The Russellville Democrat., 1888-01-19
THE BL.lzkAno.

The Recent storm One or the Worst fx-
 psrienced in the Northwest - Railroad
 Traffic seriously tmpeded' and in some
 Cases Wholly suspeuded--stli There's
 More to Follow.
 ST. PAUL. Minn., Jan. BY Yesterdays storm was, without exception, the worst that has ever been experienced in the Northwest Snow to tho depth of two feet on the level and from five to fifteen feet in the cuts, was sufficient to almost suspend the running of trains; but, added to this, the severe wind winch blew in some parts, and the blizzard which ragged in others, has suspended railway business en tirey. Freight trains were hung up early yesterday. not wheel moving after monday. Passenger traiiS, oEe by one, followed suit, and by eight o'clock last night there was no attempt at run ing train at any point west of here The eastsra lines. however, worked hard to keep their tracks open, .t without success. At six o'clock the reports froiE various points along the several roads were discouraging, and 1t was decided to abandon almost every thing. snow blows and engines were sent out, and are now stuck on some hill or laid up at some station along the lines. Many roads in this State are totally blockadsd, and it is thought they will be laid up for the next six weeks.
 Another storm, or a continuation of the present one, is expected to strike Minneso- ta Sunday. It is now raging in Idaho.
 Things look so dubiuos to-day that rail way men will not venture an opinion when traffic will be resumed. Each line is putting forth every effort to keep their Chicago line open, but even that is almost ,l,t f daxr nt n train had come in, the Omaha limited be- ing report sarer than any other one. It. how ,or, as at Knapp, Wis, fifty five mile east of St. Paul, with the snow- blow stuck in hill. The officials hope to see 1t reach St. Paul not later than six o'clock this evening, although it may come in before that time, and it !may not come in at all tonight, as there are two bad cuts between Knapp and this city.
 Some little idea of the severity of the storm and it's effect on the roads can be gleaned from the fact that up to eleven o'clock this morning but two trains had come in on the Milwaukee Short line from Minneapolis, and each of these were drawn by two eng.nss. The Manitoba ran two trains each way before ten o'clock and the Albert Lea line ex periencsd about the same difficulty. At one o'clock this afternoon the trains were all making the run, each with two engines about half an hour behind time. With the exception Of these trains and the Sioux City express over the Omaha which came in at .. m., seven hours late, not a train has arrived in St. Paul since last night.
 The Omaha line felt the storm worst in it's western divisions. All the branches are closed, and it is feared the Mitchell & Pipestown division will not be cleared for months. The Kansas City train, due here last night, is tied up somewhere along the route, and a train sent out to it's relief has only reached point fifty miles from St. Paul. All trains will be aban- doned and no effort made to run them until the tra cks can be cleared.
 The Rock Island abandoned all trains last night, and up to noon to-day no efforts were made to move wheel except on their short-line trains to Minneapolis.
 On the Northern Pacific the storm was unusually severe and blizzard is raging on it's western divisions to-day. Their last overland train arrived here Wednesday night, and the officials will not offer an opinion when they will start trains out.
 The snow as it fell yesterday was moist but not too wet to drift, and as it filed up the cuts it froze in the soft snow and con seauently makes it a severe task to clear it from the tracks.