Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-12-30
STORM SWEEPS
wide TERRITORY
SNOW, sLEET, WIND AND RAIN
ARE ELEMENTS OF A BIG
BLIZZARD IN WEST.

ZERO WEATHER IN
NEBRASKA AND IOWA
Train and Telegraphic Service in Many
States Is Badly Demoralized = In
the Northwest-Heavy Rain in the
South.
Washington, Dec 28.-Reports to the
weather bureau TUESDAY say the storm
that reached the Oregon coast Saturday
Texas coast, where it was central Mon
DAY morning and thence northeastwarc
into the middle Mississippi valley. In
"a hours 1t increased greatly in intensity
and Tuesday morning formed the most
severe wind and rainstorm OF the season
throughout the middle and lower Missis-
sippi valley, Tennessee and the east
gulf states. Heavy downpours of rain
accompanied by thunderstorms and
hign shifting winds have occurred in the
lower Mississippi valley, Tennessee and
the lower Ohio valley, and rain, sleet
and snow in the upper and middle por-
tons of the Mississippi valley and the
west portion of the lane region. Rain,
snow or sleet has fallen at practically
every station west of the Mississippi,
while cold wave prevails between the
Mississippi and the Rocky mountains.
The Mississippi valley disturbance will
move northeastward during the next &c
hours
Train Service Demoralized.,
Omaha, Neb., Dec. 2S.-Bitter cold and
40-mile wind. driving before it a
binding snow, greeted eastern Nebras-
la and western Iowa Tuesday. This
condition followed heavy sleet that
had badly demoralized traffic generally
on Monday. The mercury reached four
degrees below zero early Tuesday.
Wires in all directions were affected by
the wind and telegraph companies were
unable to establish communication with
many outside points until late in the
day, Trains from the west were from
one to five hours late. Most of
the downtown electric circuits were
put out of working order at mid
night and outlying districts were with
out lights. The fury of the storm in
creased as the day progressed.
Blizzard Strikes Southwest.
Kansas City, Mo-, Dec. 2S.-This portion
of this southwest was in the grasp of a
genuine blizzard Tuesday, the first Sc
we're coh weather of the winter. 1t ex-
tended through Missouri, into Nebraska
and Iowa, over the whole OF Kansas and
into Oklahoma and Indian territory
Snow fell to O depth of nearly a foot and
driven by high wind drifted badly.
Street car traffic in Kansas City was bad
ly demoralized, while railway trains in
every direction were delayed and some
stalled, At some points, particularly
north of Kansas City In Iowa and Ne
braska, telephone and telegraph wires
were rendered useless by sleet and for
many hours communication north OF
st. Joseph into those states was impos-
sfbie. The thermometer was close to the
zero mark, showing fall in tempera-
ture since midnight of II degrees, and a
fall within "a hours of S5 degrees. More
snow with a continued fall in tempera.
ture was predicted.
Damage to Wires.
topeka, Kan, Dec. 2o.-rne storm
that began in Kansas Monday night as
sumed the proportions of blizzard
TUESDAY and the temperature fell to
zero with strong wind blowing. Street
railway traffic here was practically sus-
pended and all east-bound trans were
late. Telegraph wires were down. Only
one wire was working as far west as
Harrington and for hours communication
with the southwes tern and northwest
ern portions Of the state was almost
completely shut off.
In the Northwest.
st. Paul Mimi, Dec. 2S.-St Paul and
vicinity is in the grip of a small blizzard
which is driving tho snow in drifts
which promises to work mischief with
railroad transportation and other traffic
If it continues very long. The first real
snowstorm of the winter came Monday
night when within an hour two inches or
more Of snow fell, 1t continued to snow
Internationally until about one O'Clock
when the wind came up FROM the north
west. With the wind came more snow
and the gale increased towards daylight
until Tuesday everything was a whirl of
snow on the streets. The storm extends
over the entire northwest ard all trains |
were more or less late Tuesday. On the |
prairies high winds and drifting snow
are reported, and more trouble Is ex-
pected to. develop.
Communication Cut Of.
Madison. Wis, Dec. ga heavy sleet
ana snowstorm is prevailing here and
accumulated ice is breaking down trees
and telephone wires. The local tele-
phone company places it's probable loss
at $4,000. AT Superior, violent snow
Storm which, for time, assumed the !
of blizzard prevailed dur
Jng most of Monday night. About four
inches Of snow fell, but it is Grifted con-
siderabiy, the wind having reached a
velocity of 40 miles an hour Tuesday |
morning the Temperature registered ten
degrees above zero and was rapidly fall
ing. The railroads announce from one
TO four hours delay of traffic.
Seven Below in Iowa.
Sioux City, Ia. Dec. 2S.-A blizzard is
raging in tits eeetica Tuesday The
thermometer registered seven below
zero.
Des Moiaes, L.. nac. 2s.A blizzard,
blowing across the ate with unusual |