The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-14
THE COLORADO STORM
Wind and Water Play Havoc in
the Streets of Denver.
TRAINS BLoCKADED BY SNOW.
Telegraphic Communication Broken
Cripple Creek Miners Taken Una
wares-Interruption of Travel.

DENVER, Oct. 13.-The rain, sleet and
wind storm that began on Tuesday night
ended this morning, leaving the city in a
torn-up condition. The streets are Uttered
with the limbs and trunks Of trees and all
sorts of debris, which before the storm
formed portions of signs, cornices, CHM
neys and even steeples of churches. Had
the weather been little colder snow
would have accompanied the storm
and the chances are that it would
have rivaled the famous New York
blizzard in destructiveness, for the wind
at times blew at the rate of over forty
miles an hour. 1t was only by mere
chance or the best ofluck that the city is
not now mourning the death OF some of
its inhabitants. for enough material fell
from buildings to kill pedestrians, but
luckily the wayfarers were few, and the
falling signs and brickwork, with one ex-
ception, dropped harmlessly on de-
serted sidewalks. This exception
was the case of man named
ackson, who was struck on the head by
falling sign, and for a time was thought to
have been fatally injured, but who es-
capped with a slight fracture of The skull.
Electric light, telephone, telegraph and
electric car trolley wires were mixed in
the greatest confusion, and as the wind
swung than to and fro they emitted
deadly flashes, which passers by had diff
Guilty in escaping. Fortunately no human
being was touched by the swing
ing wires, but three horses were
struck ank shocked to death. William
Andrews, driver, received severe
shock. The heavy rain filled the cable
conduits, and tor time the cars were
stopped, together with the electric cars,
which, on several lines, were forced to sus-
pend because of the breaking of overhead
wires. Cellars were filed with water and
great damage was done to goods, while
the continuous rain beating on the north
side of buildings has seriously affected the
walls of some of the blocks. In the SUI
burbs, where the wind and rain had full
sway, many small houses were partially
wrecked and trees blown about indis-
criminately.
Throughout the middle portion of the
state the severest storm for number of
years prevailed yesterday. Today all the
mountain roads are more or less blocked,
and this morning there was not a wire in
operation and no trains were moving ex-
cept on the South Park branch of the
Union Pacific. No trains were moved
either way last night or this morning on
the mountain division of the Union Pa
citic, and the Fort Worth trains are book
AIDED somewhere. As most of the wires,
up to nigntfall, were still Frustrated, it was
difficult to locate them. The Santa Fe and
Midland trains due here last night did not
arrive until this morning The Rock
Island is blockaded between Lyman and
Colorado Springs, so no trains can pass
that way, but are running over the Union
Pacific. Snow plows were operated in
cuts on the road fifty miles south of Dem
yer today, and it was armed that there IS
from three to seven feet of snow in the cuts
Cripple creek reports three feet of snow
there, and as the miners in that vicinity
were unprepared for the storm much suf-
fering will ensue. The storm was very
violent in Eastern Colorado. telegraph
wires being Frustrated for over two miles,
and communication between Denver and
Eastern cities completely cut off for
twenty-four hours. Wyoming also re-
ceived a part of the storm, and as the
wires between Cheyenne and this city are
Frustrated it Is impossible to get any but
meager reports. 1t is learned that tele-
graph lines are broken in every direction
from Cheyenne, but are slowly being re-
stored.