New-York tribune., 1885-02-10
A VAST STORM AREA.
SNOW IN THE NORTH. RAIN IN THE SOUTH.
SEVERE GALES AND ELECTRIC DISTURBANCE
rr.INs STOPPED IN SNOwDRIFTs.

SEVERE GALES AND ELfCihN
TRAINS STOPPED IN sNowDRIFTs.
CHICAGO, Feb 9.-The storm in this city showed
no abatement mp to this evening. Walking was
dificn,t and wearisoms. In the afternoon 1t was
impossible to see moro than a block away when
looking to the east on account OF the whirling
mass of snow flakes. walk Of fifteen minutes was
sufficient TO turn person into moving snow DanA
Traffic by teams on the streets was reduced to
minimum and the drivers of the larger TT ucks were
compelled to employ four horses to draw them'
Business of all kinds was nearly suspended. Inc
horse cars moved only with great difficulty. Suour
ban travel was retarded but trains kept running
more closely to scheduled time than would have
been thought possible train on the Illinois Cen
tra road which left the city for Hyde Park at ll:Zo
o'clock last night got stuck in huge drift AT Forty
third-st and did not reach its destination until
o'clock this morning. After this mishap the other
trainstook the outside trackswhich were free from
snow. The various branch railroad tracks running
to the stockyards were completely blocked by snow
this morning. Suburban trains on the Rock
Island road were delayed over three hours this
morning, and no freight trains have passed Blue
Island, going either way. since IL o'clock last
night 1t is said that orders have been issued both
by the officials of the Rock Island and the Lake
shore to abandon all freight trains until the snow
stops drifting. There were shipping orders here
for large quantities of corn, but it was almost I'M
possible to obtain freight room, and few orders
could be executed
The west-bound passenger train from Cincinnati
to Chicago, on the Cincinnati, Indianapolis. ST.
Louis aud Chicago road, was stopped by the snow
near Saint Anne ILL., All the trains on the Indiana
Illinois and Iowa Railroad have been abandoned.
From Keokuk Iowa. the report is that the storm Is
the most severe of the season. Trains on all the
roads entering that city are late,' and on the
Wabash and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific. the
trains are blockaded. AT La Crosse, Wis, the
weather is cold and clustering. The snow was
light and drifted badly. Trains were from one to
three hours behind time. A blizzard ragged on the
Southern Minnesota division of the st. Paul road,
and heavy force of men had to be kept at work to
clear the cuts
The storm at Galena ILL.,, set in at z D. m on YES
terday and continued steadily, accompanied by
strong northeast wind. he regular morning trains
from the East and West had not arrived this even
ing. The fast mail was five hours Late. The Chl-
cago and Northwestern started out from Gaiena
behind snow plough and REACHED Lancaster, WIS.
on tine At M the hanrs
behInd time AT Paxton. ILL, which Is loo nles
south of Chicago the storm last night was not Only
severe hut was attended with heavy thnnder and
lightning. The town appears to have been near the
border line of the snow and rain belts. lhere was
lightning and heavy thunder also at Maitoon, III;
At sycamore ILL.,. at p. there were no signs of
abatement in the blizzard. In the country pear
Sycamore the Snow covered the fences, and drifted
to the depth of four feet in the principal streets and
the public schools were closed. AT Jackson, Mich.
the snow is reported 10 be three feet deep on the
level and piled many feet high i'll drifts IN sheltered
places The depth OF snow is said TO be TIE great
est known in twenty years. AT JahesviIe. WIS,
the storm was accompanied by furious gale The
gale was also strong ct BelOit, Wis, Mclregor,
Iowa and Winsooa, Minn. AT the latter place
the snow had ceased. Reports as to the violence
of the storm from every direction in the great storm
area are TO the same general effect Business Is
every where practically suspended. The country
roads are impassabe.
AT the Signal station in Chicago the news was con-
ficting but it was.stSted that the snow storm came
from the South II in the Gulf of Mexico yes
terday and travelled little east of north, the
wind blowing with velocity OF about twenty
miles per hour It has gone far to the northwest,
the weather being especially severe IN all the lower
lake regions from here TO Buffalo. 1t has taken its
flight TO the st. Lawrence region. in northeast
erly direction II will not reach as far northwest
as Duluth. While it showed here and all along
the lake regions il rained in the Ohio Valley, this
being 80 large storm said the Signal officer as 10
include all kinds of weather The rain extends as
far south as northern Mississippi.
The actual measurement OF the snow fail mas not
been possible by reason OF the excessive drifting
but al least six inches fell between the beginning
of the storm last night and a. m to-day. AL
though the temperature early this morning was
FIVE degrees higher by thermometer than ii was
YESTERDAY morning il is RAPIDLY growing colder In
the Northwest region, especially in Manitoba and
Dakota and In Northern Minnesota the cold is Sc
yere At Fort Gary last night the mercury reached
al 0 below zero, and at St. Vincent $50 below.