New-York tribune., 1897-01-04
BLIZZARD RACES IN THE WEST
WINTER DEscENDs UPON THE PLAINS.
HEAVY RAINS FOLLOWED BY A COLD WAVE AND
A DEEP SNOW

and south and COO miles east and west Over most
OF Minnesota II has been showing from fourteen to
twenty hours. and there Is from seven inches to six
teen inches of snow the ground. The wind Is
blowing gale from the north. The snow is damp
and packs sodly the railway tracks that 1t Is
difficult for the snow ploughs to work through IT,
The snow has also made wreck of telegraph
wires to the north and west Of ST. Paul All trains
are still moving though some Of them hours
late. South Dakota dispatches say the storm ex-
tends as far west the Black Hills In the region
along the Mission River from Chamberlain 8. D..
south TO the North Dakota line railway trains are
having great difficulty in moving some CT them
having been abandoned for the night. The empera-
ture is from Is to is degrees above though at
o'clock 1t rapidly growing colder. There will
be suffering among live stock If the mercury drops
St. Louis. Jan. 3-rhe heaviest rainstorm Of
cent years has prevailed throughout Missouri
Northern Arkansas and Indian Territory during
the last thirty-six hours. In many places in West
ern Missouri the streams are overnowed and in
places railroads have suffered from wash
outs. Last night the rain turned to seet. and to-
day furious snowstorm is raging. The tempcra-
ture has fallen forty degrees in Missouri and East
ern Kansas In the last twenty-four hours, and In
the latter section genuine blizzard Is sweeping
over the country.
At Bsgnell. Mo. the Usage River has risen ff
teen feet and Warsaw reports r:sc Of twenty
feared. At Osceola the river Is out OF its banks
and the bottom lands are submerged At Fayette
the electric light power-houss Is flooded and the
city is in darkness tonight. number OF wash
outs have On % hs arosds o esa nd
stream is reported out of its banks and the rain
sIeet and later in the day heavy snowstorm set
in At l.amonte and Knobnoster small tornado
but no large amount of damage to property has
been reported so far
Webb City reports heavy damage to property by
rain and wind. Clinton. Warrensburg and Shelbina
suffered serious damage from the downpour the
In many places in Western Missouri the mercury
ss 1re n M % to and ar s GSp h M
In st Louis heavy rain h has fallen fallen during the !,
was checked by decided fall in temperature and
at o'clock the mercury had fallen thirty-hve de-
erly wind.
Kansas City, Jan. 3.-The unprecedented rains OF
the last three days have been checked by cold
wave and Kansas is to-night experiencing its first
winter weather. Snow has fallen all day in various
parts Of the State. At Larned, Kan. snow Is piled
in drifts four 10 six feet deep. Traffic the
Larned-Jetmore extension of the Santa Fe IS
pletely blocked. Travel overland in any direction
is almost impossible.
Abilene reports heavy snow. accompanied by a
wind reachng fh the the pr & Of szzad 5Io t
storm, particularly in the western and northern
In Northern Arkansas. and as far wes; Fort
Smith. rain fell during twentyfour hours up TO
by drop Of thirty degrees in ternperaturs.
Guthrie Okla reports drop OF sixty degrees since
last evening and a snowstOrm prevails in
the western portion OF Indian Territory.
Chicago, Jan. 3.-The ranstorm which has pre-
vailed over Northern Illinois uninterruptedly for
three days has been the severest experienced In
this locality for two years. The observations taken
at the Weather Bureau In this city this evening
showed that the rainfall was 22 inches since the
beginning Of the storm early New Years morning.
The temperature fell 20 degrees in Chicago within
the last eight hours and at II o'clock tonight
the rain turned to snow. 1t Is not expected by
the Weather Bureau that the thermometer will
reach the mark. although they predict a
temperature considerably below freezing before To-
morrow evening.
In Chicago considerable damage was done by the
downpour Of rain in the suburbs, where sewers
were insufficient 10 carry away the volume OF
water Reports of flooded Easements from the
southern and western portions Of the city were
numerous while at Grand Crossing and nearby
suburbs the streets were inundated and the dam
age heavy. In low places II Is impossible for pc
destrians TO move without wading In deep water
and boats were utilized.
conditions were annoying. The Easements are
flooded with several feet Of water. and furnace
ppng %orss at Brdseport are Being operated
with great difficulty 1t was though; at at one tine ne
this evening that the pumps would nave 10 De
shut down on account OF the rapidly accommodating
water but the oodga,es We're resored rte TO ana e e
rain continued steadily al day. anI at timss the
The downtown streets were deserted. and conticu-
Gus shows and other resorts lacked patrons
Pank. at Michigan and Clark sts collapsed during
the afternoon as a result OF the rain 6: b. Power
front OF the building. He was precipitated to the
was ot fGnf bas receS about ie
opening. which made necessary the closing Of the
bank
Omaha. Neb. Jan 3--Nebraska IS enjoying an old
fashioned blizzard. the most serious one OF the
winter New Years Day was springike and mild
but Friday night the temperature began 10 faii and
the mercury has continued It's descent since. Last
evening a snowstorm set In. and 1t Is sill genera
throughout the State. High winds are drifting the
snow and II they continue throughout the nght
may make the situation on the plains alarming;
the storm but all trains entering the city during
the day were somewhat late, The streetcar lines me.
are badly crippled, and the INES are kept OPP" VIII"
At 10 o'clock tonight the thermometer at the
local Weather Bureau registered degrees above
and the chances are that the Temperature VIII
fall several points before daysh' Uh ,he Of be
State. where the wind has full sweep. IL Is much
From every section OF the State come reports OF
heavy winds driving the snow In binding CLOUDS
before it. that 1t Is dangerous for any one 10
At Meadow Grove the storm began about mid
might Saturday night and blizzard mas Deeh
ilrfts ten feet high. Hardy reports eigh;
Aen hours OF continuous snow ana NJ Tna %a,,rnl nn%
cav come stories OF a like nature. There Is much
being cared for on the ranges In Nesraska a;ad
ostkp how the herds and those I'm charge OF them
haA been affected.
kRAINMEN KILLED IN WRECK
uovkn. Mo. Jan 3-T:arly this morning
,ataA train on the Missouri Pacific Railway ran
into 1andsdc near this place Three OF the
r, Are killed. The dead Gomor Evans.
ong,,oerS Smarried; Harry Hukop. fireman, married.
.nd N Mcqueen. brakeman. unmarried. Two
auu =. Mbers OF the crew were slightly injured:
r,ne' Tt m.eoA heavy rains caused huge mass or
ms =. sAIe down upon the track ard the train
crashed IN the OBSTRUCTION Snsr whhe RUNNING ~