The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-01-16
THE GREAT BLIZZARD.
Heavy Snow Falls in the West and as Far
Southwest as Galveston, Texas-A Snow
Blockade Throughout the Country-Unpre-
cedented Cold in The South, where the Mer-
curry Went Below Zero-Some Details.

A snow storm of wide extent began on
Wednesday of last week, and was the tiercest
known for many years. 1t ragged IN Dakota,
Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebras-
ka, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and Tennessee,
and throughout the South and Southwest, and
in fact throughout the whole country east of
the Rocky Mountains. The wind blew at a
terrific velocity, and snow fell to consider
able depth and drifted badly. Railroads in
every direction were blockaded, and trade
and travel were suspended for few days.
The mercury was from u to 50 degrees be-
low zero.
The cold increased on Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, and temperatures as low as 81
were were reported in the Northwest. TWAS
48 below at Winnipeg and 90 below at Mime
dosa, in Manitoba. At no place was the mer-
curry higher than 10 below in the West and
Northwest.
Thursday s dispatches say cold wave, with
blizzard Accomplishments, prevails IN the
Northwest, and is moving eastward. 1t was
first marked in Montana and Dakota, with
temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees below zero.
1t reached Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday
evening. and continued Thursday, the tenn
perature there being II degrees below zero.
St. Paul was reached Thursday night, and
there were indications that the temperature
would reach twenty below by daylight. Rail-
road travel throughout Iowa and Nebraska is
stopped, the snow being as fine as dust and
drifted badly A telegram from Kansas City,
Missouri, received Thursday night, says that
one Of the severest storms ever known pre-
vailed all day Thursday on the plains. Tele-
graphic communication was greatly inter-
rupted, and there was no travel on the Santa
Fe, Union Pacific and Burlington and Mis-
souri, River Railroads. The temperature at
Kansas City was three degrees below zero,
with keen northwest winds and light drifting
snow falling. A passenger who came in over
the Santa F'e Road from Williams, New Mex
leo, states that there is an unbroken covering
of snow on the ground for the entire distance
of some thirteen hundred miles.
The cold wave and storm in the Northwest
and West continued Friday, and extended
from Northern Montana as far south as Chat
tanooga. The storm was the severest for
many years, and the cold intense. Temper
atures far below zero were experienced from
Missouri northward, the minima being II to
20 below in Iowa, % to 81 below in Dakota
and Montana, and 4S below at st. Vincent,
Minnesota.
CHICAGO, Jan. "a strong wind is blow
ing throughout Northern Illinois, drifting the
snow badly, but the cold is not as intense as
that which has prevailed in the West and
Northwest.
The telegraph officials state that the storm
was more destructive in Iowa than any they
have known in many years. A sleet storm
on Tuesday swept down poles and wires from
Northern Iowa to Southern Kansas, and be-
fore the lines could be restored the present
fierce storm completed the work of destruc-
ton.
OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 9.-No winter storm
has been so general throughout the State as
that which prevailed yesterday. The Their
mometer indicated 23o below zero in the bust.
ness portion of the city, while on the high
plateau the mercury went down to 30'. This,
with the bitter north wind, made the temper
AZURE as cold as any remembered by the
oldest citizens. No trains have run in the
State since early yesterday, and no efforts
have been made to clear the tracks, because
of the impossibility of working in the extreme
cold, and the fact that the drifting snow would
fill up any cuts cleared.
Dies MONIES, Jan. 9.-The intense cold has
kept up all day, the mercury ranging about
14o below zero. The thermometer registered
$50 below early this morning. The railroads
diverging from this point are in a worse con-
dition to-day than yesterday. The intense
cold has hindered the work of clearing tracks
and most of the north and south lines have
laid off till milder weather.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, JAM 9-Early this morn
ing the mercury marked $50 below zero. At
noon the mercury stood at 100 below zero.
The weather is clear. All trains on the Iowa
and Minnesota division of the Milwaukee
Road have been abandoned because of snow
drifts. Trains on all the lines south and
southeast are badly delayed. The Manitoba
Road reports tonight that the wind has gone
down and the thermometer is rising slightly.
Several stations report as follows: Halleck,
$50 below; st. Vincent, 400; Fargo, 40; Port,
land 42o; Morris, 400; Wilmar, so; st. Cloud,
30 The St. Paul and Duluth reports are:
White Bear, 19o below; Rush City, 240; Rock
Creek, 150; Pine City, 200; Hinckley, 210; N.
P. junction, 20o On the Northern Pacific,
from Brainerd to Fargo, it ranges from 27' to
SO below, the latter from Wadenaud; on the
Missouri Division, 25o to $50; Glendive, 800.
The Omaha Road reports 90 to 1So below on
the Northern and Eastern Divisions. In Ne
braska it averages 30' below.
EXTRAORDINARY COLD WEATHER IN THE SOUTH.
GALVESTON, Texas, Jan. 9.-The cold wave
extends over vast area, and will result IN
immense damage to stock of all kinds. From
Austin it was reported that the temperature
was 100 above zero yesterday, and hundreds
of water pipes were frozen. At Laredo, on
lHt 1elO Tic "oo y "
low the freezing point At Palestine the
mercury touched zero. 1t is the coolest
weather experienced in 40 years. The water
works street plugs are all frozen and cracked.
At Orange, on the Louisiana line, the Their
mometer was 12o above zero, and at Corpus
Christi the mercury fell Ga degrees in welve
hours The oldest inhabitants say they never
experienced such blizzard.
MIDNIGHT.-The temperature has greatly
moderated here during the past twelve hours.
The minimum temperature this morning was
16o above zero, while at 2 o'clock this after
noon the mercury had risen to 800 above.
Last night was one of the coolest known on
the island. Old residents say the only cold
spell exceeding the present one in severity
occurred in December, 1862, when four inches
of snow lay upon the ground three weeks.
The bay this morning presented an unusual
appearance, and hundreds of people, young
and old, went down to look-many of them
for the first time-upon Galveston Bay frozen
over The ice is nine inches thick in more
exposed places.
MOBILE, Ala, Jan 9.-The weather for the
last SO hours has been very cold. The mer:
curry dropped to 10 above zero before day
light this morning. Eight degrees were re-
corded at Montgomery. The wind was very
piercing from the north all day yesterday aud
the greater part of to-day, but has died down.
To- night will probably show a still further
degree of cold. The cabbage crop, occupying
many hundred acres around Mobile, is frozen
solid, and the orange trees in exposed places
are injured. Ice thick enough for skating
formed to day. This is the coolest weather
since 1882 when, on January 20, the mercury
fell to 80 in Mobile. The ink froze rapidly as
the brushes were Withdrawn from the marking
pots, causing a suspension of work in the cot
ton yards. The year 1885 was cold year
also. The thermometer recorded 60 at sun
rise on Feb. of that year. Feb. 6and were
afterward referred to in Alabama, Georgia,
and Mississippi, as the cold Friday and Satur
day. On the Sth, Bayou St. John, emptying
into Lake Pontchartrain, was frozen hard.
In 1888 the lowest temperature ever recorded
here was experienced at midnight on Feb. 16,
it was 50 above zero. A further fall of 90
must have taken place before daylight. Skat-
ing and sleighing were enjoyed for two days.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Jan. 9.-The weather
here is the coolest of this season. The Their
mometer this morning at 8 O'Clock stood at
200 above zero and did not rise higher than
$50 during the entire day. The cold through
out the upper part of the State is excessive.
In all the mountain counties and as far south
as Columbia heavy fall of sleet and snow
occurred to day. There was slight snow
fall in Savannah, the first in six years.
ATLANTA, Ca, Jan. 9.-The coolest weather
experienced here in several years prevailed