Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-03-02

Washington, says correspondent, has
had very few real winter SHOWS, and the
people were almost stupefed by the recent
blizzard which struck the capital and left
the streets piled high with drifts and
nearly three feet Of snow on the level.
Some Of the Western Congressman made
light of the Washington blizzard, and
used it as text for repeating experiences
In Dakota billiards.. But as rule West
ern men who were out in the storm admit
that it was genuine blizzard, and about
as severe as they ever encountered any
where. They find no fault with Washing
tonians for complaining, for it was risk
ing life to go out in the storm and face the
wind while f1oundering through the snow
drifts. There were many narrow escapes
and some most perilous experiences. No
criticism could apply to the people Of the
capital city for suspending business for
one day, as they did. The schools were
closed, business houses were not opened,
and departments of the Government were
SO short-handed that little was done. Con-
gress was the only branch Of the Govern
ment at work, and the Senate had larg-
er percentage of TITS members present than
had the House. The grave and digniied
IVAN
Of habit, and they worked all afternoon
and were sent home in carriages by the
sergeant-at-arms.
It was with some difficulty that Col.
Bright, the sergeant-at-arms secured
enough carriages, as livery men were not
anxious for business engagements, and
the ordinary hackmen We're few and far
between. Nobody wanted to face the
49, - y
to the power Of money as were others.
They would not be hired to go out in the
storm. Col Bright could get no one to
supply the carriages for the Senators for
a time, but he called up the funeral direc-
tor, who does the business for the Gov
eminent, and said he must have car
riages. The man who furnishes the car
riages for state funerals could not risk
losing his business, and he sent enough
carriages to carry the Senators to their
homes.
There were some incidents to show that
young men in clerical positions were more
careful and cautious than were their eld-
ers. Senator Cockrell of Missouri, one
of the oldest men in the Senate, tramped
two miles to the capitol early in the day
because he had some important work with
his secretary, q young man Of %. When
he reached his committee room he found
telephone message from his clerk an
nouncing that the weather was too bad for
him to venture out. The Missouri SEN
ator expressed himself vigorously about
the want of energy in the newer genera
ton and wrote his letters himself. That
clerk is wondering when he will be dis
missed.
The Washington blizzard was only for
one day, but the snowdrifts remained,
and for several days, and Washington
enterprise, even aided by the national
Government, was not able to remove them
or open the streets to traffic again. The
street railroads were tied up, with one
exception.
The new system proved a failure in
snowstorm. The fine snow sifted through
the slot and destroyed the current, leav-
Ing the cars without motive power. It
ended the illustration that the under
ground electric was the only system for
street railroads, even in cities where they
have only occasional snowstorms
The most discouraging feature of Wash
ington was the complacency with which
the people accepted the stoppage of all
business. They had been buried under
snowstorm by the powers of nature, and
they waited for the same power to I'M
cover the city. They simply waited for
two days for the sun and the warm rain
to unlock the city from it's snow blockade.
Coal was the great luxury of the capital
after the storm. The coal merchants
were Indifferent. They had coal in the
railroad yards, but snow would have to
be shoveled away to get at it. They pre-
ferred to peddle out what they had by
the bushel at exorbitant prices rather
than open up the streets and yards and
get coal to their customers. In many in
stances gentlemen carried home a few
bushels of coal in their private carriages,
because they could not get the coal men
to deliver the fuel Other prominent resi-
dents had to close their houses and take
refuge in the hotels, because they could
not get coal to heat their houses.