Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-15
SWAMPED IN SNOWDGIFTS
Exhausted Wayiarers in Washington Over
come by Snow and Wind.
BANKS EIGHT FEET DEEP STOP TRAFFIC
Many Pedestrians Arc Dragged I'm
conscious from Drifts-storm Passes
TO the North and citizens Clear
the Choked Thoroughfnres.

the Chokcd ThorouEhfnres.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE storm swept
past Washington about midnight last night
and this morning the sun shone bright from
clear blue sky on city buried approx
mately three feet deep in snow. The gale
of wind Travelled north -northeastward during
yesterday, leaving its heavy mantle of snow
and It's tales of hardships and suffering
behind 1t in the south Today 1t is supposed
that New York and New England will eX-
perlence something of the severe weather
prevailing here yesterday. Washington is
cut off from railroad communication with the
outside world this forenoon, but now the
storm has ceased the companies have started
to open up their lines and beated trains
probably will begin arriving during the
afternoon.
When householders awakened this morn
Ing they found themselves banked in by
huge snowdrifts. But, finding the skies
serene, they started to work with energy
to clear a way out, and by noon travel afoot
and in carriages was practicable though diff
cult. single cable line running to the
eastern end of the city was the only one In
operation, the underground electric and
horse lines being absolutely blocked by the
masses of snow filling conduits and tracks
In places the drifts we're eight feet high.
The official weather records show that
from Washington south the weather condi-
tions were unprecedented in the history OF
the service. They show that since Sunday
February o. thirty-ive inches of snow have
fallen in Washington, and of this fourteen
inches fell between Sunday night and last
night. There are no records in Washington
at all to be compared with this, the snow
fall being almost twice that of any ever
before known in this city. The temperature
here yesterday was not as severe as it had
beeen several days during the previous
week. The lowest point registered by the
thermometer yesterday was five degrees
above zero early in the morning. Today II
was milder. the thermometers in the streets
registering fifteen degrees above at IL
o'clock.
Many Lives Imperiled.
Many persons became bewildered and ex.
hausted during the blizzard yesterday even
ing and night and fell into snowdrifts. Two
score or more OF cases were reported to po-
lice headquarters of persons who had beer
picked up partly or wholly unconscious
and there are many cases of severe frost
bites. The only sign rescuer had of one
woman whom he dragged unconscious from
snowdrift was bunch of feathers stick
ing out of the snow. Today large force
was at work under direction of the district
government clearing ways through the
streets and those gangs, as well as the
police, had orders to search all large drifts
for unfortunates. 1t Is thought likely that
number Of deaths, caused directly or in
directly by the storm. will be reported in
the city and vicinity before the week is out
The river is frozen clear to its mouth and
the Ice Is covered with a heavy coating o
snow. 1t will be some time before com.
munication can be had with the many small
hamlets along the shore, where much suf.
fering will be occasioned by the storm
The prices OF necessary supplies of fuel and
food have risen greatly and much suffering
is reported among the poor. Charitable or.
ganzations are doing all they can to re.
leve this state of things and the Post ant
Evening Star have opened special relie
subscription books. Generous responses
have been made to those appeals. The pres
ident sent a check for s100 to one of the
relief organizations, the British members Of
the high joint commission contributed liber.
ally and the husband OF Julia Arthur, the
actress, who is playing here, sent check
for 1000 for relief of the poor.
Records Broken in the South.
All through the south records of colo
weather were broken. At Jacksonville, Fla.
the thermometer registered 10 degrees above
zero, which is four degrees lower than ever
before New Orleans registered 6 degrees
above, breaking all records by 0 degrees
At Vicksburg temperature of / degree
below beat all previous records by de-
grees. The wind was blowing at high
rate at most places in the south.
Up to noon the life saving service had re-
ceived no reports of disaster to shipping.
The superintendent said that the gale had
been off shore and had blown the vessels out
to sea. He thought the foss to shipping
therefore would not be heavy though some
craft may have foundered at sea.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1.-THE storm has
abated in this vicinity and at 10 a. m. the
sun was shining brightly, the wind was
blowing moderately, and the thermometer
registered degrees below zero. The snow
ceased falling about 2 a. m. with record
of nineteen inches since Saturday night
This came on top of about ten inches that
had fallen last week. Travel of every sort
is at standstill. Street car tracks are
buried under yards of drifted snow and the
task of digging them out seems hopeless
one. Only minimum amount of business
is being transacted.
BOSTON Feb. 14.-Boston and vicinity are
snowbound today, after two days and two
nights continuous snowfall. The streets
are badly blocked, trains are stalled and on
all sides the snow Is piled into great drifts
some of which in the suburbs reach to the
second story windows. The street car lines
by continuous effort on the part of the
management, were kept reasonably free from
snow and cars We're kept running all night
while on nearly every steam road every
thing was tied up.
New York Isolated.
NEW YORK, Feb, 1.-THE people of New
York today enjoyed the first sunshine they
have had since Friday, and the city took