The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-01-26
AN ARCTIC WAVE
The Whole Country From the
Rocky Mountains to the
Atlantic
Suffering From 'Intense Cold,
Which Is Likely to Continue
Several Days.
People Frozen to Death in Chi
cago- Herculean Task Of
Aiding the Poor.

CHICAGO, Jan. 26-The cold wave
struck Chicago worse than either Sat-
urday or Sunday, going materially
under the point Sunday, when the low
est recorded points of 25 years were
broken At Z a. III. the signal service
reported temperature of 20 deg below
zero, with no relief in sight.
The heavy fog from the lake which
snveloped the down town districts
made the cold doubly dangerous.
Frozen fingers, noses and ears were Of
common occurrence and numerous
cases of a more serious character were
reported.
Realizing that during this severe
weather, delay in offering relief to the
destitute might be fatal in many cases,
Mayor Swift has called upon the police
force of the city to aid i'll the work OF
gathering information concerning the
urgent needs of thousands of suffering
poor Of Chicago.
Through the complete organization
Of the force, covering the entire city by
\ divisions and precincts, and the elab-
crate telephone system by which each
precinct may be in ready communica-
ton with the headquarters of the de-
partment, the mayor hopes to prevent
the loss of life which might ensue
through "a more tardy means Of dealing
with urgent cases.
Mayor Personally Responsible.
1t is the mayors purpose, pending
the time when the work of relief
through intelligence gathered by the
police can be put into organized form.
to he personally responsible for what
ever sums it may be necessary to ex-
pend to relieve extreme cases Of need,
and save the poor from freezing or
starving.
Fifteen hundred homeless men par.
took of the hospitality Of the city
Sunday night, and slept under the
roofs of the police stations
Fifty-three persons were listed as
overcome by the terrible cold in Chi.
cago. and were rescued in partly
frozen condition. One death occurred
WHICH WAS uu6 W tHc dHu u HULL
Der of people are likely to die as a re.
suit of frozen limbs or exposure. Most
If the sufferers succumbed to the colo
while about their usual tasks, but 9
number of the victims We're homeless.
wanderers.
In the Northwest the temperat urt
went down to so below at Medicine
Hat. From a meteorological stand
point, the cold wave is especially inter
esting. 1t was caused in the first place
by tremendous atmospheric pressur'
in the extreme Northwest, the barom
eter there registering 81, inches
This is phenomenal, Professor CARROT
says, the highest reading III his mem
ory.
street Force BADLY Frozen.
Only one death had been reported t.
the police up to noon, that Of Fred
Busch, 8 years old, who succumbed u
the result Of exposure. The ambulances
however. were kept busy conveying
people to the hospitals with their fee
and hands frozen. George Grant wa
found in a freight car near Mort
street, almost dead, with his feet 8
badly frozen that they will have to b
amputated The work Of clearing tn
down town streets Of snow has beel
abandoned on account Of the intensit
of the cold. Many of the men had n
gloves or overcoats and nearly 400 G
them were more or less severely frost
bitten.
Joseph Fey, driver OH snow plo'
Of the street clearing department. ha
his body and limbs SO badly frozen thu
he will probably die. Many of tn
men were removed to their homes {
the hospitals in the ambulances. o
some lines passengers on the street Cal
suffered badly. Miss Emma Smitl
while riding from Thirty fifth street
Madison, ON Clark street car. becan
unconscious, and was only resuscitate
after nearly an hours hard work
physicians The various police station
were crowded TO their utmost capacit
the Harrison street alone shelterir
cssc sc3O0suhlortunates. The Salvatit
Army barracks on West Madison sire
was kept open all night, and maj
were taken care Of there. .