Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-19
"WHOO!" SAYS STORM
S0u'Wester Doing Things to
the Middle West.
RECORD SNOW IN CHICAGO
Vessels in Distress on the Great
Lakes.
RAILROAD TRAFFIC DELAYED
Trains Have to Be Double-Headed
and Many of Them Are Four or
Five Hours Late.
RAILROAD TRAFFIC DELAYED

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, February 19.-Nine inches OF
snow. the heaviest precipitation in Chi
cago in four years and a gale of forty
eight miles an hour. which almost swept
pedestrians from their feet and necessi-
tated the stretching Of ropes along build
ings in Michigan avenue for pedestrians
to cling to in order to permit of progress
on foot at all: steam railroad and sur
face car traffic impeded, and in some
stopped entirely for hours, and
home-going crowds. kept in the downtown
district until late at night as a result
this tells in part the story of yesterdays
binding storm. which held the city in its
grip from almost daylight until long after
dark
Save Tor the absence of zero weather,
the storm would have been listed as
blizzard of exceptional violence. The me-
dunn temperature prevailing mitigated it's
discomfort to residents and caused it's en-
try the dockets of the weather bureau
as a weSter' of. remarkable strength
and duration.
Lake vessel Sinks.
Traffic was delayed and the suburbs
were in the worst condition of many years
This morning great streams of pedestrians
plodded through the half foot of snow and
slush covering the downtown streets Sub
urban trains moved along cautiously and
uncertainty and the stations were crowd
ed with thousands of suburbantes wait
ing To- long-delayed means of transpor-
tation
Tha only fatalities in connection with
the storm SO far occurred when the fish
ing steamship Anstach sank just outside
the harbor at Waukegan last night, drown
ing the mate and engineer.
The blizzard was felt throughout the
entire middle west, the storm delaying
trains. interfering with telegraph serv-
ice and in some places stopping all
traffic. The storm center seemed to be
in Nebraska and central Illinois, where
the downfall reached a depth of fourteen
inches on the level. and was piled in
deep drifts by the high winds which ac-
cOmpanied the snow.
Railroads Blocked
All train traffic in Nebraska was seri-
ously affected. The Chicago-Denver ex-
press westbound on the Rock Island was
stalled in drift near Prairie Home, ten
miles from Lincoln. The eastbound Rock
Island passenger was tied up in the Lin
coin yards.
The central Illinois towns were placed
in the grip of the blizzard and the net
work of interurban lines was tied up.
The blizzard advanced eastward with
increasing intensity and extent and has
caused precipitation during the last twen-
ty-fOur hours from the Rocky mountains
eastward to Lake Michigan. in the form
of snow in the northern sections and rain
in the south
Michigan Gets the Blow.
DETROIT. Mich, February 10. - The
blizzard which swept down upon the lower
portion of Michigan from the west yester-
day afternoon still prevails with great
severity. and already the snowfall ranges
from eight inches inDetroit to Eighteen inches
in the southwestern section of the state.
Accompanied by twenty-to-thirty-m mile
an-hour wind the snow is drifting badly
through the country districts. and roads
are badly blockaded. Trains late
everywha re. although railroad officials
generally express themselves gkeatly
pleased over their success in keeping the
lines open. The storm is most severe in
that part of the state below line drawn
from Saginaw bay across TO Lake Michi
gan
Kalamazoo reports that all trains in the
southwestern section of the state
from one-half an hour to four hours late.
and that the Lake Shore railroad has en-
tirely bandoned traffic on it's branch
through there today. 1nterurban lines in
southwestern Michigan are having des-
perate fight to get cars through. The
Michigan Central. Pere Marquette Wa
bash and rand Trunk railroads all re-
ported here practically the same condition
of affairs along their lnes-snow from eight
to eighteen inches in depth. trains being
CoTble- headed and delays in traffic from
10
five six hours. The Wabash reports the
STERN less severe through Canada. and
wcstbound passenger trains arriving with
small delays.
Affects Lake Region.
MILWAUKEE. February 19.-The storm
which sta ted in this section yesterday
continued with but slightly abated fierce
ness today. About a foot of snow has
fallen in Milwaukee and vicinity. The
schedules of street car lines are irregu-
lar and the electric line TO Racine is
tied up account of huge drifts. Trains
ON the steam roads considerably de-
sayed. The storm is universal throughout
the upper lake region.
Two Inches of Snow in New York.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. February 19-The tall
end of a snowstorm that is central over
ono struck New 1Ork during the early
hours of the morning and by noon over
two inches of snow had fallen. According
to the weather prophet. however. II would
likely turn to rain before night. The
snow was of an exceedingly moist variety
and II made easy slush in the streets
The storm came from the southwest and
il is not likely to last longer than today
Fair and cold weather is promised for
tomorrow.
Ten Inches of Snow at Toledo.
TOLEDO Ohio. February "a. - The
storm of last night is continued today
AMI there have been ten inches Of snow.
Street car traffic is interfered with and
cars on interurban lines are greatly delay
ed. There is much fear of flood. The
Maumee river is full o slush ice, and al
ready considerable damage has been done
along the docks. Unless freezing weather
comes quickly a disastrous flood seems
certain.
Heavy Snowfall in Pennsylvania.
SCRANTON, Pa. February 19.-Heavy
snow has fallen throughout northeastern