New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-28
WEST IN BILLIARDS. GRIP.
COUNTRY STORMSWEPT.
Everything Vest of the Rockies Of
fected-Trains Blocked.

Chicago. Dec. 27.-One of the most severe
storms of recent years has ragged through the
territory lying between the Rocky Mountains
and the Great Lakes since early this morning,
and has caused much trouble to streetear COM
panes, railroads and telegraph companies
The latter were the greatest sufferers. for the
blizzard which swept through the West and
Northwest in the last twenty-four hours was pre-
coded by heavy fog and drizzling rain which
made the wires almost unworka BILE The in
tense cold and terrific gale that followed close
upon the fog coated the wires with ice, AMI
later in the day threw poles to the ground,
Gripping the companies badly. Railroad trains
were delayed all through the west. some of them
being tventy-four hours late. Streetcar traffic
in all cities of the West and Northwest was
practically at standstiH at some time during
the day.
In it's extent the storm was the most wide
spread Of any in the last fifteen years Count
ing the fog as a component part of the storm.
it stretched clear from the Rocky Mountains
to New-York and from Winnipeg TO New-or-
leans. Three fatalities were reported as due to
the storm here.
At 10 o'clock tonight the storm was reported
as subsiding at Kansas City and at other points
on a north and south line from that city, out II
will be several days before normal conditions are
restored throughout the entire sections. Al Chl-
cago and east of here the storm was sun raslns
with great violence. and was expected TO genuine
throughout the night the centre OF the STORM
being apparently between Chicago and Cleve-
land.
Reports from Kansas City early in the day
were that the storm extended from the middle
of Missouri as far south as Indian Territory
and was accompanied throughout its entire eA-
tent by high winds and snow. which on the lever
would have been about one foot In depth- 1t
was drifted so badly by the gale. however ina.
In nearly all the cities Of Nebraska, Kansas anu
Western Missouri streetear traffic was at
standstill by noon. The telegraph wires were
down in ali directions, and II was Win eA'i eANe
difficulty that communication with the West ana
Northwest was kept up. All trains Ihrouei
that part of the country were hopelessly oenlhu
their schedule. The storm reached Eastern MIS-
souri, nv noon, and the temperature In St Louis
went down 20 degrees in two hours. while the
wind. blowing at forty miles an hour plleo the
snow up In the streets in great drifts
In the Northwest the storm was even more
violent than throughout Missouri and Iowa IN
St Paul the snow commenced 10 fail carry last
rIgb+ and grew heavier all through the night
! while the wind increased until II was blowing
Aftv miles an hour. The heavy snow and the
gale worked havoc with railroads. and some
Messenger trains from the Pacific Coast were
| Tonight twenty-four hours overdue. The storm
reached westward from St. Paul. until II COW
cred almost the -aztirA Northwest IN the Da-
! kotas Eastern Montana, wyoming. Northern
Michigan and wisconsin. The wires are down
| In all directions The snow is falling in dense
volume and. driven by high northwest gale. is
filling the streets and railroad cuts.
In the South conditions were somewhat better.
the snow in many places being changed TO
heavy rainfall, which preceded by thunder
and lightning and followed by high winds.
Nashville. Louisville, New-Orleans. Montgomery
and Memphis all reported exceedingly heavy
rains a rapidly falling thermometer and terrific
winds
In the Ohio River Valley the first heavy rain
in five months began falling early in the day
and continued throughout the night. The river
is rising rapidly. and the shipping OF coal which
had been stopped by the long drouth. is being re-
sumed.
and Increased with great rapidly until 1t had
assumed hurricane violence at $50 O'Clock, when
the wind tore through the downtown streets az
the rate Of seventy-two miles an hour. 1t fell
away after that, and by o'clock had dropped
to fifty miles hour, where It remained
through the night, with occasional gusts that
would howl through the streets with the force
Of q cyclone. tearing down signs and smashing
IN plate glass windows, and in many parts or
the downtown districts hurting pedestrians
from their feet and overturning light delivery
wagons In all parts of the city trees were
blown down and chmneys toppled over There
were numerous instances OF persons being
bruised by being blown from their feet while
passing OF the high buildings in the down.
town district
storm is the most severe ever known In that
part OF the country. Damages In the city or
Madison are estimated at 100000. In Indiana
the damage done by the storm was especially
heavy in the oil fields, where fully 90 der
ricks were blown down and all operations sus-
pended. The loss on derricks alone in the neigh
bOrhOOd OF MunCi0 Is placed at S2OOUOO