Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-02-12
BLASTED BLIZZARD.
Rock island Gets a Storm That
Is Loaded.
CONES FROM THE WEST FOR A DAY.


Force or the Wlua-Coader routrht.
A blizzard in the strictest and best
adaptation and conception of the
term set in with the gathering of
night yesterday, first with snow
furry, the failing flakes increasing
as they descended, and then came
the wind. forming a combination
that reminded one that while the back
bone of winter may he broken, the
ground hog was not so far of in his
calculation when he again sought his
hole. after shutting from afar that
which has now made its appearance.
and that il is a little too early vet to
hold band concerts in Spencer square,
or even at that point of vantage far
above the turmoil of the cold world
which Watch Tower affords. Rock
Island has many advantages that
other cities fail 10 possess, but on
the weather subject il can compete
with neither the Midwintcr Fair Assoc
citation, of San Francisco, nor the
Mardi Gras festival managers at
New Orleans. yet.
Came From the West.
The blizzard which thus came with
such ferocitv on an unsuspectiny
world, had its origin in the west,
and it gathered force and fury as it
climbed over the Rockies and swept
across the plains. Yesterday they
were having it in Nebraska, Colora-
do, Wyoming and Idaho. Last night
the storm paid its respects to Iowa,
and then struck Illinois. This after
noon it had taken in the entire east
ern portion of the continent. and at
last accounts from the signal service,
had been dumped off into the Allan
tic ocean. although rear guard was
LETT to keep things lively here. The
blizzard. as consequence, has con-
tinued without Abatement all day.
and the signal service indications
are that it will leave tonight, to be
Immediately followed by radical
decline in temperature. This morn
ing the mercury registered 81 above
zero. and the wind has been blowing
at the rate OF % miles an hour all
day.
Interrup:ing Trains.
All trains were more or less de-
layed in consequence of the storm,
those on the Rock Island from the
west being on the average one hour
behind time, No. 2 on the main line
being an hour-and-a-half later than
schedule time this morning. while
No. IA. from st. Joseph, was five
hours OFF, On the Milwaukee the
Freeport express was 40 minutes late
getting in. On the Burlington the
Beardstown express arrived three
hours late. On the Il. I. & z. the
morning passenger from Peoria was
two hours late. Many freight trains
on all the roads were abandoned.
The street cars have had a day of
hard experiences. Asst. Supt. Hill
wasout with his crews battling with
drifts long before the first break of
day. and while with the great electric
sweeper it was case of blizzard"
meet blizzard, the forces of nature
proved superior. In some places it
took an hour-and-a-half's work to
cut away through SO that by the
time people came down town the
street ear company had little more
than succeeded in cutting path for
pedestrians through the middle of
the street. The single motors were
all kept in the house, and the dou-
bles hitched together. giving Co.
horse power to train. and then it
was slow going, the snow drifting
back into the tracks almost as rapid
ly as it was cleared away by the cleo
trio sweeper. and the horse plows.
The horse ear line between Rock ISL
and Davenport made no attempt to
run.
Eu mess SGsps nded.