The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-13
"CTT OFF.

/ THE STORM OF THE sEAsON-How THE WIRES
ARE BRoKEN-HAVOC THROUGHOUT THE
| COUNTRY.
Indianapolis, in a season of something like
Indian summer, can hardly appreciate the
situation all about her. For three days the
course of travel east and west has been i'm
peded by mountains of snow, and the tele-
graph wires broken down by wind and ice
The havoc of wind and snow has come almost
to the outskirts Of the town. and while we are
enjoying The mild sunshine of November, the
towns about us and tor many a mile east
and west, are immersed in all the fury OF
winter. The Chicago Tribune, discussing
the distresses of the sei9e of frost and snow,
says: The damage has resulted from an
attack by that most effective enemy OF the
telegraph system-a storm OF rain and Sleet,
the wires being gradually encased IN coat
ing of ice, which increases in thickness until
the metal gives way on account of the great
weight. Instances have been known where
the incrustation of ice reached a, diameter OF
over four inches. AS the telegraph polesare
about l20 feet apart, the strain becomes enor-
nous, and the wires give way. Then the sud-
den shifting OF the strain upon the poles snaps
them like pipe stems, though they are two
feet thick at the base; and, the work of DEM
clifton once begun in this way, wires and
poles come crashing down like row of toy
blocks. The wires are buried beneath snow
and ice on the ground, and new ones must
be put up without waiting to recover the
old wires. A large army of repairers work
night and day to remedy the mischief, for
| the vital needs ofthe telegraph are so press
| ing that no time must be lost in restoring
| the lines to working order. The terms of the
contract of the Western Union Telegraph
company with the various railroad compa-
MES are such that the latter contribute all
needed assistance in the shape of extra gangs
| of men, and special trains are at once dis
patched with workmen and material. The
i present disastrous state OF things occurred
/ In a region rarely visited by protracted
storms OF sleet and rain in midwinter, and
/ the extent OF the damage is more widespread
than ever before in those sections. AS near
/ " as we could learn yesterday from Colonel
Wilson, superintendent of the Chicago dis
trict--who kindly placed at our disposal
| his daily reports from all quarters.-the
sleet storm has prevailed extensively
throughout the states OF New York, Penn
sylvania, as far west as Toledo in Ohio, and
/ q portion of Canada. On the three main
/ lines between Chicago and New York. COM
munication was cut OF respectively at De-
troit on the Canada route, at Toledo on the
Lake Shore, and at Bucyrus, Ohio, ON the
Pittsburg and Fort Wayne. No reports
have been received from the offices east OF
| these points since Wednesday morning, and
/ telegraph business with the east had come
almost to a stand still. Detroit was able To
ssget'' Montreal, but Montreal could not
reach New York. st. Louis managed to find
one circuit by way OF Nashville, Chattanooga
and Savannah to New York, but, as the line
is scarcely equal to the requirements of or
binary occasions, it has been of no service in
this dilemma. The Western Union has upon
it's hands an enormous accumulation of com
mercial and ordinary business, which it is
4 working off as well as may be by means oil
4 the RAILWAYS between points where the wires
are down, but. in the way of press dis
patches, nothing can be done until repairs
are made. Several thousand men are busy
at work in the devastated districts, and il
will not be long before the damages are re-
paired.