Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-05
WORST KNOWN FOR YEARS."
TRAIN SERVICE BADLY IMPEDED
THROUGHOIT THE WEST.
Business Suspended in Some North
Dakota TOwnS-LeEIsIator Storm
bOund-hansHs Trains block
.Idcd In SnOwdrIfts-One
Fatality Reported.

a
affairs generally in ahe Northern Missis-
sippi valley is upon record as declaring
that within a short lime the storm Will
probably tbale.'
Tho wind has been high throughout the
storm and in some instances has shown
remarkable persistency in clinEinE to the
high figures. it having for thirty-six hours
kept up a nity-two mile per hour gait at
Huron. s. ID.
The falling temperature is general in the
lake region and Upper Mississippi valley,
but there has been no heavy fall of snow
east Of Iowa.
In Iowa. the fail of sleet and snow has
been very heavy, and the reports tonight
indicate lower temperature and more snow.
In Western Kansas. there has been much
trouble because of the snow packing across
the tracks. and trains have been held AT
eating stations urail the tracks can be
cleared.
The storm is practically over in this 10
uaIity and the sky is clearing.
Nebraska has had about the same ex-
perience and is under drifts anywhere from
two to ten feet high.
St Paul. Mimi. Jan. "A blizzard mas
been raging throughout the Northwest
yesterday and to-day. and as result
train service is considerably crippled. In
a number of towns. business was about
suspended. Devils Lake in North Da-
kota, reported no trains for thirty-six
hours. and Grand Forks makes similar
report adding that the schools are closed
and wires down TO the west OF there. In
South Dakota there was more snow. but
the storm WAS little more severe than in
the north state. Huron reports drifts fif-
teen feet high and the storm still raging.
Vermilion states that all business has
been suspended. Mitchell says no trains
since the storm began Sunday morning
and streets deserted. Brookings classes it
as the worst blizzard known for years. and
all business suspended Yankton reports
many trains abandoned entirely on account
of the storm. Watertown fears that the
stock will suffer. Throughout Western and
Northern Minnesota the storm has been ST.
we're. GIyndon reports trains showed up in
drifts ten feet deep. Detroit says the rail-
roads cannot-do much towards opening up
their tracks before tomorrow. Moorhead
discovers some sign of abatement in the
storm. which is the worst that has visited
that place. cold winds blowing fifty miles
an hour and the snow drifting ten or more
feet. GAINESVILLE. in the same part of the
state reports all business suspended. busi-
ness men rot even trying TO open their
doors and the streets abandoned 20 the
heavily drifting snow. Others make SIM
liar reports.
Yankton. s. D.. Jan. 4.-The blizzard
which began Saturday night RACES with
undated fury tonight. Only one railroad
Is reported to have moved train in South
Dakota. and this Was the local on the Chi
-CaEo. Milwaukee & st. Paul. between Yank-
~ton and Sioux City. All other trains were
abandoned last night. The storm is the
worst that has ever been known for drift
ing snow. but is not so binding or cold as
the great storm of lSSS when more than 100
people were frozen TO death. No casualties
OF this nature have yet been reported, al
though a great deal of stock is known
TO have perished The state legislature.
% which WAS to convene at Pierre tomorrow,
and the banquet to Governor Lee, which
was to have followed. will of necessity
be postponed. as about eighty of the 126
members are snOwbound, and some of them
will not reach the capital for several days.
{ Topeka, kas., Jan. i.-CSPeciaID Although
the snow and wind storm in Western kan
sas has abated. traffic on the railroads was
still delayed somewhat to-day. The COM
panics have succeeded in clearing the
tracks, however. and service will become
regular 10y tomorrow. The ives bound
Colorado train known as No. .. which pass
cd through here Saturday afternoon. was
stuck in snowdrift between Wright and
Dodge city from Sunday morning at
o'clock until noon. During the time the
passengers subsisted by eating oysters and
anything else of an edible nature they
could find in the express ear. The track
was cleared AT noon, however and the
train proceeded on fits way. The eastbound
Colorado train due here at y. m. was
eight hours late but the officials say tnat
all trains will be on time after this, unless
another storm comes along.
The Liberal line of The Rock Island. west
Of Pratt kas., and the Panhandle line OF
the Santa Fe. south of Woodward. O. T.
which were entirely blocked. are now in
operation. Trains on the RCCk Island main
= line have not been completely bIockadell.
but up until tonight have made slow time
Omaha. Nch. jan 4-Up to midnight
there had been little abatement in the fury
OF the storm that has ragged i'm this section
for sixty hours The Srow had ceased
falling. hut the wind Still blows 4 gale
and the temperature is very low.
Reports from tho state Indicate only a
partial blockade. Trains on the Union Pa
ciic. Burlington. EIkhorn and Rock Island
west are moving slowly. but within orc or
Two hours of schedule time. On the north
and south roads there is much trouble.
The omaha line is completely tied up. Tho
drifts In the nor' IN part n the state be
ing such that the road could not he opened
whilc the storm ragged. Branch lines Suf-
fcred greatly nearly all being blocked So
far. there has been no loss of life reported
In this city, business has only been slightly
3pfppT1rptaJ
Dos Moincs. ia.. Jan. 4.-Thc stale o,
Iowa is in The tolls OF Il fierce blizzard.
To-day the temperature has been falling
and the loose snow Is drifting and threat
ems 10 interfere with railway travel Owing
TO slect many of The telegraph and tele-
phone wires snre down.
st Joseph, Mo, Jan. 4.--tSpcCiall L has
been showing here for forty-ciEht hours
and ihc temperature has been growing
colder all daN. The thermometer is near
the zero point, and It is still showing very
hard and drifting. Trains on all roads are
or schedule time, and serious DELAYS are
reported on lines west OF here in Kansas
and Nebraska. Electric street car traffic
has been greatly impcdeG all day.
Quincy. H., Jan. i.-I.ater reports in
crease the storm damage in this section
on the St Louis. kCokuk & Southwestern
and Quincy Omaha * Kansas City roads
there were bad WashoutS which intcrrered
with travel. The rainfall WAS five inches
in forty-two hours and the AIissfSsfpp
rose eight feet since Friday night The
walls OF st. Johns Catholic church now
being built. at cost OF S3O000. were wash.
Cd out on two sides, ard the edifcc viii
have TO be rebuilt. Many cellars are flood.
Cd. and the stocks OF lumber yards alonl
the river bank were washed into IN,
rtream. Sewers and rsNemcpts are wash
cd out In many places. Considerable iavt