St. Paul daily globe., 1894-02-13
BLIZZARD BLASTS.
Chicago Suffers From the
Worst Storm Ever Known.
BUSINESS At A STAHDST1LL.
All Railroad Lines BlOckaded
by a Heavy Snow.
TRAINS CANNOT TURN A WHEEL.
TRAINS CANNOT TURN A WHEEL.
Great Damage Reported at
st. Louis and Omaha.
KlDE PATH OF THE STORM.

EiDE PATH OF THE S70RM
CHICAGO. Feb. IA blizzard of the
most approved pattern, with snow, sleet
and an energetic wind, swept down on
Chicago last night. and TO-DAY ragged
with constantly increasing violence.
Great snow-drfts blocked the streets,
suburban trains were delayed and
snow sweepers were kept necessarily
in use to prevent stoppage of the street
car lines, traffic on which was badly
delayed. The blizzard is tile most
severe that has visited Chicago for
many years. So severe was the storm
that at the public schools only about
One-thlrd of the pupils were present.
At many of the schools teachers were
absent, as well as scholars. Business
at the stock yards was practically sus
pended. Few people were about the
yards, and no buyers put in an appear
ance. One of the large observation
windows in the Leland hotel was blown
III and several guests narrowly escaped
Injury by the falling glass. All
Of the mall trains coming into Chicago
were seriously delayed. Several of
the city deliveries were abandoned
and the mail service generally demoral-
lied. Telephones and telegraph wires
suffered severely. Many wires were
torn from their fastenings. poles were
blown down and many crossed currents
injured the service. Three men at the
nfn,.
axe, were brought face to face with
death. The landing platform was
smashed by the waves which washed
over the cribs structure, drenching the
imprisoned men. The telephone line to
The station was uninjured. and the men
said that the building was being shaken
frightfully i'll the wind and waves. No
boat could live in the storm, and no
effort to rescue the men could be made.
Many carriages on Michigan avenue,
where the wind sweeps straight off the
lake, were overturned. but none of the
occupants were seriously injured. Lake
Michigan was laShed into a fury and
the waves rushed over the breakwater
and swept clear across the Illinois Gen.
tral railroad tracks into Lake Front
park.
During the afternoon the storm in
creased in violence, the wind at times
rising TO velocity of fifty miles an hour
and the
SNOW GROWING HEAVIER.
1t was the worst storm Chicago has
ever known, and by o'clock In the
afternoon business of all kinds was at a
standSLill. At that time all the big office
hnildInuS
people having started for home in order
to do their travelling before nightfall.
Trains were badly delayed during the
afternoon and tonight most of the East
ern roads did not send out trains of anv
kind. The New York limited on the
Erie pulled out at 2 o'clock with two
engines, and three hours later was twelve
miles from Chicago, stuck fast, and
two additional engines, which had been
sent after it. could do no good. The
incoming New York limited on the
same line stuck i'll snowbank at
Fourteenth street, one mile from the
depot, and six engines gave it up as
bad job. The Rock Island started out
one passenger train. and it came back
after running something over mile in
three hours. The same conditions pre-
vailed on all lines, and this evening most
OF them declared that unless the storm
moderated by midnight they would not
attempt to turn a wheel
Owing to the driving snow, which
made 1t impossible TO see fifty feet,
wreck occurred Oh the Lake Shire road
at Seventy-mnth street and Stony Island
avenue. The fireman, Luther S. Web-
steT, of Elkhart, Ind, was caught be-
tween the engine and tender and badly
crushed. Several freight cars were
knocked into kindlinU wood
On the streets collisions and accidents
were numerous. Charles Chase, driver
Of bakery wagon, received a broken
leg when his vehicle was overturned by
the wind. W. b. Cunningham was
blown down by a gust of wind, which
struck him as he was passing the corner
OF Wabash avenue and Adams street.
His left arm was broken and he was
BADLY BRUISED.
Moses Bloom Jr., a member of the
board OF trade, was badly injured while
on his way from Van Buren street car
to the board of trade. A gust of wind
struck him with such force that he was
carried distance of twenty feet, and
struck against the cuIbstone in such a
manner that his wrist was fractured
John II. Wood, manager of Carson
Pirie. Scott d Co.'s retail store. was
struck by falling sign and painfully
injured. An exceedingly dangerous
spot to pedestrians was directly behind
the Masonic temple, which is twenty
two stories high. The wind was
drawn down the narrow alley behind
1t at an awful rate.and whoever attempt
ed to cross the alley was blown off the
sidewalk, and was very fortunate if he
kept his feet. So many people were in
Jured that special detail of police was
made to keep everybody off that side of
the street. The new addition to the
postotfice was badly damaged. Windows
were blown in and the glass roof shat
tered. Snow all inch deep covered the
floor, and the water dripping through
the roof Softened the plaster covering
the supporting beams, and great Jumps
of the plastic material
FELL TO THE FLOOR.
Superintendent of Carriers StolI yas
struck on the arm by large stucco or
nament and badly bruised.
The gale from the lake continued to
blow furiously we'll into the night with
out abatement, and before it was driven
q binding snow. Drifts six or more
feet deep which formed in the streets
along the lake front rendered them al
most impossible. The high wind caused
numerous fires, and it was almost i'm
possible for the firemen to get through
the streets. The street car tracks were
practically blocked by vehicles, and the
snow was too deep on the sides of the
street 10 ADMIT of any progress at all
-Four and SIX horses were put on each
nre engine, and even then, with the
most desperate efforts, one block i'm five
minutes was excellent progress. At II
O'CLOCK the storm showed signs of dying