Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-02-19
STORM COVERS WIDE AREA
Snow Extends from Central Nebraska
to Chicago.
TRAFFIC Is GREATLY DELAYED
Snow Nine to Twelve Inches Deep
and stiII Falling at Many
POints-Temperntur
ts Falling,

IL Falling.
LINCOLN, Feb 1S-The storm which
broke over southeastern Nebraska early
this morning and prevailed furiously during
the day, continued tonight with but slightly
decreased Intensity. In Lincoln snow fell
to the depth OF nine inches, drifting badly
in places and all but bringing street traffic
to standstill Starting at 2 o'clock a m.
with shovelers and snow piows, both street
car companies made an effort to keep their
lines open. and succeeded in measure but
before noon the Citizens line gave up. and
such cars as were not hopelessly blocked
were sent to the barns. The Traction COM
pany maintained a sort of service most Of
the day Railroad trains were not badly
delayed, but tralnment said 1t was the worst
storm experienced for years, blizzard con-
dtions prevailing in the country where the
wind had q sweep. Six rural letter carriers
starting this morning from the city got in
the country three or four miles and were
obliged TO turn back, their horses missing
the roads and floundering helplessly in the
drifts. City carriers made only partial de-
liveries.
Southeast Of Lincoln as far as the Miss
ouH river the storm was worse than here.
At Beatrice and Nebraska City the snowfall
amounted to ten inches and the wind blew
a gale. Westward the storm was severe
as far as Hastings and northwest to
Aurora While snow had been predicted, the
high wind and low temperature was unex-
pected, and farmers were caught unpre-
pared. The stock range country however,
is outside the storm area, and there will be
no losses Of consequence. Tonight in Lin
4 IL
is full of snow.
Railroads Badly Crippled.
BEATRICE, Neb., Feb. 1S.-(Speciai
Telegram. "A blizzard has been raging
here today and snow covers the ground to
the. depth of ten inches 1t has drifted
badly in places and as a result traffic on
the railroads has been interrupted. The
Burlington did not succeed in getting any
trains through from Holdrege and
Nebraska City until tonight. Trains on
all the roads were from one to six hours
behind time. The storm is the most
severe visiting this section in several
years. The temperature Is falling tonight.
HARVARD, Neb., Feb. 1S.-(Special)-
severe storm is coming from the north
today which had continued for the most
part of the night though only a small
amount of snow had fallen at daylight.
PLATTSMOUTH, Neb., Feb. 1S.-tSpe-
cial.) The worst snow storm OF the win
ter visited this vicinity Monday night.
the snow having fallen ali night and a
strong wind blowing from the north
drifted 1t badly and in places from four to
six feet high. More snow fell last night
than has previously fallen this winter.
Trains are all late today and the storm
continues.
WEST POINT. Neb. Feb, 1S.-(speciaL)-
snowstorm closely approaching to a bliz-
zard has been prevailing in this section
for the last eighteen hours without cessa-
ton. Snow is falling heavily, with strong
northeast wind. Drifts are forming in
some places four feet high and the snow
is blowing furiously. Railroad traffic is
considerably delayed and travel in the coun-
try roads is almost impossible by reason
Of the deep drifts.
LINWOOD. Neb., Feb. 1S-(Special)-It
began to snow about o'clock last night
and has showed continuously for over
twenty hours. 1t is very damp and high
north wind prevails drifting and packing it
badly 1t is hard on stock where it is not
sheltered All trains will be delayed.
Violent storm In Chicago.
CHICAGO Feb. ls.-The most violent
storm that has visited Chicago in many
years commenced at o'clock this morning
and tonight is raging with increasing vlo-
| lence and there is no prospect of a lessen
J ing of it's violence before morning.
BY o'clock this afternoon seven inches
| of snow had fallen and 1t was still coming
| down heavily. The wind at frequent in
| terVals blew with a velocity of fifty miles
! an hour, and it hurled the snow through
! the streets in such binding clouds that 1t
was impossible to see for a greater dis
tance than half square and often the
range OF vision would be limited to a few
feet. A great number of accidents of
minor character were caused by the col
lisions between wagons and street cars. Up
to o'clock tonight no serious casualties
had been reported, although quite a num-
Der OF people had been injured by wagons
and by falls on the pavement.
| At 8 O'Clock when the home-going crowd
was at its thickest, the wind blowing
SO heavily and the snow was falling in
such binding sheets that it was positively
dangerous to attempt to cross Michigan
avenue and it's intersection with either
Jackson boulevard or Van Buren street.
| These crossings are used by thousands of
people every night to reach their homes in
the southern part of the city, and in the
suburbs by means of the Illinois Central
railroad. 1t was found necessary to station
a large number of city and park police at
these corners to assist women and often
II was all the officers could do to pilot a
! woman across without assistance. 1t was
out of the question for woman to cross
the street by herself. An officer was sta
toned a half a square west of the crossing
Of Jackson boulevard and Michigan avenue
| with orders to send women back or to
bring them through the stratford hotel, by
which means the worst portion OF the
crossing was evaded. The street car com
| panies and the elevated roads Jared well
throughout the day. but the heavy increase
OF snow that came in the late afternoon
made desperate work for them. Every
available man and all the snow plows
were constantly at work in keeping the
tracks clear. In the suburbs the trolley
lines were operated with great difficulty,
| because OF the constantly increasing drifts
and locomotion became constantly more
difficult. II was estimated at the weather
bureau that the fall of snow would amount
to one foot or more by morning.
BIiHEard over Kansas.
TOPEKA, Kan. Feb. IA blizzard pre-
walls over Kansas today. The railroad
offices report a high wind and drifting
] usk.