Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-23
HUMAN HARDSHIPS.
Last Evenings Streets Multi
plies Them PerceptibIy.
PEDAL NAVIGATION DIFFICULT.

Ludicrous Spectacle Presented on the
Streets - Sidewalks Converted into Icy
surfaces-The General En-. ct of the BO
rean Blast.
We had quite a touch of winter
last night.
1t came in the early evening. i'm
pressed itself more keenly as the
night advanced and tarried over
until today. 1t is still with US. But
we are more comfortable than we
were in the early experiences of the
ordeal. The effect of the sleet last
evening was to convert all the walks
throughout the city into sheeted ice,
and the venturesome pedestrian
found his progress hazardous in the
extreme. To stand up was bad
enough. to attempt to move was
worse. and when one of those forci-
bic gusts came up from the river and
struck one broadsides-well the OBJ
ject moved until the polar-prepared
zephyr was through trifiing with
him. People domiciied within the
stores watched with uoabated inter-
est the capers that were cut without.
The ordinary individual who crossed
Market square approached the curb
much like steamboat in a desper-
ate attempt to make landing under
full steam with stiff gale blowing
off the shore.
The man with the um bre,la did the
parachute act at every street corner.
He went up and came down and then
he turned to see if anyone was
watching. If he thought his exper-
fence was unobserved he was re-
lieved, being satisfied that his ex-
perience could have been worse. If
he saw in the windows people con-
vulsed over his mishap he immedi-
ately braced up and repeated the
| performance for their edification.
Then in response to the second and
third encore he said something very
brief that included a phrase begin.
ming with the letter I'd" and con.
GLIDING with an exclamation point.
1t Was Dreadful.
To those of the gentler sex the
night possessed simply terror. Al
the street crossings where the build.
ings did not offer shelter. a woman
was simply in the peril of a shiI
without rudder in tumultuous
sea. The wind had its own way. and
if the new woman and her mode o.
apparel has found many converts to.
day, the revelation may be attributed
to the weather. There were mum
Der of instances where ladies cross
ing Market square were helpless, be
ing driven away from Second avenue
by the gale and il they were able tc
make stand in the face of it unit
assistance could be offered they were
fortunate.
| Effect on Traffic.
The Tri-City Railway compan.
managed to keep its cars running
though under difficulties. and il
many instances. the single motor
were doubled up and thus kept rea
sonablv close to the schedule time
The sieet not only made the tract
very slippery, but covered the troll
ley wires and afforded several pyro
technic displays in consequence.
The railroads were not affected t.
any great extent by the storm. Tn
Rock Island, Burlington, Peoria AM
Milwaukee all say their passenge
trains arrived and departed on time
with the exception of the Rock Isl
and's fast mail, which came in abou
fifty minutes behind time, but thi
was due to a wreck IN Chicago on tn
Lake Shore. The snow is not dee
enough to cut much of figure witt
the railroads yet.
The lowest the mercury went las
night was 81, but the general condi
tions and fierceness of the sleet oc
casioued the apprehension that
was colder than it really was. To
day a gentle snow has been falling
while Observer Walz, of the sigma
service, gives promises of .'ligh
snow this afternoon and probably to
night; fair Fridsy; colder tonigh
and Friday: brisk northerly winds.
Last Years Mark.
The most severe weather of las
year set the mark at 20l degrees be
low zero, according to the officia
reckoning, but about town the tenn
perature fell to from % TO % below
The date was Feb. Z, and the record
making night followed terrific
blizzard and snow storm, although
the seasons first heavy snow fall wa
Jan. %.
/