Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-26
STORM A SEVERE ONE.
Plays Havoc With Railroads and
Wires and Shrub.
berry.
FIRST OCTOBER SNOW FOR YEARS.

Telephone Communication Frustrated and
street Car System Tied Up-EIectricaI
Shocks Numerous. One Fatality Occur
ring in DavenpOrt-Much Damage Done
Throughout the City.
Observer j. NJ. Scherier, of the
government weather signal service,
scanned his records for the past Is
years, and he failed to find compan-
ion to the storm which swept over
the community yesterday and last
night Snow is known to have been
in evidence hereabout in October be-
fore. but the flakes were light and
scarce, and were melted by the
atmospheric warmth before reaching
terra tirma.
So we had what might be appro-
priately termed weather sensation
yesterday. From a. m. to z p. m.
it is estimated that five inches of snow
fell-that is, counting in the precip-
itation of the earlier part of the day,
which had more of the appearance of
rain. This condition was soon altered
with the approach of the high pres
sure that swept through the Missis-
ton of the lakes, producing a healthy
looking article of the beautiful, which
dropped in increasing quantities until
way into the night. 1t was ushered
along by a strong northwestern wind
and wherever it alighted it remained
until forcibly elected.
The storm worked great damage,
telephone and telegraphic communica-
ton being practically Frustrated.
while not car was able to move on
the Third and Fourth avenue lines
from > until IL o'clock, the railroads
also suffering considerably.
The snow chung to the wires, which
gave way under the weight. Poles
were likewise broken down aud trees
and shrubbery fell easy victims.
Western Telegraph company poles
along Fifth avenue, from Twentieth
street and as far east as Brooks cross
ing, were loaded, falling across the cleo
trio wires of the street railway and
breaking and comforting them. In va
rious sections the telephone. telegraph
and electric light wires became en-
tangled. forming innumerable death
traps. and that there were not more
accidents is alone due to the fact that
the severity of the storm made it an
inducement for people to remain close
to the hea-thstone.
The Peoples Power company adopt
ed wise precaution, Manager 5. 5.
Davis having all circuits but one shut
off in order to prevent casualties that
would follow contact with the other
wires with those operating from the
power station in Moline, and as a re-
suit of this procedure many stores,
offices and homes not provided with
gas had to resort to the use of the
lamp or be content with darkness.
Many Shocked.
Whites everal Rock Island citizens are
reported to have suffered from con-
tact with live wires, no serious cases
are known to have occurred. Daven-
port has one fatality to record, Jo-
seph Oxen, laborer, having been in
stantly killed on Second street, 25, ZOO
volts of static electricity passing
through his body. He was 35 years
of age and unmarried.
A team of horses belonging to the
Schick Express company ran abreast
of charged wire at the approach of
the viaduct. Both animals were
knocked down by the shock, but were
saved serious injury by the cutting of
the wire.
The switchboard in the Central
Union Telephone exchange caught
fire several times, but quick work on
the part of the hello girls" prevented
much damage. The company's wires
are in bad shape, though. Over half
the phones are still disabled, and Supt.
Huntoon, although he has force of