Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-02-11
oLYIllA, SATURDAY MORNING, FEB. II, 1871
Winter In the Old Northwest.

Winter In the Old Northwest.
Ashort time since we read accounts in the
Illinois papers Of terrific storm which
swept over great portion Of that State,
commencing with fcod of rain, followed
by an immense fall of snow, and this by
intense cold and high winds; the roofs
Of many houses were crushed in by the
accumulated weight of ice and snow, many
telegraph poles were demolished, and great
damage sustained by the destruction Of
railroad and other property.
Since then, We have Madison wis
paper Of the 10th Of January, containing
accounts Of subsequent storms. "The
storm set in Friday night. Snow was
falling aud blowing for about tweuty.four
hours" "Thc railroads were all blocked
up. On the Chicago and Northwestern
Railroad there were seven trains on Satur.
day night showed 10 between Harvard and
Chicago, aud there was no night train up
from Chicago over the Madison branch on
Saturday night" "Thc telegraph lines
were badly damaged, poles thrown down
aud wires broken in many places. Up to
this afternoon We have had no communica-
ton with the outer world, by mail or tcle-
graph, since Saturday afternoon"
Tho Lake Superior terminus Of the
Northern Pacific Railroad it appears has
suffered some from storms. The Duluth
Morning Cali of January 10, contains an
account Of severe northeaster on Lake
Superior, by which one Of the cribs of the
breakwater-the one adjacent to the eleva-
ter dock-was knocked to pieces by the
ice and mostly carried away. Ofthe prob.
able damage done, the Call, after face
tious attempt to belittle it, says:
But, seriously, the storm has done good
deal of mischief. 1t has made big hole in
the breakwater which it will probably require
So 900 or 81, 900 to repair, and has done some
damage to the railroad track and piled up some
ice on the railroad dock to the depth of ten
feet, and did several other things which it
ought not to have done. The amount of dam
age done we have not taken the trouble to as
certain, but sufficient has been done, we pre-
sumo, to convince the railroad company that
Lake Superior is mot to be fooled with" es-
pecially when she is angry, and that strong
and scientifically constructed Notifications are
needed TO Withstand her fury. We are inform
AA In sWfa
irreparable, will, in the future, be looked upon
As nothing. This morning, as we write, men
are going up and down the streets, with elong-
ated faces, because ",Dnluth is ruined. The
jig 10 up, and we are done forl''
We commend these facts to the consid.
Grafton Of our chronic grumbIsrs who speak
Of this as ga horrid climate" and pretend
to wish themselves "back in America"
After the most lovely autumn we ever ex-
perienced in any country, during the
month of January We had here nearly four
weeks Of almost uninterrupted rain-a ve-
~ remarkable fall of rain, in quantity and
duration. There was no day during that
time 10 which the most delicate person,
with suitable clothing, would experience
any danger, discomfort or inconvenience by
exposure to the open air-except from
mud. No hurricanes, or other violent
storms which are among the Affections and
the terror Of the old Northwest, have ever
visited this section; no summers heat
or winters cold" has ever made existence
miserable or precalious here; to-day, 10
mid-winter, the sun shines as genial and
the air i - soft, and clover and other cul.
tivated grasses are as green as in May /;
flowers are 10 bloom and gardeners are en-
gagged in planting potatoes, peas and other
early vegetables in soils as prolific as those
in the tropics, ladeued with no malarious
efauvia. This climate is good enough for
rs. If it rains, We submissively exclaim
"Ths Lord reigneth, let the earth re-
joice?'
e A member of II w Ranchar,e