overruled his wife and let Johan Jr. run off to school yesterday morning, he'd be safe at home. After another few minutes, Johan Sr. notices a mound of snow ahead of him. Given how flat the prairie here is, there's gotta be something buried underneath. He waves his hand over his head. Hey, there's something here! He races forward in the snow as the other men do the same. They converge on the little mound. Johan Sr. throws himself onto his knees and heaves the snow aside. The first thing he sees is a large brown eye. A cry escapes his lips. But then he groans. His addled mind thought the eye was human for a moment, but no, it's much too large.

12:45He realizes it's a cow's eye. Johan Sr. scrapes more snow away and uncovers the animal's face. He's horrified to see an icy mask over its mouth and nose, where its saliva froze solid. It's a crushing moment for the search party. Their one hope all day suddenly dashed. Johan Sr. gets to his feet. Let's push on. Come. But when no one else moves, he turns to find the other men ducking their eyes. Several are shivering. One farmer steps forward, shaking his head sadly. We can't keep going today. You want to quit looking for my child? No, not quit. Just pause. Until tomorrow. No, I'm not stopping. He's out here somewhere.

13:37And he's alive. I hope so, Johan. But cows, they're big animals, built for the cold. And if they couldn't make it... Johan doesn't wait for him to finish speaking. He pushes past to continue searching. His son is stranded somewhere, and he will not quit looking until he finds him.

14:07The End

14:28but they barely move. A jolt of pain shoots up her leg. The doctor frowns and scribbles something in a notebook. Lena stares at his face, trying to figure out what he thinks. It doesn't seem good. It's the morning of January 14th, two days after the blizzard. When Wilhelm rescued Lena, her feet and hands were as white as a fish belly. As her limbs thawed near the kitchen stove over the next few hours, they turned pink. She thought they were healing, but then the itching started. So fierce, she nearly scratched off her skin. Next came a burning sensation, like someone dunking them in flames. But the worst was yet to come.

15:14Now her hands and feet are turning black. Pus oozes from them, and the smell makes her gag. Lena has been lying in bed for the past 24 hours, waiting for the doctor. The cold and snow meant he couldn't get here until this morning. Lena spent that whole time anxious to see him, desperate for relief, but now she's terrified of what he's going to tell her. The doctor reaches a hand toward her left foot. This may hurt a little. The instant he touches her, Lena screams in pain. It feels like bolts of lightning are shooting up her leg. She pounds the mattress with her fist. Stop! Stop! Please stop! I have to examine them.

16:05Lena, it's for your own good. The doctor turns the foot this way and that, then spreads her toes. He finally sets her foot down and scribbles more notes. But before Lena can catch her breath, he grasps the other foot and the pain is even more intense. She shouts again and her foster father steps forward to take her hand. It doesn't help. The doctor finally lowers her foot, then removes his glasses and cleans them on his shirt. Your feet are badly infected. Gangrene has already set in. Don't you have some medicine you can give me? We're past the point of medicine. We need to focus on saving your life now, okay?

16:51Do you know what the word amputate means? Lena is horrified. She's seen civil war veterans with missing legs and hands. She knows that they underwent amputations. You want to cut my feet off? We have no choice, dear. Your hands might be next. Lena recoils, then reddens in fury. She still has feeling in her hands and feet. How can this doctor even think about amputating them? No, no, no, you're not cutting anything off. The doctor looks stunned at her outburst. Excuse me, young lady. I am the doctor. The doctor grows stern and lectures Lena about the danger she faces. She crosses her arms and rolls over, sobbing.

17:37She cannot believe she survived a day and a night out in the storm of the century just to lose her hands and feet. What's going to happen to her now?

17:56Johan Albrecht Sr. takes his wife Maria's hand in his. He closes his eyes, then they each pray. Johan whispers words that pour from his heart. Please, please God, help us find our boy alive. We will give anything for him. Johan Sr. opens his eyes to see Maria wiping a tear from her cheek. It's Sunday morning, January 15th, three days since the storm battered the territory. Johan Sr. has spent the past two days scouring the fields near Freeman for his son. He's worn out and feels his hope dwindling with every passing hour. Still, he's been heartened to hear tales of survivors discovered in other towns.

18:46So, there's still a chance. But he knows that if the five missing boys are not found today, it's unlikely they can survive another night. Not in this brutal cold. He thought seriously about skipping services to keep searching. but even in his distress, he felt guilty not honoring the Sabbath. Besides, he could use a miracle. The preacher finishes and a hymn starts. Maria has a beautiful voice and her sadness makes it even more lovely. Johan joins in with his baritone, but all he can focus on are the next places to search the minute the service ends. Suddenly, the door at the back of the church flies open.

19:33A lanky man with ink-stained hands rushes in. Johan recognizes him as the editor of a local paper. The singing falls silent as he dashes down the aisle and hops onto the dais where the preacher stands. They converse in low tones. The preacher looks startled. He casts a quick look at Johan and Maria. Next thing Johan knows is he's on his feet. It feels like someone is gripping his throat. Is this the news he's been waiting for? Has someone found his son? After a few more seconds, the preacher steps past the editor and addresses the congregation. News has arrived that several children have been found over at the Gertz farm.

20:17Johan interrupts. Are they alive? The preacher looks at the editor, who shrugs. I don't know. I've heard conflicting reports. The congregation bursts into chatter Everyone talking at once Except Johan Senior He's already pushing his way out of his pew Into the aisle and toward the door He sees the fathers of the other missing boys doing the same It's three miles to the Gertz farm And every minute will count If he wants to save his son

21:01Trapper Charlie Stabler bites his cheek until he can taste blood. After a grunt of pain, he spits red onto the ground, but the taste sickens him. How long has he been lying in his snow shelter, trapped beneath this ceiling of ice? Two days? Three? Maybe more? Or he's doing all he can to avoid falling into a deep sleep. He knows that if he does, he may never wake up again. At first, he talked to Rough Clouds, his friend who lies dead beside him. But that stopped working. Stabler found himself nodding off in the middle of sentences. That's when he started biting. His lips first, and now his inner cheek.

21:49It's agony, but it's better than dying in his sleep. He wishes his dog Bearclaws was here to keep him company. He's thought about giving up and embracing sleep. I mean, why prolong his suffering? But every time he starts slipping under, the thought that these might be his last moments on Earth jolts him awake. He's not ready to die. Based on how the roar of the wind has died down outside, Stabler's confident the blizzard has stopped. He's tried several times to claw his way out through the collapsed entrance tunnel, but he's so fatigued and weak he can't make any progress. Then he hears a noise.

22:32It sounds like an animal digging. There are coyotes out here. Is one coming for him? He feels a wrenching tightness in his chest. What an awful way to die. getting his throat ripped out by savage beasts. He now wishes he'd just fallen asleep. At least that would be a peaceful death. Then he hears something. A dog's bark. Could it be? Stabler swallows thickly, still tasting blood. He calls out, Bearclaws! Is that you, boy? A round of frenzied barks follows. Stabler realizes that his faithful dog is digging him out of the snow, and he weeps with joy. After a few minutes, Stabler can see the dog's murky outline through the ice above him.

23:24Summoning all of his strength, Stabler rises onto one elbow and pounds the ice ceiling. His hand throbs, but he keeps striking over and over. The roof finally cracks. Bearclaws tumbles inside, then licks Stabler's face. Stabler laughs and cries all at once. And as he wraps the dog's warm fur in his arms, he feels a surge of hope. He's going to fight on.

24:01Johan Albrecht Sr. leaps off the sledge before it even stops moving and takes off running for the Gertz farmhouse. He stumbles once or twice in the snow, but he keeps churning forward. Wait for us! He hears the shouts of Peter Graeber Sr. and Johan Kaufmann Sr. behind him, telling him to wait for them. But Johan Sr. doesn't stop. Between the snow and the cold, it took the trio 30 minutes to cover the three miles from the church. It was the longest half hour of Johan's life. But somehow, the two-minute run to the Gertz's front door seems to take even longer. He's panting for breath when Johan Gertz answers his knocking.

24:43Johan Sr. pushes past him inside. Where are the boys? Where's my son? They're out back, but wait! Johan Sr. darts out the front door again, circling around the house. A hundred yards distant, in the middle of a field, he sees something sticking out of a lump of snow. It looks like a branch. Johan's heart soars. Maybe the boys made a lean-to from this branch and their coats and huddled inside. That could have kept them sheltered enough to survive. The snow gets deeper as Johan Sr. approaches, but he fights onward. He's 50 yards away now, but five yards from the mound, he skids to a stop. What he thought was a branch isn't a branch at all.

25:27It's a human arm, a teenage boy's arm, the fingers outspread. It's frozen in place, sticking up at a grotesque angle. For a moment, he wonders who it is, but then he sees brown fabric. He recognizes it at once. It's the sleeve of his son's coat. Johan Sr. falls to his knees and pushes the snow aside. He has to know for sure. After a moment, he sees him, his precious oldest boy, frozen. Saw it. Johan Sr. buries his face in his hands and weeps.

26:15He can hear the other fathers behind him, demanding to know what he's found. But he's too crushed with grief to answer. How can he face life without his son? How will he ever tell his wife? They always said that Johan Jr. was blessed. that he'd broken the curse of all their children who died before him. And now he's gone too.