Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-02-14
GREAT Loss THREATENED
Coal Barges on River Below Pitts.
burgh Are in a Most Peril
Gus Position.
FLOODS ARE PROBABLE WITH BREAKUP.
Conditions Indicate They VIII Be of
n Most Destructive Character -
Colorado Again In the Grasp of
Another Biizzard-Stock Men Wor-
rted by Long Cold Spell.

Colorado Again In the Grasp of
Another Biizzard-Stock Men Wor-
rted by Long Cold Spell.
Pittsburgh, Pa, Feb. 13.-Never in
the history of navigation has the stu
alton in Pittsburgh river affairs been
so critical as it is now. After three
days of the coolest weather ever known
in this section of the country the rivers
are frozen as tight as a mill race at
many points and the Ice is growing
thicker every hour. OF the big lows
that were started south on the rise last
week many are stranded hopelessly at
dangerous points along the Ohio, sew
eral have lost parts of their tows and
are aground, while one, the Fred Will
son, is lying in eight feet of water. AL
together there are about 8 ,000, 000 BUSH
els of coal afoat between Pittsburgh
and Louisville.
To these conditions add the fact of
an almost unprecedented accumula-
ton of snow in the watersheds of the
Monongahela and Allegheny and it be-
comes apparent that the inevitable
breakup in the rivers is to be feared.
River men are fearful of a flood that
will do great damage along the rivers.
Twenty years ago a similar state OF
affairs resulted d~isastrously. A num-
Der of vessels were wrecked and much
coal was lost. AT that time a record
for low temperature (l2 degrees) was
established, but that record has been
smashed with all others for persistent
ly low temperature. Both rivers are
frozen over from Pittsburgh TO the
headwaters, Notwithstanding the con
slant efforts of pool boats to keep an
open channel. 1t is hardly possible hat
the snow and ice will be able TO pass
off without extraordinary results.
Ten degrees below zero was the
weather bureau record Saturday. This
was ten degrees above Fridays lowest
figures, but the government officials
held out very little hope of further re-
| lief for the present, as northwestern re
ports indicated colder weather. An al
most impenetrable fog hangs over the
city and many accidents by collision
| have occurred, but so far none have
been of a serious nature, It's The dark
est day in many years.
Another Blizzard In Colorado.
Denver, Col, Feb. 13.-Colorado is il
the grasp of a norther. which, coming
after the serious s~nowstorms Of the
lasttwo weeks, promises to infiict enor
nous damage to varied interests. A
L,eadyille the blizzard was fierce be
yond comparison, and greatly hindereo
fhe army of volunteers that cleared thu
tracks temporarily to allow the haul
ing of coal to famine-threatened bunk
ers, The storm there abated Frida.
night, and it is hoped the worst is over
In this city it was still showing Satur
day morning, with the temperature be
low zero. AT Trinidad and many othe
points south OF Denver the mercur.
fell SO degrees in w hours.
At Colorado Springs the blizzard wa
accompanied by a fall of IS degrees il
temperature in half an hour. Snow
slides are still covering the tracks nea,
/ Glenwood Springs.
The storm is widespread, and wealth
err experts declare that its effects vii
be more disastrous than those follow
ing any blizzard in recent years
Stockmen are much worried, as lon
continuance of this weather will sure
ly kill many cattle, A dispatch fror
Wray. Col. says:
Thus far only small loss of cattle j
reported. but the long, steady cold i
telling on their strength, and unles
better weather m soon it is feare
that the losses will be heavy, especiaI
ly among the stock that has to rustic
Thelong-continued cold is running fee
low. There is between eight niche
and one foot of snow on the GROUND
rendering 1t impossible for stock I
get anything to eat. except that Pre-
yided for them by the farmers an
stock owners"
An Evans. Col, dispatch says: "Ol
timers say this is the most severe wiz
ter since 1872. Stockmen are sufferin
a severe loss. j. P. Clue has lost 5
head of cattle. and Asa Stening an
others have lost that many or NOR,
If the storm continues many days tn
loss to stockmen Will be unprecedeni
ed"
II General weather Bulletin.
> Washington, Feb. 13.-The weathe
bureau here has issued the following
' special bulletin: The weather has moo
Grated generally east of the Mississippi
except in New York, New England
eastern Virginia, southern Marylan
and the District of Columbia. A nots
BILE feature of the Atlantic coast ten
p%eratures of the last three days ha
been the remarkably low reading q
Washington, where the minimum ha
been seven degrees below. eight d.
I grees below and Is degrees below ger
J the last reading being the lowest eve
Y recorded by the Washington weathe
bureau Office. Equally noteworthy Wa
the low temperature which continue
during the 10th. where the maximu,
: was but four degrees above Zero, gil
e ing the lowest daily mean temperatur
two degrees below zero, on record fc
Washington.
A second cold wave with a remarl
ably high barometeric pressure owe
= spread the already extremely cold we
and northwest states Friday night, ca
= rying the temperature to 40 degrees b
low zero at Williston, N. D., to 16 d
prees below zero at Denver. 26 deprev