The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-27
BLIZZARD is HERE
All Night the Storm Ragged in
Topeka.
Bitterly Cold Weather Came
With 1t.
DOWN TO ZERO MARX.
Mercury Stood at That Point
This Morning.
Street Car Traffic Is Suspended
For a Time.
Railroads Run Trains Under
Great Difficulties.

Tonela last evening when under the in
nuence of a strong north wind the
weather began to turn cold and snow
began TO fall.
The storm continued throughout the
night and early this morning the tenn
perature was at zero. Street railway
traffic was entirely suspended during
the early morning hours and workers
who had to move down town at an early
hour had no other course but to walk
By the aid of the powerful new snow
plow the street railway company was
able to gradually open the various lines
for traffic and the service was main
tained as best it could be throughout
the day.
The storm is general all over the state
of Kansas, and extended in both
directions east and west. The
storm has been more severe in the west
ern part of Kanas and Colorado and
over the eastern part of the state than
it has been in Missouri, Illinois ana
Iowa.
Trains are late on all railroads and
telegraph and telephone service has
been greatly interfered with. West
bound trains are running nearer on
time than eaSt-bound trains.
The Santa Fe railroad reports that
the storm has been general all over the
lines of that system in this state. The
temperature has ranged from de-
EreeS ABOVE zero up 10 dDOQl oO
grees above in various sections OF the
state
The telegraph department of the
Santa Fe has been experiencing con-
siderable difficulty with the wires, and
the Santa Fe has just been able to
keep up communication with all parts
of the system for the handling of
trains. Very little of the other tele-
graph business is being handled
The Rock Island railroad IS prop
ably having more trouble with tele-
graph wires than the Santa Fe. The
storm has been very severe throughout
the northwest part of the state and
early this forenoon telegraphic com
munication was cut off between To-
peka and the northwest line of the
Rock Island railroad to Colorado.
The telegraph wires were working
well as far west as Herington, but
south and southwest and northwest the
operators were having no little trouble
in esta blishing communication. The
service was steadily. improved during
the day the companies gradually
Strengthened out the wires.
Business has been practically at
standstill all day. The stores have
been open but on account of the severe
character of the storm not many peo-
pie have ventured from their homes.
The storm is more noticeable on ac-
count of the extremely mild weather
which has prevailed up to this time
The cold wave has caught many peo-
dealers have been deluged with orders
for fuel this morning.
Many of the large office blocks and
the large buildings were insufficiently
heated this forenoon because of the
sudden change in temperature.
The santa Fe Office building was
noticeable on this account. Monday
being holiday the building was shut
up and the steam was not turned on
the building in full force. For that
reason the clerks spent most of the
tune TINS morning in standing around
with their hands in their pockets
The government thermometer record
ed zero temperature at ) O'Clock this
morning and the mercury stood close to
that mark during the early morning.
The wind this morning was from the
northwest blowing 2S miles an hour.
The snowfall was estimated at the gov
ernInent weather bureau at 9 O'Clock
to measure an inch and a half of fan
although the wind drifted the snow and
an exact measurement was impossible
The thermometer has stood practically
stationary in Topeka all day. It regis
tered at zero at an early hour This
morning and at noon stood at about
-FOUR degrees above zero. The wind has
not abated to any appreciable extent
during the day and the situation is
about the same during the afternoon
that it was during the forenoon
The indications are that tonight win
be extremely cold and it is quite likely
that the force of the storm will NOT he
spent before tomorrow.
The railway situation improved tn
some extent during the day The rail-
ways were able to establish telegraphic
communication in better shane as the
day fore on. The wind interfered con-
siderably in keeping the wires in good
working order.
The eastbound trains are running
from one to three hours late todav on
all railroads.
Kansas City. Mo. Dec 27-This nor
ton OF the southwest today was in the
grasp of a genuine blizzard, the first
severe cold weather of the winter It
extended through Missouri into Ne
hra.skG and Iowa, over the whole of
Kansas. and into Oklahoma and Indian
Territory Snow fell to a depth of
nearly foot and driven by a high
wind drifted badly. Street car traffic
In Kansas City was demoralized, while
railway trains in every direction were
delayed and some stalled At some
points, particularly north of Kansas
City. in Iowa and Nebraska. telephone
and telegraph wires were rendered
useless by sleet and for many hours
communication north of St Joseph
into those states was impossible. The
thermometer was close to the zero
mark, showing a fall in Temperature
since midnight of II degrees, and a
fall within "a hours of 35 degrees
More snow with a continued fall in
temperature was predicted.
Wichita, Kan, Dec. 27-The first
real blizzard of the winter, which be-
gan late yesterday was still in force