Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-13
TALES OF THE STORM
From Almost Every Section Of the Country
Thrilling Stories Come.
CHICAGO FEELS ITS FULL EFFECTS
Business Wa Practically Suspended During
the Entire day.
MEN AT THE WATER WORKS CRIB IN PERIL
Imprisoned in a Frail Structure with the
Lakes Waves Dashing Over Them
AT THE WATER WORKS CRIB IN PERIL
MANY RAILROAD TRAINS SN0WB0UND
Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Okla
homn and the Far East Suffering from
the Cold and Wind Tho Blizzard
Apparently General.

CHICAGO, Feb. ia blizzard OF the
most approved pattern, with snow, sleet and
energetic winds, swept down on Chicago last
night, and today ragged with constantly in
creasing violence. Great snow drifts blocked
the streets, suburban trains were delayed
and snow sweepers were kept necessarily in
use to prevent a stoppage of the street car
lines, traffic on which was badly delayed.
The blizzard is the most severe that has
been seen in Chicago in many years. A
noon the wind was blowing at the rate OF
seventy miles an hour, with indications that
the storm would continue throughout the
night with the coolest weather of the year.
All incoming trains are from one to two
hours late and the roads are becoming
more blocked all the time. The wind rushed
around the downtown corners with terrific
force, carrying pedestrians off their feet and
injuring many. Mrs. Jane Brahany was
hurled against a fire plug at Dearborn and
Van Buren streets and fatally injured.
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 dashed
into a fury and the waves rushed over the
breakwater and swept clear across the Hi
nois Central tracks into Lake Front park.
So severe was The storm that at the public
schools only about one-third of the pupils
were present. At many OF the schools
teachers were absent as well as scholars.
At the Hammond school but eighty-ive
were present out of 800, and reports from
other schools showed a similar condition.
Business at the stock yards was prac-
tically suspended. Few people were about
the yards, and no buyers put In an appear
ance. One of the large observation win
dows in the Leland hotel was blown in and
several guests narrowly escaped injury by
the falling glass.
All of the mail trains coming into Chicago
were seriously delayed. Several of the de-
liveries were abandoned. Telephone and
telegraph wires suffered severely. Many
wires were torn from their fastenings, poles
blown down and many crossed currents in
jured the service.
Charles Chash, driver of a bakery wagon,
was probably fatally injured. the wind over
turning his wagon on Eighty-second street.
His leg was broken and he received internal
injuries.
IN DANGER ON THE CRIB.
Three men at the water works crib, four
miles out in the lake, were brought face to
face with death. The landing platform was
smashed by the waves, which washed over
the crib structure, drenching the imprisoned
men. The telephone line to the station was
uuluJuTtu dllu the men itlepuOItu tUul lue
building was being shaken frightfully by the
wind and waves. No lifeboat could live in
the storm and no effort to rescue the men
could be made.
During the afternoon the storm increased
in violence, the wind at times rising to a
velocity Of seventy-fve miles an hour, and
the snow growing heavier. 1t was the worst
storm Chicago has ever known. and by 4
o'clock in the afternoon business of all kinds
was at a standstill. At that time all
tho big office buildings were practically de-
serted. people having started for home in
order TO do their travelling before night.
Trains were terribly delayed during the
afternoon and tonight most of the eastern
roads did not send out trains of any kind,
The New York limited of the Erie pulled out
at 2 o'clock with two engines and three
hours later was twelve miles from Chicago.
stuck fast. Two additional engines, which
had been sent after 1t, could do no good,
The incoming New York limited on the same
line stuck in n snowbank at Fourteenth
street, one mile from the depot, and six en-
gines gave 1t up as n bad job.
The same conditions prevailed on all lines
and this evening most of the railroad man
ayers declared that unless the storm mod
Grated by midnight they would not attempt
to turn q wheel.
Owing to the driving snow, which made 1t
impossible to see fifty feet, a wreck occurred
on the Lake Shore road at Seventy-ninth
street and Stony Island avenue. A fireman,
Luther =. MeuSleT, WIS Caught DelNtti llt
engine and tender and badly crushed. Sew
eral freight cars were knocked into klndling
wood,
on the streets collisions and accidents
were numerous. James Cunningham was
blown down by a gust of wind and was
badly bruised. Moses Bloom, jr. a member
of the Board of Trade, was struck by a gust
of wind with such force that he was carried
a distance of twenty feet and landed on the
curbstone in such a manner that his wrist
was fractured. John II. Wood, manager of
Carson, Pierre, Scott 4 Co.'S. retail store,
was struck by a falling sign and painfully
Injured.
An exceedingly dangerous spot was d.
rectly beyond the Masonic temple, which Is
twenty-five stories high. The wind was
drawn down the narrow alex behind 1t at an
awful rate, and whoever attempted to cross
the alley was blown off his feet. So many
people were injured here that a special de-
tall OF police was made to keep everybody
of that side of the street.
AT THE PoSToFFICE.
The new addition TO the postonlce was
badly damaged, Windows We're blown in
and the glass roof shattered. Snow an Inch
deep covered the floor, and the wator "Trip
pins through the roof softened the plaster
covering the supporting beams, and great
Jumps Of II fell to the floor. Superintendent
of Carriers Stoll was struck by a large stucco
ornament and badly hurt.
The gale from the lake continued to blow
f~uriously well into the night without abate-
ment, and before il was driven a binding
snow, Drifts six feet deep, which formed in
the streets along the lake front. rendered
them almost impossible. The hlMh wind
caused numerous fires and u was almost I'M
possible for the frcmen TO get through the
streets, The street car tracks wero prao-
ticllly blocked, and the snow was too deep
on the sides Of the streets to admit OF amy
progress at all. At IL o'clock tonight the
storm showed signs Of dying out aul the
wind was nbating somewhat,
swept by "A WiIdstorm.
LOUISVILLE. Feb. IA high wine
storm is reported to have passed through
cnntrnl and nnthWesiern konInckv his