The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15
CHICAGO.
Another Letter From the Lake Ne.
trep0lis.
Jack Frost and the Recent snow-storm-
How 1t Affected Trade, Traffic aud
Travel-Inctdents.

windswept prairie in the far Northwest, and
yet never knew what blizzard was until
last Monday and right here, SO far from the
frontier, where everything, meteorological
and otherwise, has supposed to partake of
the refining influences eff civilization, real,
bona fide blizzardoas fury came swooping
over, whirling Us zigzag, filing the eyes,
choking the mouth, lining the tiniess fold
about neck and ears, benumbing the
fingers, till blinded. one staggered
into anywhere to get out of its
Inconsistencies. An ominous whizsing
and grooming was heard in the chimney that
morning, and coal, CRATE and all, seemed in
danger of being drawn to ioftier height,
when with puff and swirl out came flame
and smoke into the room. well-bshaved
hae never cuts up like that, aud peering into
the morning where night is supposed to BE-
rolling to the westward, to learn the cause f
1t was in the air, no night, nor day, nor
morning was there, but darkish gray aud
rushing, whirling and wind eddied snow.
The buildings across the street were only
outlined. No teams were passing. heard
no car bells; no din OF boat or traffic, or life,
cave the furied snow lsde5 elements.
short time sgo Jack Flo,t sat down on
us, and the great prairie where the ''Gsrdsn
City" vegetables in negotiating time. took
upon itself on icy temperature, but this is
entirely different phase to WHIST is COM
monty termed the weather Wishes for all
sorts of bad happenings to the "wave"
makers have been waited Montsna-way,
supposing that to be the point from which
emanates the signals gathered and laid away
in the weather bureaus" but here comes
the stingingest cut OF all from the Gulf of
Mexico. III ost everybody has wished they
were down in New Orleans since the cold
set in, but this state OF fairs warns rs That
if the great gulf-bed is a turn. coat once
no telling what the next will be,
and it might be wise to await Developments
1t was the intention of your scribe 10 give
you whole budget OF city happenings this
week, and as you, of course. do not want
prognostications, therefore, the best we can
do is 70 stick to the point, and TO what Chi
csgo has been full of and did not know what
TO do with, and what made her great cita-
del, shut Off from everywhere and every out
side body blythe weather.
Tuesday we thought the worst was over.
but every thermometer in the city dropped
down to "a below zero before night. Not
one stayed up to tell Us OF warmer cline.
Again the wind began to blow, the snow to
whlrl, the drifts to rise and the furles to CO.
Ieen in arctic glee.
The outside world forgot Chicago and
one by one the hundreds OF daily trains
were missing from their accustomed lines.
There was many vacant rail. waiting en-
gineer and lettering official. Baggage rooms
were vacated. No need of checks they
were passed in for fully fifty hours. Nobody
went out, no more came in. One train
thought to trundle through the drifts and
started out about the time another was
creeping into the city, unfortunately both
upon the same track. The air was 50 dense
with flying snow that the engineers could
not soc each other in time to pre-
vent the iron horses from rubbing
their huge noses together. Another train
had FIVE big locomotives attached to ensure
q safe arrival to the city. At Sixteenth street
the second one broke switch rod, displac-
ing the rails The captain, or the head one
OF the engines. flew off In one direction, the
second left the track and sped on through 8
ten foot stone wall that separates the rail.
way from Clark street, while the scared train
rushed off 10 another direction, soon coming
TO a halt, however. The hole in the wall
made by the inprovised battering ram is big
enough to let house through, and stones
mortar and Inasonery rolled in every direc-
ton from the assault. No one was injured
by the occurrence. Bat upon the
tsS n IN the yaTd, a HS0 oo9 5hs
not be seen or see the moving trains or loco
motives because of the storm, were found
with only maDgled body TO tell the sad
story OF life gone out on the wal of the
wind
Some had places they had called home,
others were taken TO the morgue, but every
Of oft dr. ~
wsit in vain for their coming
Who can measure the magnitude of the
results OF the greatest storm OF the
past decade? Seriously, the bulletins
were watched, the arrival of trains marked,
friends were expected, traffic was at stand.
still Huge adjectlves prefaced many
mans remarks on the condition OF affairs.
Human nature knew no guise and cared not
TO assume any. Some took the situation
calmly in the security of home or in the
easiest chair his Office afforded, with the
daily paper for his solsce. Others
few around very much like the
furries of snow, with about the same
effect, only one flled the streets, while the
latter choked out real causes for thankful
ness No letters came in, none went out for
nearly two days. What anxious waiting for
sorrowing friends expectant lovers, or the
Individual who had thousands of dollars at
stake. But from here, there and yonder
outside, OF snow-bound trains, of delayed
mail, of paralyzed business, of disasters,
Of Old World wars and rumors
of hope, coursge and brighter prospects,, Chi
csgo was not the only storm point; she felt
that misfortune shared halved its in.en-
sity.
Word came of thousands of men delving
in huge banks of snow. Putting. pushing
and belabored locomotives could not &C.
complish what the puny arms OF hundred
men with shovel in hand could do-make a
path for the splendid monsters to roll
through. The long lines OF drifts de6ed the
| rover OF steam.
Harness me down with your iron bands,
Be sure OF your curb and rein,"
| is all very fine, but when harnessed down BY
| the power of the "besutiful snow" with
| 200 or 500 impatient human beings in the
| tagging train, one finds limit TO the posi-
bility OF steam force and good.natured Ia
| ture at the same time. But Professor Morse
| must have blessed himself all over again last
| Wednesday, because he persisted in urging
/ the passage OF the twelve appropriation
! bills whereby he was enabled 70 bald the
| first telegrsphic line in the United States
| only forty years ago
If he had not and nobody else had, the
weather would have gotten the best ol
| Chicago IS big as she is.
| a short time since wrote you of winrovE
| of snow along the streets; well. now you will
find little actual mountains looming up al
-