Gilpin observer., 1902-03-20
SNOW AND FLOODS
FROM THE DAkorAs TO GEORGIA
Railroads Blocked, Wires Down,
Houses Wrecked and Towns
Under Water.

bsS0oSS vvTSSNSo anu soWUO
Under Water.
st. Paul, March 16-North Dakota
and the country northwest has expert
enced the worst snow 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 mountain
our drifts and packed it in solid
masses, many deep cuts being entirely
filled. The temperature has been fall
ing gradually, and is now at or below
the zero mark.
Not transcontinenta 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 up at Fargo,
the road beyond there being blocked.
1t will start a coast-bOund train to-
morrow, and hopes to be able to get it
through. The east-bound coast train
due here Saturday morning is held.
The Red River Valley division of the
Northern Pacific between Frankfort
and Winnipeg is entirely abandoned.
No trains have attempted to run since
Friday night, and the exact conditions
on this division are not known, as the
wires are down.
The situation on the Great Northern
is equally bad. The line is tied up en-
tirely between Grand Forks and Will
liston, North Dakota, distance of
about thirty-five miles, and all wires
have been lost beyond Fargo. Thirty
miles OF wire are gone between Fargo
and Carrollton, North Dakota, and
communication with western Dakota
and Montana points has been lost. So
fierce has been the storm that it has
been deemed inadvisable to attempt to
reopen the road until it abates. Reports
tonight indicate that the gale has sub
sided somewhat. but that the snow still
continues to fall.
The branch of the Great Northern
running to Winnipeg is tied up.
La Crosse, Wis, March 16.-The
thermometer here registered zero to-
day and tonight is still falling. A high
wind Is blowing and small buildings
and trees have been wrecked.
Kansas City, Mo-, March 16.-With-
in a few hours time tonight the tenn
perature here and throughout this part
Of the Southwest dropped about twen-
ty-five degrees. No snow is reported.
Birmingham. Ala, March 16.-A tor
nado struck the mining town of Piper
to-day, wrecking forty houses and
damaging thirty-five others. A negro
was killed and John Allen, wife and
three children were severely injured.
The storm also did great damage at
Gurnee Junction and Belle Ellen.
The mines in that section are food
ed and cannot be operated for several
days.
Devils Lake. N. D., March 16.-A
blizzard, the worst in ten years, has
been raging for the past thirty-six
hours and shows no signs of abate+
ment. No such storm has been expert;
enced in ten years. A large amount Of
snow has fallen and is piled in minia-
ture mountains. All railroad and 9TH
er traffic is entirely abandoned. The
thermometer is at zero.
Atlanta, Ga, March 16.-Heavy
rains yesterday and last night in north
ern and Middle Georgia to-day caused
the Atlanta weather bureau to send
food warnings to Eufanla, Alabama,
and West Point and Columbia. Geor-
gia. predicting rapid rise in the
Chattahoochie. s,,.. ~. .,.-
North Alabama was deluged, as
were portions OF south Georgia and
northern Florida. and streams in those
sections Of the South are 0u, Of their
banks. a. 80. ,..t.-
At Albany, Georgia, the Flint river,
which rose at the rate Of u foot an
hour last night, has not yet reached
the maximum height expected. The
rainfall there in the past three days
has been nearly twelve inches. Many
sewers burst and houses in the low
lying quarter Of the town were sur
rounded by water. The river is still
rising.
The tracks of the Central Georgia
and the Plant system, between Albany
and Townsville, are under water in
several places.
3 The Chattahoochie at Columbus.
oarUfo rom savon inches today