The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-22
SN0WST0RM
BROKE RECORD
Lives Endangered by Fallen
Electric Wires.
SEVERAL HORSES KILLED
STREET CAR SERVICE CRIPPLED
TREES DAMAGED.

Death and destruction we're the
aftermath Of the severe snowstorm
which began late Wednesday night in
q light, drizzing rain. As the Their
HIometer fell the moisture was turned
mo snow, which continued 10 fan quite
h'aNily until the middle of the fore
noon yesterday. Then the moderating
temperature turned the flakes into a
urizzle- At noon the storm had an
parently spent itself. Two or three
times during the afternoon. however
there were slight falls Of snow and
rain. Towards o'clock the clouds
parted and the sun shone forth upon
ABOUT six inches of virgin Wilderness.
which covered the entire citv and tbe
mountains.
Death came 10 several horses, which
either stepped upon fallen electric
wires, or were struck by them as the
wires FELL TO the ground. In many in
stances men and school children re-
'tiNed shocks while either playing with
or attempting to repair the wires.
Many Trees Were Broken Down.
All over the city branches were
broken from trees, unable TO sustain
the heavy weight placed upon them
Bushes and shrubs were crushed down.
and early planted flowers were mashed.
street car traffic was either entirely
suspended for time upon some lines
or schedule time was abandoned for a
Few hours. Pedestrians found il diff
cult TO walk along the sidewalks owing
10 the depth of the snow. All kinds of
wires IN every direction were down.
lnterrupting telephone and Geographic
service in and out of the city.
BY nightfalI most Of the snow had
disappeared. rushing down the cutters
IN a torrent Of water. Slowly street
car service was resumed on schedule
time. and telegraph and telephone com
panies repaired many of their broken
wires, as had the street car company.
incoming trains were more or less de
laycd.
Record-Breaking Storm.
1t was a record-breaker." said
weather Forecaster r. J. Hyatt yes
terday afternoon. The fall was about
LA inches mp TO 1870 a. m. The light
iall IN the afternoon did not make an
appreciate difference. 1t has been the
hardest storm since the exceptions
month Of April. 1901, and surpasses that
10 some degree. The barometer has
heen steadily rising, however. and I
look for it TO clear off nicely by tomor-
row. The snowfall was general in the
northern and western part of the state.
ne lowest temperature reached was 81
degrees"
There was more damage done 10 the
telephone system of the city by the
Sn"Wstorm OF Wednesday night and
thursday morning than at any other
Time during the past twenty years. %
was the statement made bv General
Manager Murray Of the Rocky Noun
tain Bell Telephone company yester-
DAY afternoon. Fully II per cent Of
the phones are out of order. while the
loss IN wires and poles was general
throughout the city. We have $50 men
at work repairing the damage where
aS there is usually a force of but one
inlrd that number. Thus far L have
heard Of but one cable box burning out
and as that is directly in front of our
once 1t Will be speedily repaired
Losses Hard to Estimate.
According To Manager May of the
Western Union company. the damage
10 their wires I'm the city and between
here and Ogden was considerable.
Eight lines are down between Og-
den and salt Lake" said Mr. May. and
things are generally mixed up o. our
Denver connections. Ii Will be diff
cult TO estimate the exact loss at this
time. Many local low voltage wires
We're burned out through contact with
heavier cables"
Fatalities were narrowly averted
through the breaking Of electric high
voltage wires belonging TO the light
company
! have not received Il complete re-
port stated Manager Campbell when
asked is TO the aggregate loss. but
know il il not as great as i'm former
storms when the wind did great dam
age"
When the people awoke Yesterday
n'rning the snow was stiII falling rap
idly and had coated everything "A pure
white II chung 20 the wires. makiue.
them look like great strings Of cotton
strung from pole 10 pole ABOUT the
middle Of the forenoon the snow began
u melt aud fall from the wires in long
Wnite ribbons. Then began the many
disComhtures of horse and man.
Few Runaways Reported.
Not a few runaWays occurred by the
snow falling upon horses as they
passed under wires. and frightening
them. Mems hats and womeu's bon
nets were crushed or ruined i'm the
Same manner. Several times the snow
falling from a top wire would cause a
vibration of the score Of wires under
them. and with = roar that could he
heard for 20 block a perfect sheet Of
snow would fall from "A string Of wires
i'm the center of the street reminding