Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-02-03
COVERED WITH SNOW.
GREAT STORM IN THE MIDDLE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Reports Tell of Dire Effects of the B1iz-
zard-Wires Down, Trains Abandon
ed, Schools Closed, and Business Sus-
pended-Several Lives Lost.
Winter Is King.

The wind and snow storms of Tuesday
ragged all over the middle Mississippi val
ley, caused the loss of several lives, much
damage to property, and great hindrance
to traffic In the Southwestern region
the gale was preceded by violent thunder
storms, and the wind in some places
reached velocity exceeding all previous
records for this season Of the year.
The most considerable direct loss of life
was at st. Louis. The wind there reach
ed velocity OF sixty-three miles an hour,
the highest since the tornado of May p,
1896. August Weymeyer. n corpenter,
was blown from the Shields school roof
and killed. Thomas J. Peterson, years
old, was blown from Il porch roof at his
home and killed. Mrs. Sarah Lorin was
caught under n falling fence and will prob
ably die. Many minor injuries are report
ed. A street car narrowly escaped being
crushed by the falling walls of the Raw
enswoOd distillery ruins. The roof of
store next, the ST. Nicholas hotel was
blown across the street. A frame build
ing on Twelfth street, between Locust
and Washington, was wrecked. Several
other buildings lost their roofs, and there
was much damage to fences, signs, out
houses and window glass. The gale reach
ed its height about II o'clock, and was
preceded by violent thunder storm, be-
ginning shortly after ) n. m. The storm
caused great alarm, the people fearing
repetition of the great tornado. In East
st. Louis the baseball park was demol-
ished, signs scattered over the streets, and
sections of wooden sidewalk blown across
the commons, but no casualties are re-
ported.
A wet snow fell throughout the South
west Monday night, followed by freez-
ing wind, which broke many telegraph
and telephone wires and poles. Kansas
City was cut off from communication for
several hours and many trains were de-
layed. Houses were demolished near El
Reno, Ok, but no serious injury to in
mates is reported. At Guthrie. Ok, the
wind was so violent that many people took
refuge in cyclone cellars. The same con-
ditions prevailed through south and CEN
trail Kansas. In Kansas City .tfcle :2Eny
wires were broken and street ears delay
cd but no great damage to buildings oc-
Cured. St. Joseph, Mo-, reports con-
sidcrab BILE damage by wind, rain turning
to snow, with railway trains delayed,
street car traffic dcmoralized and wires
down. Omaha seems to have been out of
the direct path of the storm, and reports
only two inches of snow, little wind and
no great cold.
Dubuque, Iowa, reports the worst storm
in several years. A passenger and freight
train on the Manchester branch of the
Illinois Central collided in the storm.
Fireman Ellis Sweet was killed and Engi-
neer Harvey and Postal Clerk McDuff
were probably fatally injured. Over n
foot Of snow fell at Clinton, Iowa, partly
suspending street car traffic and breaking
down wires. Iowa City reports the worst
storm in six years, with passenger trains
delayed and freight trains abandoned, ow-
ing to snow blOckadcs. All the schools
mt Ottumwa, Iowa, were closed, street
cars abandoned, trains delayed, and busi-
ness suspended. All traffic was stopped
mt Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and even the let
ter carriers were forced to quit. High
winds drifted the snow badly, and stock
suffers from the increasing cold.
Galesburg, ILL.,, reports schools closed
street cars blockadcd, business practically
suspended, and travelling almost impossi
BILE. A Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
passenger train stuck in snowdrift near
Oneida. Rockford, ILL.,, reports over a
foot of snow, schools closed, street cars
stalled, railroad trains delayed and the
worst storm in fifteen years. In some To-
calities the country roads arc impossible
on account of snowdrifts, and in many of
the smaller towns of northern Illinois and
eastern Iowa the schools were closed and
business almost entirely suspended.