Iron County register., 1902-03-20
pARALYz;NG SNOW STORMS.
Traffic in the Northwest Tied Up BY the
Worst suow Storm in Many
Years.

storm in many years, and railroad
traffic is practically paralyzed. The
Northern Pacific and Great Northern
have not moved wheel for nearly
thirty-six hours in the blizzard
stricken district, and have abandoned
all efforts to do so until the fury
of the storm abates. The high wind
has piled the snow in mountainous
drifts and packed it in solid masses,
many deep cuts being entirely filed.
The temperature has been gradually
falling, and is now at or below the
zero mark.
No transcontinental train has ar
rived in st. Paul since Friday, and
none is expected for several days.
The Northern Pacific reports its
west-bound coast train, which left
ST. Paul yesterday morning, tied mp
at Fargo, the road beyond there be-
ing blocked. 1t will start coast
bound train tomorrow morning, and
hopes to be able to get it through.
The east-bound coast train due here
Saturday morning is held at Mandan,
n. d., and no attempt will be made
to move it before tomorrow. Every
effort is being made by the road to
keep its passengers who are snow
bound, warm and well fed. For this
reason trains are being held at sta
tions 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 Frank
fort and Winnipeg is entirely aban-
doned. No trains have attempted to
run since Friday night, and the eX-
act conditions on this disvision are
not known by the general officers:
here, as the telegraph wires have
been carried down by the burden Of
sleet which preceded the heavy snow
fall.
The situation on the Great North
ern is equally bad. The line is tied
up entirely between Grand Forks
and Williston, N. d., distance of
about thirty-fve miles, and all wires
have been lost beyond Fargo. Thirty
miles of wire are gone between Far
go and Casselton, N. d., and all com
munication with western Dakota and
Montana points has been lost. So
fierce has been the storm that it has
been deemed inadvisable to attempt
Reports received at the general Of
fees tonight indicate that the gale
has somewhat abated, but that the
snow still continues to fall.
The branch of the Great Northern
running to Winnipeg is also tied up.
No trains have started northward
since Friday night, and those that
were caught out on the road by the
storm have been held at the station
near the border.
Winnipeg is reported entirely cut
off from communication with the
outside world.
Canadian Pacific transcontinental
trains are snow-bound somewhere
west of there, and no prospects Of
relief is in sight.
The storm started on Friday, be-
ing preceded by a light rainfall and
accompanied by high winds. The
rain soon turned to sleet and then
to snow and this has fallen without
cessation for over thirty-six hours.
The terrific gale drifted the snow so
badly that the streets of the towns
in the storm district We're filled so
deeply that it was next to impossi-
BILE to wade through them. Business
of all kinds has been at standstill
since Friday night, and not much can
be done until the storm subsidies.
So far as known there has been no
loss of life, but owing to the de-
moralized condition of the wires lit
tie news has been received from the
remoter districts.
The farmers hail the advent of the
snow with delight, as the ground had
been very dry, and this abundance OF
moisture will put it in excellent
shape for the spring seeding.