, 1864-01-04
The Storm In the City.

The exceedingly mild weather which character
lied the last month Of the year 1868 has been suc>
ceeded by enow gtorm almost unparalleled In bis
tory In extent and violence. 1t seemed as 1.-THE |
old year departed with q throe Of agony, and the
dying struggle was felt ali over the West From |
the eastern boundaries Of Ohio to the plains Of |
EAnsae: from The extreme south OF Illinois to the
northern limita Of Michigan and Wisconsin, the
storm has ragged in uncontrolled fury. The vast
expanse Of territory known as the Northwest" "
has been bowed down BY its visitation. Like the
sirocco Of the desert it has taken In Its broad
sweep almost continent, and devastation has
marked It's course. On the 1evel pruiries Of Illinois
the storm has held high carnival, no natural bar
ricr interposcd to cheek its progress 1t leveed
all before 1t in one fell swoop. For days-perhaps
wecks-the SD record will meet with constant ac-
cessions, as from places situated outside ofthe
regular line OF railroad and telegraph communica-
ton the details win arrive. Scores, perhaps hnn"
dreds of pessons will have been lost; their prop
etty DESTROYED, and their homes LETT desolate.
Never since the bitter cold md snoEs of the win
ters Of 1854 S, and 1866 have we experienced
etorm anything like that whose fury has Just been
expended. Indeed 1t has surpassed those bitter
visitations. for although the snow was deeper the
wind ~as not 30 strong nor the cold 60 severe.
Then al travel was suspended for week at least,
and passengers on the railroads were showed In
and were compelled to burn mp the CARS for fuel
and levy contributions On the freight for food.
Bnt few persons were seriously injured. Now we
hayes great number who have lost the use of their
1lmbs from the frost bite, and some have been
lost. .......
It's, however, with Chicago and the district i'm
mediately surrounding that We have to deal The
heavens which during the early part Of the week
had been beautifully clear suddenly darkened on
Ahn~v S-,% Ia n%a
fell rapidly, and soou the SNOW came down thick
and fast. The wind. blew strongly all the day.
Yet it was not cold. The mercury ranged in the
morning at q degrees at noon it had fallen to II,
and ut O'Clock at night It stood at 10 degrees.
But 1t was very uncomfortable. To midnight OF
Thursday nine inches Of snow had fallen, and the
wind blew the mow upon the trucks OF the horse
railroads 20 inst that all the efforts Of the comps
nies and their employees with snow plows could
not sufnce to keep the tricks clear, and about 10
o'clock the nttcmpt to run the cars was given up.
Thence forward the storm king Ind 1t all bis own
way. The temperature rapidly declined TIL at 8
oc,ockin the morning 1t stood at 20 degrees below
zero. AL TINT night the snow continued to fail.
and the crowds Of midnight jewellers who had ocr
cupled Themselves in wassai,Ing Hound 1t difficult
TO ret home. On Friday morning the Temperature
was yery Low, the mercury ranging at IS degreea
below zero ut O'Clock. The anow had nominally
ceaeed to fall. but the fierce winds carried the
Aeecy material into every nook and Granny. Ttasel
In the city WIS virtually suspended; how 1t Waa
on the railroads, let the following accounts tell
At noon and ut night the mercury stood at-1s and
at night ii had fallen to-a5. The wind whistled
ana howled, snq pedestrians were very scarce upon
the streets. or corrse loco1notion was impossible
for ladies, and New Years ca1ls were almost uu
known The different places OF amusement were
slcndeaiy patronlzed, and the skating parks were
closed. ..
The wind abated <1a Saturday, and though the
cold continued, 1ocomotiou WIS impossible The
funep6e pIles Of sn0w were cleared from the
principal streets, and the horse cara, the omnibus
sea and express woguns were once more enabled tt
takathe road. while here and there could be Bee1
sleigh whose adventurous driver had determined
mt 10 be cheated ont OF hls promised enjoyment
The cara nm at inierrAa Of oftwenty minutes to hal
m hour II being necessary to attach SIX horses t.
each, and In one instance eight mules Were hai
reescd to eingie car. II haA o3ten been sald tta
opanibusses and horsc-caEs aso noTcr full, but tn
cars Of Saturday were packed 10 full that fusthe
tncress was impossible: their capscdty was teste
to the utmogt. The line on tho ualstesd stree
and Blue Island avenue still labored under the e1
fccfs Of Injunction No. 2 as tho road was 30 uneve
thst steam plow would not work effectively; 1
this case however the enjo1ning power was applle
by 4 rreater than he who owns tue seven BY MIN
match On Ha1stead street.-the whose narne wi
10 amsno.tslIxed in the history Of the Wabssh Va
Icy scheme. -
Thu various lines Of railroads. oureachiug fto1
%ha city Of the 1akea, have experienced more tha
tbedr usual abare OF detention and loss, and WIN
hof vastly greater consequence, many OF the
,,..sarpcrs hsve sudsrsd feazfnlly from tho bitts
So1d. sSd souo hsve died Tbs broad prairlc'
1~v.i and unbrokcn - the great saa. especially n
cetved The rnde fkyors Of the storm 6nE, Nh