Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-30
STORM COVERS MIDDLE WEST
Rain, Snow and Sleet Driven by Wind
Block Traffic.
TRAINS ARE STALLED IN IOWA
Demorali1ed Condition of Telegraph
Due to SIeet-Bliszard Covers
Section Extending Far
Into south.
BULLETIN.


a storm that is sweeping eastward with
increasing severity and extent is almost
the entire country east of the eastern
Rocky Mountain slope. Rain. snow and
sleet are fs'Sing and high winds and gales
blowing in all these states and shipping
In the Atlantic coast. all the way from
New York to Jacksonville and along the
Mexican gulf coast, has been warned of
the advancing storm. cold snap is in
the wake of the storm.
CHICAGO, Jan. 29.-Rain, snow sleet and
high wind which reached a maximum
Of seventy-two miles at Kansas City, cre-
ated climatic chaos in the middle west to-
day. Trains were delayed and telegraph
wires were down west OF St. Louis and
north OF Chicago. The barometer in the
office of the local weather bureau stood
at 20, the minimum record here but little
higher than the known record anywhere in
the country. Although the middle west was
in the clutches OF gale which wrought
some property damage in various sections,
and, in Iowa, took on the guise Of
blizzard, no serious damage was reported.
Serious Damage in Missouri.
The most serious damage reported in
where the roof of the opera house was
blown against freight train. iniuring two
persons. The weather map Issued today
was in a way almost without precedent.
The isobars indicating points OF equal air
pressure wound like lop-sided spiral over
the middle west, centering in Chicago.
where the gale was expected to break
later in the day and extending as far west
as Omaha, where the barometer reading was
elght-tenths higher, Wires were down in
every direction. West OF Chicago 1t was
possible for only four states and territories
California. Nevada. New Mexico and
Arizona-to get in their reports. which was
accomplished by using unaffected wires
south along the Mexican borders. The
wind blew seventy miles an hour at Spring
field, Mo, forty-six at st. Louis, sixty-six
at Omaha, thirty-sx at Des Moines and
Detroit and forty-eight at Galveston. At
the time these reports were received the
velocity in Chicago was only eight miles
but the result OF the storm, travelling from
Kansas, where It started yesterday and
moving toward Lake Michigan, has justi-
! fled the prediction OF a gale before sun
down, with snow and a sharp fall in tenn
perature. The demoralized condition of the
| telegraph wires west was attributed to
! bletl Inc general OlIlceS OF the chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railroad for many
| hours were unable to learn the wherea bouts
Of trains stalled or delayed in a blizzard
/ in Iowa.
| At | p. m, with conditions somewhat i'm
proved west and north, the first sting of
| the storm was felt in Chicago. The wind
shifting to the north, registered eighteen
miles and was rapidly increasing accom-
panied by snow. an uncertain wire COM
munication with st. Paul and Minneapolis
was restored, but Milwaukee was cut off
! from Chicago. A makeshift service was
also patched up between ST. Louis, Omaha
| and Kansas City Conditions were still bad
| in Iowa. At Creston the storm was said
to be the worst in twenty five years.
| Madison. Wis. where the legislature has
been endeavoring to elect a senator, steph-
enson lacking but one vote Of election yes
terday, was isolated until 1880 p. m. At
tempts to ascertain the result OF today :
ballot were made without avail. tele-
phone message which got through from
| Milwaukee reported the velocity OF the
wind at eighty-two miles an hour.
Houses UnroOfed at st. Joseph.
ST JOSEPH. Mo. Jan. 2s-The worst
storm in this locality in many years has
ragged during the last eighteen hours II
started with a warm rain, the mercury al
most at summer heat. which turned tc
sleet and snow with freezing temperature
The wind attained great velocity and dur,
ing the night a number OF houses were
Continued on Fifth Pagel