Waterbury Democrat., 1902-03-17
NORTHWEST TIED UP
Worst Snowstorm Tn Many
 Years Rages.
RAILWAY TRAINS ARE ABANDONED.
Telegraph Lines Carried Down. Mountainous Drifts and Intense Cold Cause a Complete Sus-
 pension of Business.

ST. PAUL, March 17.-North Dakota and the Canadian northwest have expe- rienced the worst snowstorm in many years, and railroad traffic is practically paralyzed The Northern Pacific and Great Northern have not moved a wheel for forty-eight hours i'll the bliz- gard stricken districts and have aban- doned all efforts to do so until the fury of the storm shall abate. The high wind has piled the snow in mountain ous drifts and packed it in solid mass es, many deep cuts being entirely fill ed. The temperature has been gradu- ally falling and is now at or below the zero mark.
 Not a transcontinental train has ar rived at St. Paul since Friday, and none is expected for several days. The Northern Pacific reports it's westbound coast train which left St. Paul Satur- day morning tied up at Fargo, the road beyond there being blocked. Ev- cry effort is being made by the road to keep it's passengers who are snow bound warm and well fed, and for this reason trains are being held at stations where the accommodations are good, rather than attempt to get them through. with possibility of being tied up between stations.
 The Red River Valley division of the Northern Pacific between Frankforts and Winnipeg is entirely abandoned. No trains have attempted to run since Friday night, and the exact conditions on this division are not known by the general officers here, as the telegraph wires have been carried down by the burden of sleet that preceded the heavy snowfall.
 The situation on the Great Northern is equally bad. The line is tied up en- tirely between Grand Forks and Will liSton, N. D., a distance of about thir- ty-five miles, and all wires have been lost beyond Fargo. Thirty miles of wire are gone between Fargo and Cas- sellton, N. D., and all communication with western Dakota and Montana points has been lost.
 Winnipeg is reported entirely cut off from railroad communication with the transcontinental trains are snowbound somewhere west of there, and no pros poets of relief are yet in sight.
 The storm started on Friday, being preceded by light rainfall and ac- companied by high winds. The rain soon turned to sleet and then to snow, and this has fallen without cessation for more than forty-eight hours. The terrific gale drifted the snow badly, and it is next to impossible to wade through the streets. Business of all kinds is at standstill.
 The following are special dispatches which have been received from the storm area:
 Devils Lake, N. ,D.-A blizzard, the worst in ten years, has been raging for the past two days and shows no signs of abatement No such storm has been experienced in ten years. A large amount of snow has fallen and is piled in miniature mountains. All railroad and other traffic is entirely abandoned. The thermometer is at zero.
 Aberdeen, $. D.-The blizzard, which started Friday, continues without sign of abatement. Trains are delayed, and business is at a standstill. It. is the worst storm in years.
 AIontevideo, Minn. II Violent gales, with blinding furries of snow, still continue. All trains are from ten to twelve hours late.
 Sparta, Wis.-The worst blizzard of the season has prevailed over this sec tion for the past forty-eight hours and is still raging. The mercury is below zero, and the snow is driven by high wind