The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-24
WEST WAS STORM SWEPT.
sLBEr AND HEAVY SNOW COVER A
WIDE DISTRIOT
Large cities Like ChieaEs and q. Houis Safer
Throurh Lack or Electric Communication
Wires Down In All Observation-Disclosures
l1en Make the nest OF the sltuatisn.

Largo Cite. lake Chieare and 81. Iouis SAFER
Throueh Lack OF Electric Cemnnuuicatten-
wires Down In All Observation-Disclosures
rren mako the nest OF the situatisn.
CHICAGO. Jan. 23.-Chicagoans awoke this
morning TO find themselves in q white city. A
blizzard had swept over the city, lasting
through most of yesterday and last night, and
tho snow, rain and sleet chung to houses. trees.
telegraph poles and wires until all were GOV.
cred.
1t was the soverest storm that has visited
Chicago In several years. Tho snow and rain
alternated, and q wind of great velocity blew
the dense volumes Of wet particles In clouds. At
midnight the storm increased in severity.
ALI kinds of electric service woro crippled.
The fire alarm and police service was impaired
and difficulty was experienced In the transmfs-
sion Of messages. The big trunk telegraph lines,
whose wires were laden with snow, worked I'M
perfectly on account OF bad insulation. In many
places telegraph poles wero blown to the ground
by the sixty.mile-an.hour gale.
The operation Of street car lines was rendered
difficult by the snowfall. Along the north shore
telephone wires were blown across the trolley
lines and trafic In that region was partially
abandoned.
Incoming trains from Wisconsin and western
Illinois arrived behind "double-headers." From
engine pilot 10 rear platform they were sheathed
in snow. As far as known every vessel on the
lake. through the early warning OF the weather
service, was able TO run into q safe harbor. Til
night was. nevertheless, an anxious one for the
life-savinR crews.
At Evanston. whore the life-saving station IL
closed from Nov. / to April 1, the member Of
tho crew. who live near. by. were called out for
volunteer service. and o watch was placed at
Crosse Point, q mile north of Evanston.
Throughout the State and most Of the Western
States the storm 10 reported to have been one OF
the worse in years. kilograms from Iowa, In
diana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan,
and Kansas show that tho snowfall was ex-
tremely heavy. and In the trans-Mississippi
States averaged about q foot in depth. Railway
traffic In every direction 10 impeded. That the
snowfall will greatly benefit tho crops. ospe-
cially wheat, IL believed generally.
The storm was q boon to hold-up robbers and
they took advantage Of their opportunities.
Early last evening Nicholas Beam Of Elgin was
held up by two men in the most fashionable
part of Dearborn avenue and robbed Of $22 and
fh sSIe Tt 20 b. the wi Same n onss, an ma SIaE Mao Msd % =
Demiing. daughter Of Barney Demling. operator
at the Larrabee street police station. ana robbed
her of her purse containing . small sum OF
S. Fisher was walking with his head bowed
threw him into a snowdrift, beat him and robbed
a. AM R 81 Msoa % OF SY7t n Se asu Sna st Eoea snSWered
q ring Of his door bell last night, whom he was
confronted by two robbers, each with q revolver
levelled at him. He was forced to give up 500
oil he had-and his visitors vanished in the
storm.
act of robbing r. E. Ford. colored. on Madison
street, near SanRamon street. They had revol-
s sers In 'h TMo b 6oys WITH GS' r sS Risssdt ri sSIh to "R Rofa
up Policeman Schoenhut, but no took away
their revolyers and locked up the Juvenile imi-
tators Of Chicago's numerous class Of robbers
hard by the storm that has prevailed in the
West during the past twenty-four hours. Rain.
snow, and sleet added to the fury Of the wind.
BILE. Early this morning the wind blew q gale.
and considerable damage was done.
Smokestacks were toppled oveE, trees up
rooted, windows shattered and small buildings
hood StsSf the ef telesra ap and S,i telephone - services we're
crippled: OF tho thirty Western Union Tele,
graph wires to Chicago only two could be worked
early this morning: The Iron MEu5tain Rstlwey
district, and te~legraphic, communication with
the national capital BY direct route last night
severity Of the storm here. 81. Louis suffered
less than did tho numerous towns surrounding
It. From st. Joseph, NO.. comes word that the
northwestern part Of tho State is under q foot of
the heavy rains have swollen the oreefs and
Is feared. ~.
PIrTsBuRe, Pa. Jan. 23.-The wind storm
gusts were at tho rate Of sixty miles an hour: A
brick stable was blown down in the East End
and an $500 horse was killed. Five men work
the outskirts Of tho city were blown down. The
heavy rains last night have filled the river. and
the Ohio will be at Hood stage here tomorrow.