The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-12-29
FURY OF STORM
At LAST ABATED
ONE or THE WORST BILLIARDS.
THAT EVER STRUCK IOWA.
THREE FEET OF SNOW FELL
Traffic Embargo Being Slowly Raised
From Railroads That Were Block
ed in All Streets
Almost Impossible.


ed in All Directions-streets
Almost impossible.
When Noah landed on Ararat
His heart was filled with bliss.
There was no one there to say:
I've seen bigger flood than this"
The sun awoke this morning from
a comparatively clear sky. The
snow which is estimated at three feet
deep, had ceased faIIing during the
night, but the wind continued in its
fury until far into Wednesday morn
ing. The temperature went down,
down, down, until the neighborhooc
of eight below mad been reached.
Bright sun, dogs appeared with Old
Sol and accompanied him in his trip
across the vault of heaven.
Railroads Are Tied Up.
But what mess Of things the snow
and the wind had accomplished All
railroads were practically tied up by
nine O'Clock. rhe Burlington train
from Des Moines did not attempt to
reach the city at all, being abandon
ed entirely The line is being op-
ened up today from the Burlington
end.
The Rock Island was tied up early
in the evening. The passenger from
Des Moines got as far east as Leigh
ton and there it was stalled and stuck
hard and fast in a drift. And there
the train stayed until this morning,
when it started out to work its way
to Oskaloosa Work was also taken
up from the east and from the south
of the lines.
The Iowa Central worried along all
afternoon. Few trains were now on
the east division, where the snow was
not SO bad but wherever it was pos
sible on the other lines to pull \, train
off it was good judgment to do so. ano
effort was made to operate the fewesr
trains possible, passengers, mail and
express being favored above all else.
Central train No. 8. due in this city
at 2:4o, DID Rot &C =. tas -, elsg .a VA
I'll six o'clock. Fifteen minutes oi
time was required in getting a start
through the Osl1aloosa yards. Freight
train No. 95 made an attempt to fol-
low the passenger north At one
time last evening no less than four
engines were stuck in the yards and
were helpless. The hardest of labor
was required to get them out of the
snow.
Storm Causes a Collision.
The storm caused a collision in the
yards about three o'clock, but luckily
no one was hurt. Engine Al was stall
ed in drift and could NOT be seen
on account of the terrific wind that
was blowing at the time. Freight No.
II, double headed, Haklng an awful
effort to get through the great drifts
that we're piling up in the yard,
pounded into the heipless engine be-
fore the train could be stopped. Luck
lily the train was not moving with any
great amount of speed and the crash
though severe did not cause any great
amount of damage. The pilots of
both engines were demolished and
some other breakage resulted.
At eight o'clock p. M, passenger
No. 2 was reported six hours late and
would be later before 1t could reach
Oskalocsa. r.
Heroic Efforts to Open Line.
The tie-up of the Central lines this
morning was complete, and not a
wheel was turning. passenger train
No. 10 from Peoria managed to reach
the Oskaloosa yards and there she
stuck. No. was stuck at Hampton
and could not move. Passenger No6
is stuck somewhere along the line
north.
A snow plow left Monmouth last
night to work west and managed to
get as far as Nugent where it stuck
in monster drift and could ger
neither in nor out.
Another plow was started out from
this city this morning and other crews
will start from Marshalltown and it Is
hoped to have the road operating by
this evening.
No freight trains will be sent QUE
Of Oskaloosa today. Unless the road
il opened sooner than is now antici-
pated. Shoveling gangs are now at
work in all directions and more are
in demand. It Is the first complete
tie up that the road mas encountered
in years. The round house Is full
of dead engines and the force is at
work making needed repairs.
Central Again Moving.
BY hard work the Iowa Central had
every freight and Vvery passenger
train moving by three o'clock, accord
ing to statement of the dispatcher.
No. 3. the 1850 train. was only thirty
minutes late.
Business Suspended Tuesday.
Everything was practically para
iyzed by the storm and there was lit.
tie business In the city Tuesday. The
snow was piled upon the streets and