The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-10
AWFUL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
WIRE COMMUNICATION GREATLY
DEMoR.aLIzED.
Rain- Siect and Snow Falling Fro,n
the Dakotas to the Gulf of Afrxico.
Doing Great Damagc-Rivcrs ON n
Risc-Nany Cities Cut on From
communication With the Outside.
World.

Louisville. Ky, February s.-wth
rain and sleet falling over nearly
every mile OF country from the Ohio
river To New Orleans. the usual
avenues OF wire communication
which have been demoraiizcd since
Sunday. today went from bad 10
worse. Nearly every branch OF COM
mercial life felt the interruption ana
the prospects for better conditions
are not promising. Cloudy weather.
with rain, sieet or snow prevails from
the Dakotas TO the Gulf OF Mexico.
where with warmer weather q heavy
rain has been falling for IS hours. A
storm area is moving in over the GEN.
tral gulf region. The indications are
for warm rains over the entire dis
tance south OF the Ohio during the
next S6 hours, which il expected will
raise all streams and rivers and start
the ice which has bound many of
them in a tight clasp for several
weeks.
The telegraph and telephone COM
panies are fighting against .remen-
dous odds. Enormous quantities of
new material are required in a wide
ly scattered area, and difficulty Is ex-
pected in finding workmen. Business
is accepted only subject to indefinite
delays. The loss In revenues to the
telegraph companies and to the
wires Is enormous. The small armies
of linemen sent out in every direc-
ton TO repair the damage are handi-
capped by the continued rain and
sleet. Wires are no sooner strung
| than accumulated ice snaps them.
The broken and ice covered wires
puts added weight on the poles and
many poles also fall to the ground II
is believed that 1t will be a month be-
fore communication is resumed over
regular routes. 1t is estimated. also.
that with the present large force OK
men 1t will be ten days before the
wires are restored between Chafta-
nooga and Atlanta alone. to say notf-
ing of repairing miles OF broken
wires and broken poles throughout
Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Louis
lana, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky.
Reports from Arkansas this afternoofE
shoy that the temperature is rising an
the Generalization to telegraph and
telephone wires continues and commu-
nication with many points in several
sections of the south Is uncertain.
Natchez, Miss. has been shut off
from the world since Saturday last
Vicksburg was cut off for two days
and nothing has been heard from
Shreveport, La. since YESTERDAY
special from Mobile reports general
rains in Alabama and all rivers are
booming.
Chattanooga reports a snow and cold
rains in Alabama and all rivers are
booming.
Chattanooga reports q snow and cold
rain and telegraph and telephone lines
in cemoraliZed condition. All trains
are delayed and street cars are interfer-
ed with. The Tennessee river Is rapidly
rising.
Knoxville reports the streets there
are impossible for pedestrians and
teams on account Of the sleet.
In Louisville the cold rain fell stead
lily on three inch layer of ice which
has for two weeks made streets and
sidewalks uncertain means OF travel
Street car traffic was interfered with
seriously. Railway trains were late on
all lines entering the city.
New Orleans reports delay in the ar
rival of railway trains and unseasona-
bly, warm weather.