The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-15
NORTHWEST GRIPPED BY
AN OLD TIME BLIZZARD
Kind Old Timers Tell About Comes Ripping Out Of the North
weSt-R. R. Traffic Tied Up and Streets Almost I'M
paSsabIe--Main Roads Now Clear

Not until late last evening did the
BLIZZARD. which struck the city. first
as peaceful snow storm Saturday
morning, but continuing to increase in
fury all day Sunday, cease in it's work
of piling up snow and stopping traffic.
The result was that until this morning
the railroads, with the exception of the
Great Northern, were all practically
out Of commission. For practically
twenty -four hours the city was without
trains and was all but impossible to
pedestrians and teams on account OF
the high drifts.
The reports from the Moorhead wea-
Their station show that 1.34 inches of
moisture fell. This means that be-
tween fourteen and fifteen inches of
snow fell on the level, which, being
driven before a gale, at times reaching
forty miles an hour, piled UP drifts in
town which were almost unbelievable.
Ten-foot drifts in the downtown dis
trict were not uncommon this morning,
while on the north side of town the
streets were in an almost impossible
condition.
On the Northern Pacific and the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul rail-
roads everything was practically at a
standstill all day Sunday. No. 16 on
the Northern Pacific which left Fargo
Saturday night, did not get out Of Dill
worth until this morning. Nos. 8 and 2
of Saturday night were in the same
predicament. Nos. 6, 10 and yes
terday afternoon trains, left Dilworth
between 3 and o'clock this morning.
Last nights No. 16 passed through at
o'clock this morning. There were no
west bound trains through the city at
all yesterday. Practically all of Sum
days west bound trains passed west
this morning between and o'clock
while all of today's trains were late.
The Southwestern and Casselton
branches are tied up tight. A snow
pillow has been sent down on the South
western and it is hoped to get a train
through today. 1t is not known when
the Casselton branch will be opened.
The heavy snow was confined almost
entirely to the Red river valley, the
heaviest falling and the worst drifts
occurring between the Milwaukee
crossing west of the city and Glyndon.
A freight wreck at Manitoba Junction,
Mimi, was the cause of considerable
distress to the officials. Several freight
cars went into the ditch near that place
blocking the lines in a most effectual
manner. The severity of the storm
made the work of picking up this
wreck exceedingly difficult and it7was
not until 10 o'clock last night that the
line was cleared.
This morning, early, we'll equipped
and manned snow plows went out on
each of the branch lines and third
one was sent west over the main line.
These were working their way TO the
end OF the lines today and were fol-
lowed by the regular passenger trains.
If no further snow falls and the wind
keeps down the officials of the road
have little fear but that everything will
be running on schedule time by morn
ing.
The trains on the Great Northern
railroad were running Sunday and to-
day without much loss Of time, the
snow not drifting on it's lines badly
Street Railway Worked Hard.
Practically all day Sunday there was
no way of getting around town unless
one walked and this was most difficult
When the wind commenced to pile up
the snow Sunday morning the Fargo &
Moorhead street railway Co. imme-
diately set its snow plows to work,
but not even with the utmost energy
could all the lines be kept open all
day. About the only lines where there
was any semblance Of traffic was on the
Moorhead line and the south loop. Only
one or two cars passed over the north
loop yesterday on account OF the great