Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-01-27
FORMS GREAT DRIFTS.
Northwestern States in the Grasp
Of Snowstorm.
Railway Trains Are Blocked and
Street Cars Tied Up-Wind Causes
Much Damage Fears That q
Flood May Follow.

Chicago, Jan. 24.--lhe storm OF sat
urday and Saturday night eliminated
in heavy fall of snow with high winds
all over northern and central Illinois.
Indiana, Iowa, lower Michigan, south
ern Wisconsin and much of Kansas, Me-
braska and northern Missouri. All
kinds of outdoor business suffered. The
snow was wet and heavy. Much of it
melted as it fell. The remainder clung
wherever it touched. Throughout the
lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys 1t
was a heavy rain. In the north and far
west the winds were gentle and the sun
shone.
The fear now is that the snow will
disappear rapidly and swell the rivers
through the great central basin, which
are already unusually high for the sea-
son and dangerously near the food
point. A little more rain or snow with
continuing warm weather would prob
ably repeat the history of last March
in the lower Ohio and Mississippi re-
gions.
The storms effect thus far has been
Inconvenience rather than actual dam
age. In the smaller cities all through
the storm territory street railway traf-
fic was partially blocked and railroad
traffic was impeded
Sheboygan, Wis.,, Jan. 24.-The fleet
of vessels in winter quarters in this city
experienced severe shaking up Sum
day, occasioned by a tidal wave, the
third of the season. The wave was
caused by the northeast gale and the
water swept up the river in such great
volumes that the harbor was turned
into a veritable whirlpool. Ice from 10
to 16 inches thick was ground into
chunks as small as hens eggs and YES
sells were torn from their moorings ard
driven in all directions. The mishap
was due to the unprotected condition of
the harbor.
Evansville, Ind, Jan. 24-River men
say Saturday nights storm was the
worst on the river in 20 years, yet no
serious loss is reported to steam craft.
A houseboat occupied by George Atkins
and his two young daughters just above
the city was swamped during the night
and the occupants took refuge in large
skiff. The boat was anchored to tree
near the bank, but the land around it
was overfowed for a half mile in all
directions. When the unfortunates took
refuge in the skiff the darkness and the
storm evidently bewildered them. for
they never reached the shore. Sunday
their skiff was found floa ting ear their
swamped home half filled with water
and the three occupants dead in the bot
tom of the little craft. They died from
exposure.
Detroit, Mich, Jan. PA blizzard
has been raging throughout Michigan.
Saturday night and Sunday morning
the heavy gale was accompanied by
fine snow. Saginaw street cars were
completely tied up Sunday morning.
Trains were stalled on the Mackinaw
division of the Michigan Central and
on the Flint & Pere Marquette road.
The gale was equally fierce on the
east and west sides of the state. At
Benton Harbor considerable damage
was done by the blowing down of smoke
stacks, store fronts, etc., and nearly
the entire sheet iron roofing of the
courthouse was blown off. The steamer
Il ohh 'ooiso ~ ohC IL Jill hCi ollhSS
and several smaller boats drifted into
Lake Michigan and were damned in
the floating ice. The Graham G. Nor
ton steamers were ordered to remain
in port at Chicago and Milwaukee. At
Muskegcn, Petoskey and all northern
points the storm was violent, but none
of the winter steamers are known to
have been out on Lake Michigan during
the storm.
Cincinnati, Jan. PA hundred thou
sand bushels of coal were sunk at Flem-
ing's landing in the Ohio in the west
ern part of the city by waves rolled
up by the wind. All losses here thus
far are insignificant. All business men
whose cellars would be inundated at IS
feet of water or at lower stage are
busy removing their wares out of dan
ger. The Ohio river here at seven
o'clock p. N. reached 40 9-10 feet, a rise
of 5 4-10 feet since six o'clock Saturday
night. 1t became stationary at that
stage. News from Portsmouth, o., is
that for IL hours up to six p. m. Sunday
the river rose seven feet and was still
rising at the same rate. This flood has
about 120 miles to travel to Cincinnati.
AT all West Virginia points rising floods
are reported. The same story comes
from tributaries in Pennsylvania and
Ohio. This makes it sure that the max
imum here will not be less than SO feet
and at the same time gives ground for
apprehension of great flood of SIS, with
a possibility of So feet. Either of the
latter two stages would render the
Grand Central depot inaccessible for
trains and would prevent all large
boats from passing under the bridges.
The streams below Cincinnati are all
pouring in their floods, which will hold
the water here at very near the present
stage till the rise from Portsmouth
reaches here and swells It to IS feet.
Cairo, ILL.,, Jan. 24.-The Mississippi
river from this point to New Orleans is
rapidly rising, and there is enough
water in sight to send it above the dan
| ger line from Cairo to Vicksburg, Miss,
CCIAEErD ,<yrO