The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-02-14
The Late unpiea~antneI ~, and Other
Winter Data.

| The storm which set In last Sunday evening,
continuing with undated violence for %
hours afterwards, will be memorable one in
meteorological annals. 1t had a sutiiciency OF
the characteristics OF a regular blizzard 10 b,
80 styled though lacking the intense cold Thc
storm seems to have been general through.
ont the northwest and over this vast array %
territory, in many localities the snow had
made IN earth blanket Of four feet in thick.
ness. N this vicinity not ic>5 than three feet
Of SHOW fell during the storm and blown by
| high wind the county roads are impossible By
reason Of huge drifts. Railway traffic was a..
most entirely suspended during the early part
of the week and II was not until Thursday
tha. even o few trans began 10 run with any
degree 1f regularity. On the {. Il. u Q. and
Rock leland roads trains were abandoned at
elmost every station in this locality and dead
.cnginca' were ,trcRn along these routes
stuck here aud there in huge snoW-drifts.
Every hotel had is quota Of sRo% bound pos
scngcys who were eagerly awaiting the rails
ing of the blockade 10 depart - their various
destinations Tho return 0! many vi the leg
islstor7 70 The state capitol in time for The bal
lgt.ng for United states senator vac SERIOUS
II int.rfcrcd with and the Chicago dailics
r.nortcd small dctlehmcuts Of VI. Is side
tracked in various CUt.Ot thc-Tay localities
throughout the state. Tuesday the thcrnonl-
ctrr Indicated ~ degrees below zero at mid
day Ind during the early hours Of that morn
inr il went down to ~ and that night 10 IS,
tue culdc I Of the season The station agents
could 10 little else than give information As
10 the probable arrival Of bcieagucrcd trains
and the telephone Was kept almost constantly
ringing but the agents seemed 10 know e.
little about the delayed trains As the appl..
cants for information. No. : was rs hours
behind her schedule time, No. was of The
track ct such u station, No. :! was expected
sometime the day after tomorrow, or No. >
vas stuck "a The lootb0arls in u SNOW drift,
was q bout the sort og information ohtainablc at
loc.l Headquarters and the Traveller T1S
obliged 10 relapse into u semi comoiosc state
and be satisfied or not, Just IS he pleased. ii
vaS, 10 POLITICALLY express It, llcrculcan ct-
fort 81! nature 70 yom: forth such an ocean Of
SNOW from A44t SUI III hAAS NLd''i- Al W.
ncction ui,h this article might be mentioned
the great snow.storm of 1850, which is spoken
OF as the winter Of the deep snow," there
being q snowfall averaging from three 10 four
feet, causing much suffering among the scat
tered settlements on lie prairies.
On the Goth Of December, 1886 this locality
.a> ,uv,lopcd in the icy embrace OF gent.
In, N,r,iabic blizzard. though the term At that
TIM was unknown. The day had been war->
and m.n pursued their ayocations without
This storm, or the " sudden
freeze Sc it I, now Familiarity known, swept
dia.oEsily across this state Al a rate Of p
miles an hour. Il came with strong wind,
4 heavy, black cloud aud q roaring noise - Of
distant thunder, accompanied by heavy
moisture in the atmosphere 50 sudden w4s