New-York tribune., 1889-12-31
WINTER VISITS THE WEST
THE ASPIRING SPRING WHEAT SEVERELY
NIPPED.
Snow SEVERAL FEET IN PLACES-sUDDEN FALL
OF TEMPERATURE-DEsTIT
IN KANSAS


Chicago Dec 3O.-Chicago to-day feels its first
touch of winter so far this year. On SATURDAY
the weather was mild, the thermometer indicating
about 60 degrees above zero. On Saturday night.
while the temperature continued mild, the city
was lashed by the whip ends Of cyclone on
flying business trip from the Rocky Mountains
to the valley of the St. Lawrence River. House
shaking gusts of wind rain-laden, weat rattling
by, making everything quiver and drenching the
belated pedestrian. Five minutes later il would
be as calm as day in June, and the heavens
would be brilliant with stars, and these squalls
were repeated again and again Yesterday morn
ing broke gray and dismal, with a heavy gale
from the west, and before noon the mercury
began to fall. At o'clock in the morning the
mercury was at so degrees; twelve hours later it
was at % degrees, and this morning it was at Is
degrees.
The great snowstOrm of Saturday night ragged
over a very extended area. The centre Of the
disturbance appears to have been at Huron, 5. d.,
where the wind veered TO the north and the storm
increased until it became yeritable blizzard,
blowing fifty miles an hour. The memorable ex-
periences of two years ago prevented people from
unduly exposing themselves on the prairies and
10 bad results are anticipated The storm has
been marked in places by singular phenomena.
AJ Nlnona, MINI, ram deSccnded In deluge and
the whole city was flooded. When the rain
stopped the mercury fell rapidly, thirty degrees
in three hours People could skate TO business
this morning. At other points electrical disturb
ances preceded the fall of snow Duluth was
visited with a severe blizzard, ushering in tho
Heaviest snowfall of the season. Much damage
has been done in the city, and street-cars are
blockaded. Trains were delayed by drifts six feet
deep in many places.
violent wndstOrm prevailed in Kansas and
Missouri yesterday, accompanied by furry Of
snow early in the day and a decided fall in
temperature. The thermometer fell near the
zero point, but about noon the weather cleared
and only the high wind continued. Little dam
fences were levelled 10 the ground Several out
houses at Abilene, Kan, were blown down, and
barn at Wichita was demolished. Beyond these
slight losses, the wind did but little damage
The greatest damage done 10 the crops.
The growth of winter wheat had been forced by
the recent mild weather, and with nothing 10
protect it, the severe cold, il is feared, will kill
the roots, thus causing considerable damage
dispatch from Wichita, Kansas, says An
appeal for aid comes from the people of sherman
county, In the western part of the State. The
cold snap which prevailed in this region on
Saturday seems to have developed into blizzard,
and anywhere from foot to three feet of snow
covers the ground. The appeal has created no
surprise, as IL was expected with the first severe
weather meeting of the Board of Trade will
be held to take steps TO furnish the necessary
ald, and the county commissioners will lend all
help in their power.