The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-13
BOREAS ON A TEAR
He Cuts High Capers in the Vicin-
ity OF indianapolis.
Street Car and Railroad Traffic Blocked
Unemployed to Clean Streets
PrOtracted Cold Spell Coming.

The biggest snowstorm Of the season came
TO town promptly at half past 2 O'Clock
yesterday morning, and after making a
prodigal display Of the feecy cloud product,
tarried in a feeble way till after nightfall.
There was about three inches of snow.
which made five inches of the beastly snow
slush combination. Street-car service was
a delusion and a snare in the fore part OF
the day, but in the afternoon the company
by herculean efforts obtained a better serv-
ice than has been obtained heretofore under
similar conditions. The dampness Of the
snow added to the difficulty in propelling
the cars, for the tracks were so sleek that
il took many carloads of salt TO obtain trac-
ton. The suburban service was very irreg-
ular, and in the evening the North Penn
sylvania-street cars took a rest every few
blocks, the power going out frequently.
The leakage of electric power was in part
caused by the fall of the damp snow.
The snow is to be followed by a severe
and protracted cold wave, SO the weather
bureau declares. Bulletins sent out last
night stated that the temperature will fall
from twenty to thirty degrees by Tuesday
evening. This cold wave, like the storm of
yesterday, will be general over the State.
BLOCKADES ON RAILROADS.
NailIOd ILCh SldA Nhd( = w."
the worst day for railroading seen in years.
Before ii began to snow rain fell upon the
telegraph wires and froze as 1t fell. Soon
the wires began to break and the poles to
snap and fall across the tracks. Engineers
were obliged to run cautiously lest they run
into poles across the track. In eastern In
diana the trouble was the most serious, as
not until the afternoon did the rain change
into snow. All over eastern Indiana and
central Ohio the roads had much trouble
with wires. West and north the trouble
was more with the heavy snow.
AT one time yesterday there were three
stalled passenger trains on the west end OF
the Peoria & Eastern road. The St Louis
train of the Big Four Southwestern Linn
tied came in about an hour late. and the
trains from Chicago were all more or less
late. The superintendent early in the day
gave instructions TO start out only freight
trains which must move until the passen-
ger trains began to get through on time and
the tracks were known TO be cleared. On
lines west and north of here the snow
varied in depth from ten to fifteen inches.
The through trains from Chicago and st.
Louis did not wait for connections at Chi
cago or st. Louis, so late were the connec-
tons. The Lake Erie & Western, between
Peoria and Lima. was having trouble from
the deep snow all along the line. So mild
has been the weather and SO little snow
that some of the roads were caught nap
ping. and it was some hours before they
could realize the situation, put double head
erS on passenger trains and be prepared for
genuine winter weather. Trainmen dread
the binding snow and running without tel
egraph orders, IL off time. Fearing that the
snow might begin to blow and drift last
night, extra crews We're on hand on some
of the roads, prepared 10 run out and clear
the tracks if it became necessary. Late
last evening it was evident that the storm
was beginning to affect roads further east.
Reports came in of late trains on nearly
ell lines.
Near Greensburg ffty-one poles were
blown down by the storm over the Big
Four track, and between Gallon and Della
ware thirty-nine poles were tossed to the
tracks. Train No.. z was sent out to clear
the tracks, and in a few hours traffic was
resumed.
STREET CLEANING TO-DAY.
The heavy snowstorm will cause a shift
ing of the labor from Garfield Park to the
clearing Of the streets and crossings. The
Commercial Club relief committee last
night completed arrangements whereby the
whole force of over three hundred men en-
ployed at Garfield Park will be put to
work on the streets as soon as possible this
morning. The tools were transferred from
the park and the men given orders TO re-
port at the food market this morning to
be assigned to their respective places.
The m has asked the Board Of
Public Works to furnish tools sufficient for
a force of between five hundred and one
thousand men. The says that
work will be given to all those who, apply,
no matter what the numbers may be. The
local gas companies have agreed TO fur
niSh a humble of shovels and spades, and
are enough to furnish probably five hum
dred men with tools. Yesterday there were
about fifty men employed in cleaning cross
ings.