The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-17
TRAFFIC is
PARALYzED.
Northwest Experiences Worst
Storm in Years.
Has Been Showing and Blowing
Since Friday.
CAN'T MOVE TRAINS.
CAN'T MOVE TRAINS
They Are Being Held at the
Large Stations.
Snow is Piled i'm Mountainous
Drifts by Wind.

III II 70 w
ST. Paul. Mimi, March 17.-North Da-
kota and the Canadian Northwest has
experienced the worst snowstorm in
many years and railroad traffic is prac-
tk.ally paralyzed. The Northern Pacific
and Great Northern have not moved a
wheel for nearly SO hours in the bliz-
zard-striclxen district, and have aban-
doned 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 filled
The mperature has been gradually
falling and is now at or below the zero
mark. Not a transcontinental train has
arrived in st. Paul since Friday and
none is expected for several days. The
Northern Pacific reports its westbound
coast train tied up at Fargo, the road
beyond there being blocked The east
bound coast train due here Saturday
morning is held at Mandan, N. ID. Every
effort is being made by the road TO keep
its passengers who are snowbound
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
a possibility of being tied up between
stations. The Red River Valley divis-
ion of the Northern Pacific between
Frankfort and Winnipeg is entirely
abandoned No trains have attempted
to run since Friday night and the eX-
act 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 which pre-
ceded the heavy snowfall
The situation on the Great Northern
is equally bad. The line is tied up en-
tirely between Grand Forks and Willis
ton, N D., a distance of about So miles,
Il
Fargo Thirty miles of wire are gone
Between Fargo and Carrollton, N D..
and communication with western DakO
ia 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
received at the general offices indicate
that the gale has somewhat subsided,
but that the snow still continues to fall.
The branch of the Great Northern
running to Winnipeg is also tied up.
No trains have been 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 railroad communication with the
outside world The Canadian Pacific
transcontinental trains are snowbound
somewhere west of there and no pro-
spect of relief is yet in sight.
The storm started on Friday. being
preceded by a light rainfall and accom-
panied by high winds. The rain soon
turned to sleet and then to snow. and
this fell without cessation for over tllir-
ty-six hours The terrific gale drifted
the snow so badly that the streets of
the towns in the storm district were
filled so deeply that it was next TO inn
possible to wade through them. Busi-
ness of all kinds has been at a standsti1
since Friday night, and not much can
be done until the storm subsidies. So far
as known there has been no loss of life,
of the wires little news had been re-
ceived 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 mois-
ture will put it in excellent shape for
the spring seeding.
The following are special dispatches
which have been received from the
storm area:
Devils Lake. N D., March IA biz
zard. the worst in ten years, has been
raging for the past thirty-six hours 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, S. D., March 1.-THE bliz-
zard which started Friday afternoon
still continues, without sign of abate-
ment- Trains are delayed and business
is at a standstill. 1t is the worst storm
in years.
Fargo. N. d. March 1.-THE storm
prevailing in the western part of the
state since Friday, struck Fargo-in full
force and is still continuing. though the
wind has fallen slightly. The tempera-
ture is 10 degrees below zero. All trains
on the transcontinental roads are tied
up here and the passengers are being
cared for at hotels. The worst trouble
is between Valley City and Bismarck
-Four freight trains are stalled in the
drifts between these points and the ro-
tdrleS are unable to clear the track the
wind filling the cuts with snow again
as soon as they are opened
Warnings of the storm were sent out
4S hours in advance of its arrival, and
as the temperature has not been very
the safety of people throughout the
state Those who will fare worst are
the recent emigrants. Many who have
arrived this week are known to have
tents or board shanties and their fuel
supply is limited. Advices from the
northwestern part of the state say that
old settlers are driving over the coun-
try and rounding up the tenderfeet to
see that no one is frozen.
Minot, n. d. March 1.-THE blizzard
which has ragged for three days is mod
Grating and the sky is clearing. All
trains are late.
Montevideo, Mimi, March 17-VioIent
In last night and still continue. All
trains are from ten to twelve hours
late.
Sparta, Wis, March 1.-THE worst
blizzard of the season has prevailed
over this section for the past "a hours
and is still raging. The mercury is
below zero, and the snow is driven by
n high wind
Black River Falls, Wis, March IL
1hs worst storm in years is raging here