Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-12-03

ern Pacific Tracks by
Rotaries.
No Suffering or Loss Of Lite
Reported as Yet.-ln-
cidents.
One Of the severest snow storms that
North Dakota has experienced in years,
and one of the earliest, subeided Friday
evening after raging for two days and
nlghts. Traffic in the oity and on the
railroad was entirely suspended, and old
residents had difficulty in recalling q
parallel storm at this time OF the year.
The snow fell steadily for SO hours and
the day following the air was filled with
the snow THAI wes blown ia binding
clouds. It eittednnto every crack and
Granny and crevioe. Houses we're bank
ed to the caves, and drifts formed IN the
streets and alleys ten;to fifteen feet IN
height. The snow drifIed 10 the angles
of the siding of houses, and gave the city
the appearance, of village OF flour mills
coated with aosr dust.
The storm began Wednesday morning
with mist or fog that fell all day. As
night approached it turned to a very
fire snow and during the night tie wind
increased untal the early hours 'of day
ight'Thursday, saw the storm lin ful!
force. The wind was frem the north
east and from the lake region, where q
heavy rain had prevailed for rtweIty-four
houra previous, and snow fell steadily.
That evening or afterDoon, VIXEN the
wind changed to the northwest. the
temperature tell from sbout 5 degrees
above, where it had stood for hours, to
zero and below. At Csrringtonthe tenn
perature was reported as II degrees be-
low. By Friday afternoon the storm
had spent it's force and by 10 o'clock that
evening the stars shone out and the
crawling snow ceased to pile sup into
drifts. Last night the Temperature drop
Led to 20 degrees below. The'e was no
wind.
The storm, as far az can be learned,
was general throughout the entire north
west aud extended from the lakes to the
Rocky mountains, two feet sailing at
Helena. The early hour at which the
storm began and the long warning OF it's
coming probably prevented any loss OF
life or stock. AT Bismsrck the storm
was as bad, if not worse than, here. They
stopped measuring the snow by feet, it
is said, using the larger measure of
houses. Last night it was reported a
''story and half deep"
Early Thursday direct telegraph COM
munication with the east was cut off by
breaks in the wires between Mepleton
and Fargo. The poles were broken of
and wires and poles blown across and on
to the rails. The wires south suffered
also, and Oakes and Lisbon on th south
and Leeds on the north measured the
area where tele2raphio communication
was not destroyed. The only way that
messages could be sent to the east was
by way OF the west and Odgen, Utah.
Quite number were sent this way to
the Twin Cities and eastward. AS far
west as Helena communication on the
main line OF the Northern Pacific was
,malntGlned.
At the asylum no difficulty was OK
periencsd in keeping the buildings
warm, with the exception ct few rooms
in the office buildings The patients
were warm and comfortable and enjoyed
a dance Thanksgiving eve. They had
plenty to eat, plenty to keep themselves
warm with at night and today many
we're selsto work shovelllng QUO the road
tosthe oity. Major Lowell was reported
resting about as we'll az the week previ-
GUS.
Early today Superintendent Wilson
made preparations to clear the main line.
The rotary plow was put to work and
cleared the yards. As il went through
the city large crowds gathered at the
Fifth avenue crossing and watched the
stream of snow thrown high in the air
from the machine. The snow cleared
the trees and the band stand in the park
and fell in the street nearly hundred
feet way. The rotary ate Its way
through the hard, packed, snow drifts
almost as easily as though it was light
snow. The heavy cuts up the bluffs
west OF the city we're filled to the top and
the plow was at work all the morning and
most OF the afternoon getting to the top
OF the hill. A plow was started out OF
Fargo ut 7:45 this morning and at
noon had reached Buffalo, 56 miles west.