St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-18
IN MINNEAPOLIS.
The City BOmba rded by the Win.
Ter's Initial blizzard Of Wind an d

/ The little scurry Of snow which began on
/ Tuesday had attained the dignity of a
/ storm by yesterday morning. and the
vacillating zephyr which at the same time
/ breathed from the southwest, developed
/ into a full-siZed blizzard from Manitoba
/ during the night Minneapolis people
| awOke yesterday morning TO the fact that
| they lived pretty well north, when they
4 found ton and half OF snow piled against
/ the front door and the coal house lost in a
Northern Pacific drift. 1t was nOt par
/ ticularly heavy fall of snow. but the un-
! pleasant feature was found in the fact that
/ the wind kept the snow falling all day long,
and the line Of its fall was anything but
vertical. There was no change toward re-
/ lief all day, the snow coming down stead
/ lily. but after dark there was a promise of
clearing weather.
-
Only those who live in the suburban dis
trictS OF the city realized the beauties of the
blizzard and the Eighth ward is especially
fortunate in this regard. The down town
breeze was hurricane when ii crossed the
hill. and ii swept over the wooden ward
making lively music. Some of the drifts
were holy terrOrs. piling up in front doors
over four feet in height. leaving the front
walk nicely cleaned. The fronts OF one or
two corner stores were almost obScured
from view and unremitting effort was
necessary 10 keep the passage free for Gus
tomers-though il was a lucky store that
had any customers, under the crcum-
stances. 1t was also reported that more or
less suffering was inevitable. the heavy
drifts making it impossible TO haul fuel.
Taking their remote location into consider
alton. the lot OF the Eighth warders was
not happy one.
-
The scenes down town, however were
scarcely inspiring. Long Indian files of
pedestrians. stepping carefully into each
others tracks. alone served to relieve the
mOnotony 10 idle clerks and statesmen in the
various retail stores. The rumble of wheels.
the tinkiing of car bells. the tramp of shop
peTs were heard no more. After the first
useless effort 10 clean the sidewalk was
over, most of the days work for Nicollet
avenue was done. 1t was the general un-
derstanding that retailers had united in a
prayer for change of weather, from fall
TO winter style. 10 correspond with their
new stocks. Now that it has come they
are presumably happy. and yesterdays lull
enabled them to pack away fall goods and
invitingly display their winter assortment.
in time for the rnsh that will come when
the storm abates.
-
There was no rapid transit yesterday.
The motors made desperate efforts TO run,
but the odds were too great In the morn
ing great snow plow was brougb., out. and
after two hours of hard work WIS forced
down 10 Washington avenue, but the train
that attempted 10 follow it made such poer
headway that finally the attempt was aban-
dOned. a large force of men was set to
work clearing the track by laboriously dig
glng out the snow. in the hope of getting
trains on in the evening, bnt when night
came the worst portion of the track had
been untouched and the effort was aban
dOned. The men were continued at work
and this morning the plow will be resumed.
and if the storm is over travel will be re-
stored. The trouble with The motor tracks
lies with the planking between the rails:
the narrow space packs solid and it is i'm
possible 10 keep the wheels on the rails.
-
But little better luck was experienced
along the various horse car lines, though
the plows and salt cars were constantly
kept at work during the morning. The
Fourth avenue line got one car through to
Thirty third street but il was death tn fha