The Topeka state journal., 1898-10-17
Has Such an Early Blizzard
Been Known.
All Telegraph Wires Out of
the City Are Down.
STORM IN THE CITY
Destroys Telephone COmmuni-
cation and Breaks Down
Thousands of Trees-Damage
Will Reach Many Thousands.

4OQay s snow storm IS unprecedented
in the history of Kansas. The sight of
many inches of snow on the ground
with the trees in full green leaf as in
July was never before seen here.
When people awoke this morning and
looked at the landscape they rubbed
their eyes and looked again. The 18th
of October in sunny Kansas with the
ground and the west side of every
house, tree, pole or anything else COW
cred with snow and sleet and the snow
still falling is an astounding sight.
The rain that had been falling all day
Sunday turned into snow at 3 o'clock
this morning The wind has been from
the west and the windward side of ev-
cry house, tree and telegraph pole is
covered with snow and sleet an inch
thick The wires were covered with
sleet making them from an inch to two
Inches in diameter.
I'VE are between a high and a low"
said Weather Observer T. B. Jennings
this morning, the disturbance COM
menced Saturday in North Dakota and
extended through to Oklahoma. A high
barometer in the South Atlantic states
caused high sOutherly winds and in Or
egon the high barometer makes heavy
northwest winds today. On Saturday
there was no precipitation on the east
ern side of the low barometer. The
temperature was 80 degrees this morn
ing and the barometer was steadily
falling which means colder weather. The
velocity of the wind was from 26 to %
miles an hour. The rainfall yesterday
was IS one-hundredths of an inch
Ihe coal dealers and the shoe stores
have been doing a rushing business.
The coal dealers have not been able to
MI their orders and several large Office
buildings were without heat the great
er part of the day.
Some tried to clear the sideyva ILrs In
front of their stores but as fast as a
pain was cleared the snow again COW
ered the walk. The street force was
out early clearing the crossings and ex-
cept Tor the water and slush that fill
the cutters the streets are passable.
AT eight o'clock this morning there
was put one telegraph wire out of To-
peka working and that was the Postal
wire to Lawrence, and Manager J. G.
Thomas said that he did not expect to
keep that in working order long. One
py one the wires dropped and one by
one the telegraph operators were driven
from their instruments as there was
nothing left for them to do.
The Western Union is the greatest
sufferer and Manager H. L. BeveIe
stood at the outer door of his office and
looked discOnsOlateIy at the heavy
cables which extended across the street
expecting every moment to see them
drop under the weight of wet snow.
Mr.. Bevelle announced that there was
no telegraph wire working out of To-
peka and said that he did not know
when they would be. He said that ev-
erything was in such a tangle that he
did not know where to commence at
least until the storm had subsidized.
The telephone lines are in little bet
ter condition. Manager BaylesS caught
the first car for down town but when
he arrived at the headquarters without
having eaten breakfast he found little
to console him. He tried one tow line"
after another but there was no response
to his hello until he reached the Wa
mego line when there was a faint an
swering greeting but that was all
The wires used to brace a large pole
in front of the Rock Island depot snap
ped early this morning and the weight
of the wires carried the pole down
shutting off telephone communication
with that portion of the city. Work
men were sent at once to raise the pole
clear of the wires and fasten it there
until the storm is over.
A telephone pole on West Sixth, be-
tween Jackson and Van Buren fell at
o'clock, carrying with it hundreds of
wires. A few minutes later word was
received at the central station of what
had happened Hurry out men," said
and get the pole out of the way. Do
the best you can for the time being"
1t was dangerous to ride on the street
cars Everything was so wet that the
man or woman who did not wear rub
berS was liable to receive a severe
shock All that it was necessary to do
of the car and a thrill was felt that was
by no means enjoyable.
The street railway made a heroic eff
fort to keep its cars moving and sue
ceded fairly well in the early morning
Cars made trips out West Sixth, to
WaShburn college, on West Tenth and
to Oakland without Interruption until
about 5 O'Clock. Telephone wires then
commenced to fall across the trolley
wires and then there was trouble, as the
circuit was diverted and the power was
greatly diminished. At 10 0'c1ocIz the
line was practically tiled up'
The fire alarm wires were down in many,
places early in the morning Fire Chief
with all the men he could manage to keen
the hre wires working. but at $50 was
forced to admit that there was nothing to
be done. The North Topeka line v5enf
down much earlier than that.
Manager George Bayless of the TeIe-
phone company said: Everything is in a
town and inside there are some working
but very badly The wires are dropping
everywhere and I suppose that We have at
ltssI zVg wires down IN All portions OF the
city don't know where it will stop or
When we will be able to get things
stra1g 1ghtened out Our abIes are still IN
2uJ, ouJ the single wires are the ones that are
Ldlllng- This is the worst storm I have
seen zen IN this country for many day
1 mon salu: Everything is gone. We
haven't a wire working auvvVhere We
nave never had as bad a time as this in
7 csS1I.. ,hIIlgS are IN bad shape, and |
l ~ ~cannet tell when we will be able to have
sven one wire working. In some places
1AIs wires are down between all the poles" /
sto9u IN MS office with his hands in his /
poChetS- We still have one wire work. /
did have some time ago. I have sent men /
OUT Doth ways to see what they can DO /
Savs q ttIe bogpe fPgg t6g things out but
tnlng soon We Will have the wires vzOrir 1