New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-01-18
THE GREAT BLIZZARD.
RaiIroading in the Northwest Sus-
pended and the Storm the Worst
Ever Seen.
a Wind Blowing With Great Velocity
Made Worse BY a Low Tenn
peratlIra

Full reports from all points affected by
the blizzard which began on the 18th. show
it to be the worst storm ever witnessed in
the Northwest. Railroads are blockaded
in every direction, and many reports OF
people losing their lives come from yari-
GUS parts of Minnesota and Dakota. st.
Paul papers of the 18th show the effect on
railroads:
Railroading was practically at a stand
still in the Northwest yesterday. None of
the railroad officers could recall a day
when there was SO complete blockade,
and certainly there has been nom for years.
The day previous some trains were run,
but yesterday practically none, in fact
very little attempt was made
to run trains except between St.
Paul and Chicago, as the wind
in Minnesota and Dakota was still blow.
ing hard, filling up the cuts nearly as fast
as cleaned out, and the temperature was
so low that neither men nor engines could
work to advantage. On the whole Mani
toba system no trains were run except
between St. Paul and Minneapolis and
between GAINESVILLE and Neche, the latter
being piece OF track on the level prairie
that is scarcely ever troubled by the
snow. Trains out of ST. Paul were all
abandoned except on the short line.
The Northern Pacific was not much
better off in Minnesota and Dakota. The
train out OF St. Paul at 4 p. m. Thurs
day, Jan. -, got only as far as Clear
Lake, where it met another stuck in the
snow in attempting to get on a side track,
thus blocking the way. Beyond ClearL Lake
were three other trains this side OF Brain
erd, all bound for St. Paul. and blocked
by the one at Clear Lake. Assistant Gen
eral Manager Ainslie was at Fargo yester-
day morning, and went from there to
Wheaton by train. A telegram from Supt.
Green, OF the Missouri division, said the
wind at Mandan had not abated, that the
drifts were as hard as ice and the tempera-
ture so low that he got men to work with
difficulty. The o'clock train out OF St.
Paul on Wednesday was hung up at Cas-
selton. OAK. while the one leaving on the
7 7et7 Ta ey& WAS M gsstng " saS
only nine hours late. At Glendive were
four trains, all bound east, and two were
consolidated; one was sent back west in
lieu of those delayed in Dakota. The st.
Paul & Duluth got no trains through during
the day, but the main line to Hinckley was
clear of trains and the limited WIS sent out
last evening with hopes OF making the trip.
A train from the Northern division OF the
Omaha came in last evening a day late,
but no other attempt was made to run
trains there. Southern Minnesota if it
have presented
SORRY SIGHT
for railroad man. On the Milwaukee &
st. Paul, the Hastings & Dakota, South.
ern Minnesota and Iowa & Minnesota divis-
ions were abandoned throughout the day,
not wheel turning, with numerous trains
tied up here and there. The Western d.
visions of the Omaha and the Minneapolis
d st. Louis were in the same boat, or
rather snowdrift, and the Minnesota &
Northwestern found it impossible to get a
train through. On this road the blockade
is on this side of Elma, Iowa.
All trains from Chicago were hung up at
Dubuque, where passengers were quartered
in hotels at the railroad company's ex-
pense. The train which left St. Paul
Thursday evening was stalled at Randolph
thirty miles out, while the one leaving
Chicago at the same time got as far as
West Concord, fifty miles from ST. Paul.
Preparations were being made to begin
the work of clearing the line early
this morning. All trains out for the
north, west and south were, OF course,
abandoned, except those mentioned as
running. On the lines to Chicago every
effort was made to get the trains through.
There is great rivalry among the different
companies and the business was impor-
tant. The Omaha train due here in the
evening was stalled at Knapp, Wis.,, all
day and was expected about midnight The
Milwaukee & 81. Paul got stuck somewhere,
and three trains, including the fast mail,
were still expected in bunch during last
night OF all the numerous trains that
daily run into the union depot, besides
suburban and interurban, and they are
numbered by the hundreds, but solitary
one showed itself until after 10 o'clock
last evening" The Wisconsin Central train
from Chicago due in St. Paul at 9:15 yes.
terday morning pulled in four hours
late, having five engines: and this was
the only train of the day at the I'M
ion depot except Short Line
and suburban. OF the trains due to 20
out last evening only the Wisconsin Cen
tai and the Burlington went out on time.
The Omaha left late, the others being
abandoned. Although travel was neces-
sariiy light the union depot was crowded all
day with people who were anxious to get
out OF town. Railroad officials said that
as soon rs the snow stopped blowing and
the severe cold moderated the tracks
would be quickly cleared, but nothing
could be done to advantage as long as the
wind and cold ntinued