The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-07
1T WAS A BLIZZARD
STORM RACES ALL TIE DAY WITH
TERRIFIC FURY.
Business Was Almost 1T . StandstiN--Peo-
der What VIII Become of People on the
Prairies - Thermometers Run Clear
Down--Became Disguised and Bought q
Cap-.Trains Behind Time, but Meat Of
the Roads Open this MorninG--Tele.
graph Lines Down.

4
| graph Lines Down.
Yesterday witnessed one Of the sever.
est blizzards for many years. At Z a.
m, the thermometer registered 2S de
grees above zero. At 10 o'clock II had
fallen to Is degrees. At IL a. m, it was
still going down, and at p. M, mark
ed degrees above zero. Still it kept
reached. At 10 d. m, il was 10 degrees
below zero. The wind was blowing at
the rate Of from forty to fifty miles an
| hour.
The cold wave seems to have been
general throughout Kansas, Nebraska.
North and South Dakota. Minnesota.
Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, In
dian Territory and by this time has
reached Texas and crossed the Mis-
sissippi river.
All day long the strom ragged. The
air was full of dust and snow that
seemed to move on horizontal lines and
never reach the ground. Windows be-
came coated with sheet of frost. and
people lowered around the stoves and
radiators in stores, offices and hotels,
many remarking what Will become OF
the poor on the PLANES Of western Kan
sas and Oklahoma.
During the day people who were COM
PEELED to be on the streets with caps
pulled down over their faces and wraps
over their ears and necks rushed along
as though their lives depended on get
ting somewhere in a remarkably short
time. The coal haulerS walked beside
their wagons to keep warm and the
hack men wrapped in blankets held
the lines while clouds of steam pulled
from the frost covered nostrils of the
horses. It was a fearful day.
People who wanted to go on the rail-
roads remained in the city dreading to
start for fear of being stuck fast in a
snow drift somewhere on the prairies.
The trains were all late last night,
but nearly all reported that their lines
were still open. The Missouri Pacific
north was in doubt and the wires being
all down nothing could be heard Of the
debated trains. The wind seemed TO
have been stronger north and west OF
Wichita, while more snow fell in the
eastern part OF the state.
The wind began to fall at 10 o'clock
and at 3 o'clock this morning mod
crate wind was blowing from the
northwest and some of the thermome-
ters on the street showed ii degrees be-
low zero and some Of the cheaper ones
seemed TO have run clear down out OF
sight.
Many were the amusing incidents at
the corner of Main and Douglas. A
large, fine looking man, dressed in the
height of fashion was walking down
Main street with a dignified tread. He
had the nothing -botherS-me" air with
him and his stately and majestic bear
ing caused a number of half-frozen peo-
pie to turn and watch him, envying
him for his apparent disregard for any
thing earthly. Just as he reached the
corner and was plying the rest OF hui
mainly ali to himself, something hap
pened. A sudden gust of wind. strong
er than the previous ones, lifted the
silk tile from the head of the gentleman
and forthwith proceeded to have IL
good time all to itself. First the hat
was dashed furiously against a teie-
graph pole, smashing one side in.
The hat reached the street just in time
to be trampled under the feet of a
team of cab horses. Then after roll
ing around under a street car for a
minute or so it was captured by the
gentleman of the naughty mein but in
stead of putting it on his head he went
to gents furnishing house near by
and purchased a cap and had his hat
wrapped up and sent to the hotel where
he was stopping. The citizens mean
time who had been envying the gen.
tleman had had a good laugh and went
on their way rejoicing that all men
were human and We're subject to the
little ills of life.
Mr.. Johnston. the observer. stated
that il would be colder today with less
wind.
Word was received this morning that
the Frisco train No. had been aban-
doned in the Flint Hills and that an
other train was laid up at Burton.
The Missouri Pacific has one train
laid up at FL Dorado and one at Yates
Center and the Rock Island has one
train laid up al Harrington.