Gilpin observer., 1904-12-29
FROM ROCKIES TO ATLANTIC
Worst Storm West Of the Great Lakes
Intense Cold In Many
Sections.

Chicago, Dec. 27-One of the
severest storms of recent years has
ragged throughout the territory lying
between the Rocky mountains and the
great lakes since early this morning
and has caused much trouble to street
car companies, railroad and telegraph
companies.
The latter were the greatest suffer-
ers, for the blizzard which swept
through the West and Northwest dur
ing the last twenty-four hours was pre-
ceded by a heavy fog and drizzling rain
which made the wires almost unwork-
able.
The intense cold and terrific gale
that followed close upon the fog coated
the wires with ice and later in the day
threw poles to the ground, Gripping
the companies badly.
Railroad trains were badly delayed
all through the West, some OF them
being twenty-four hours late. Street
car trafac in all the cities Of the West
and Northwest was practically at a
standstill at some time during the day.
In its extent the storm was the
most widespread of any during the last
fifteen years. Counting the fog as a
component part of the storm, 1t
stretched from the Rocky mountains
to New York, and from Winnipeg to
New Orleans.
At 10 o'clock tonight the storm was
reported as subsiding at Kansas City
and other points in a north and south
line from that city, but 1t will be sew
eral days before normal conditions are
restored throughout the entire Sec
ton.
At Chicago and east of here the
storm was still raging with great vio-
lence and was expected to continue
throughout the night, the center of the
storm being between Chicago and
Cleveland.
Reports from Kansas City early in
the day were that the storm extended
from the middle of Missouri as far
south as the Indian Territory. and was
accompanied throughout its entire ex-
tent by high winds and snow which on
the level would have been about one
foot deep.
1t was drifted so badly by the gale,
of Nebraska, Kansas and western Mis-
souri, street car traffic was at stand
still by noon.
The storm by noon had reached east
ern Missouri and the temperature In
st. Louis went down twenty degrees
In two hours, while the wind blow.
ing forty miles an hour, piled the snow
up in the streets in great drifts. 1t
was found possible to keep the street
cars running, although great havoc was
wrought with telegraph and telephone
wires.
At Omaha and Des Moines condi.
tions similar to those in Kansas City
were reported and both places were In
bad condition early in the day. Before
daylight most of the downtown elec.
trio light circuits in Omaha were out
of business and the outlying districts
were without lights.
All over the western states the
storm increased in violence throughout
the morning and at noon was raging
with great fury. All trains in this sec.
ton were reported from one to six
hours late. and constantly losing time.
In Des Moines street car traffic was en-.
tirely suspended early In the day.
In the Northwest the storm was even
more violent than throughout Missouri
and Iowa In st. Paul the snow com.
menced falling early last night and
grew heavier all through the night,
while the wind increased until 1t was
blowing at fifty miles an hour. The
heavy snow and the gale worked havoc
with the railroads. and some Of the
passenger trains FRI the Pacific coast
were reported tonight as twenty-four
hours overdue and making slow prog.
gress.
The storm reached westward from
st. Paul until it covered almost the
entire Northwest. and from the Da,
kotas. eastern Montana. Wyoming,
Northern Michigan and Wisconsin the
story was the same from all points.
Russia's Rotten Ships.