El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-01-05
THE BLIZZARD.
1t is Making Things Just a Trifle
lively up North.

The cold weather that has been
pinching people down in this section
continues up north, with undated
fury" In Minnesota, train service is
sadly crippled, and the Oldest resident
err" forgetful of worse experience in
! past years, declares with much JUNCTION
that this is 1.-The worst in years.; In
North Dakota there have been no
trains for thirty six hours; in South
| Dakota the drifts are running fifteen
] feet high ''by trunstiie count In
some of the towns in the latter state,
business is entirely suspended and
people are doing their level best to dig
themselves out of house and home to
the nearest markets where they can
get something to eat. At Yankton the
storm is so severe that the banquet
that was to be given Governor Lee has
had to be postponed until the travellers
by night can thaW themselves out,
and get their frozen stomachs into
working order.
In Nebraska the gale has roared for
sixty mortal hours, and trains are
feeling their way, very tentatively, as
it were. through the beautiful snow
The more northern roads are blocked.
The Corn state of Iowa is also wrapped
in the bowels of a blizzard, many tele-
graph wires are down, aud travel is
much impeded. It may be mentioned
incidentally, that favorite summer
resort, Spirit Lake, is closed owing to
the stress of weather, and 1.-THE bathing
aud camping out season is temporarily
suspended. Bleeding Kansas is catch
ing it where the feathered biped
caught the machete. The Santa Fe
| train due in this city yesterday noon,
got stuck bright and early in the drifts
ten miles east of Dodge City. The
passengers were kept warm enough,
but warmth does not appease the
cravings Of hunger at the vitals. The
train hands, however, were 'up to
snuff in the matter. They raided the
| express car and raised several cases of
! eggs and pals of lucous New York
counts. and cornmeal with salt and
| pepper which the thoughtful messen-
| ger had provided for just such emer-
gencIes. Pasteboard was extemporized
! for tables, and the passengers Lived on
the fat of the land" Even six Iramps
who had been helping buck the beauti-
| full on the brake beams were invited to
| ''partake of the generous repast. -
Railroad traffic throughout the state
! has been delayed, but things are get
| ting into better shape.
! The cold weather has extended even
! into southern Texas, and the trainmen
on last evenings delayed @ II. said it
was so cold down on the mountain that
the conductor had to borrow bale or
so of wraps from the passengers to do
up the engine so that she could keep
warm and make steam: and it was
necessary for the enginemen to wear
buffalo overcoats, pants and boots, and
have a stove set up in the cab to keep
them warm so that they could run the
locomotive. Then passengers were
obliged to put their feet in one auoth-
er's laps to keep them from freezing,
and one fond mother who was extend
ing to her beloved offspring such con
ISOLATION as only the maternal bottles
can give, on suddenly looking at her
child, discovered to her horror that it
was trying uncomplainingly to masti-
cate a tactical icycle! However, the
train hands say that there will be no
more 'rOuble, as the superinteud MT
has arranged to have hot and cold
water and all the modern conveniences
and privileges in every car seat: and g.
rotary snow pillow is to be kept at Fort
Hancock for emergencies.
In Illinois heavy rain fell, and
streams are flooded, making the roads
mpassable and damaging winter
wheat. Joliet is threatened with one
of the worst Hoods in its history.
Hickory and Spring creeks are out of
their banks and the Desplaines river
ard the lower level of the canal have
raised Is inches today. Families are
moving out of their houses and low
lands are flooded. Water is sweeping
through the lumber yards and the
Rock Island track is submerged.
In central and western Nebraska the
snow was u inches on the level last
night and the wind piled great drifts
six and seven feet high. Trains are
delayed in the vicinity of Hastings. At
Grand Island there was five feet of
snow in the Union Pacific yards. Tele-
graph apd telephone service is greatly