Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-02-04
Wires Down, Trains Buried in
Snow Drifts and Whole Com.
munities Isolated.
TWO KILLED IN MISSOURI
Many Persons Are Injured, Property
Heavily Damaged and Business
Frustrated.

st. Paul, Jan. 31.-DeSCend1ng from
the ice-clad mountain peaks of the
Far Northwest and swinging north
ward and eastward from the Western
plains, the most terrific blizzard in
years yesterday swept Minnesota
Wisconsin and the Dakotas. Wires
are down, trains are buried in gigantic
snowdrifts and all manner of traffic
Is blockaded
The Twin Cities and surrounding
country CROPPED its way through blind
Ing snow, driven by a sixty-mile-an-
hour gale.
Telegraph and telephone wires
throughout the Northwest were pros
trated, trains stalled, buildings
wrecked and whole communities iso-
lated,
Trains Buried In Snow.
Last night the storm was central in
the vicinity Of Detroit, Mich, and the
indications we're that 1t would find its
way out through the st. Lawrence
valley.
The day was one long fight by the
telegraph and railroad companies to
restore wires and rescue stalled
trains. Early in the day all the roads
sent out warnings to all employees, or
dering them to prepare for billiards.
No freight trains were running last
night in the storm belt in Iowa
and few in Wisconsin and Minnesota
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
road reported practically all of it's
wires down. Their limited train from
the Pacific coast, due in Chicago at
noon, was nine hours later getting
into Marion, Iowa.
One Train Missing.
On the Minnesota division a freight
train was stalled and passenger trains
were held up behind it, Another
train = a passenger, with neither
diner nor sleeper-was reported MISS
Ing FROM La Crosse, as was another
train which started to it's relief. The
best Information obtainable at La
Crosse was that both trains were
stuck in the snow In South Dakota.
At the general offices here no news
was received concerning the wander
ers. That the passengers would suf-
fer from cold and lack of food was
taken for granted. .....
Wisconsin Hit Hard.
Milwaukee, Wis, Jan. 81. = Tele-
graph, telephone and train service
throughout Wisconsin is paralyzed
from the worst blizzard Of the winter,
Wires became SO weighted down that
they broke in all directions, carrying
hundreds of poles with them. The
whole Northwest is practically storm
bound, and there is no promise of i'm
provement in conditions for the pres.
ent.
Madison was one of the cities cut
off from the outside world. The wind
and sleet cut communication in every
direction, leaving the state of Wis.
consin for many hours without news
of the progress of the senatorial
fight.
Two Killed; Many Injured.
st. Louis, Jan. 31.-Death or injury
to many persons, considerable prop
erty damage, delayed trains, inter
rupted wire communication and stag
nation of all outside business com.
posed the results Of the storm which
swept st. Louis and its vicinity yes.
terday.
At Madison, ILL.,, Erwin Mikesell,
blinded by the snow, failed to notice
an approaching train and was ground
to death beneath the wheels. In the
same town Charles Jackowich was
swept off his feet by the gale and fell
so heavily that his neck was broken.
Property damage was confined
mainly to broken windows, uprooted
trees or shattered signs.
Buncoton. Mo. experienced storm
almost equal to cyclone, and report.
ed that several buildings were wreck.
ed at Pisgah, nine miles east of there