Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-30

EFFECTS OF STORM IN STATE
Every Section Of Nebraska Reports
Damage in Varying Degree.
HASTINGS ISOLATED FOR A TIME
Train Leaves Track at Dorchester
and Freight Traffic IL Abandoned
on Account of wind
and snow.

Central and western Nebraska were last
night caught fast in the grip of one of the
most severe storms experienced in this
section for a number of years. For fifteen
hours beginning at O'Clock yesterday att
ernoon the disturbance ragged with all the
force of an old-timo blizzard. Minor dam
age to property was widespread and much
suffering was caused among live stock.
At sunrise this morning. when the wind
began to lessen in velocity, Hastings was
almost completely isolated, only a few tele-
phone and telegraph wires to nearby towns
being in commission. Since then there has
been a gradual Improvement, but this aft
ernoou the conditions were still far from
normal
In this city the high wind ployed havoc
with sgnboards trees. electric wires. win
dows and vehicles that had been left un-
protected. The front and rear ends OF the
Foy livery barn on Third street were
blown out. The upper part of the front OF
the stanner & Greenfield stable on the
north Of Court House square held for only
a short time under the terrific pressure. A
large plate glass window at the Brooke
drug store was shattered. causing some
damage to the stock inside. Large sign
boards In many places werc forcer over
Delivery wagons that had been left stand
ing in front Of stables were badly dam
aged. buggy was blown half a block
from in front Of the Jones implement house
and almost completely shattered
Telegraph Lines Damaged.
The most extensive damage was sustained
by the telephone and telegraph companies
All Nebraska Telephone company long-ds-
tance lines leading out of Hastings were
down except a few to points north and
south. Grand Island and Blue Hill were
the only places of any note that could be
reached over that system. intermittent
communication was possible as far east
as Fairmont. The Independent ong-distance
lines suffered in a like degree. All tele-
graph wires to the east, except a few to
Lincoln, were down. There was no COM
munCation with Omaha nor with other
points cast OF Lincoln. Railroad wires were
badly crippled. One dspatchers wire was
working through on the Burlington as far
west as McCook.
All trains in and out OF Hastings were
late from one to five hours. westbound
trains experienced the most difficulty on
account of the high winds. Burlington
tain NO, l, the premier passenger carrier
OF the Hin line through Iowa and Nebraska
was put way behind it's schedule for the
first time in over year. This train was
due at 6:46' but 1t came trailing into Has
tings over five hours late For thore than
twelve months this train has arrived I'm
Denver within few minutes of schedule
time, but last nights storm was more than
IL could overcome. Even when Il detoured
by the way OF Aurora, some six weeks ago.
on account of the wreck at Sutton, II made
mp three hours of lost time on the pull
through Nebraska
local FreIghts Abandoned,
Nearly all local freight trains were at
standstil last night and this morning and
local passenger trains, except those that
carried mail, were not started until we'll
toward noon.
The storm followed a two weeks period
Of remarkably mild almost summer-like
weather, which prevailed generally
throughout this part of Nebraska. The
dense fog of yesterday morning, which OBJ
scured the sun and made the lighting,
plants here work to their limit, was the
only warning of the sudden change that
came shortly after noon. This wind blew
at velocity of nearly fifty miles an hour
and until after midnight was accompanied
by snow and sleet. The temperature re-
mained mild during the early part of the
storm-just warm enough to allow the
snow to pile up on trees and wires and
break them down. Even in the night the
fall in temperature was small, but the high
wind with the blowing snow, made the
disturbance one of great severity for those
who were compelled to pc out.
! Temporary station Strikes Train.
! FREMONT, Neb., Jan. ESPECIAL. )-One
of the severest wind storms that ever
! visited the vicinity prevailed here last
/ night Signs We're blown down. bulliten
boards smashed and many branches blown
/ eff trees. The iron stack of the Fidelity
laundry was blown down. carrying a pert
OF the south wall with it, The Northwest
ern held up their trains last night on ac-
! count of the weather. Telegraph wires
We're down east of the city and the tele-
phone company had many phones out of
| commission. At Rawhide side track, east
Of Fremont an old box car which was doing
| temporary duty a station, while a
telegraph office was being built was blown
on to the main track and as pecial freight
collided with it, derailing the engine. The
! storm was 81 severe that the engineer was
unable TO see the car.
NORFOLK. Neb., Jan. 2.-one Of the
most terrific blizEards since 1888 ragged all
night in Norfolk and west and north of
this city for distance OF 40 miles. Wet,
binding snow driven by a high northwest
gale, completely filled the air throughout
the night. Morning brought clearer at
| mosphere Reports received al Northwest
ern railroad headquarters here show that
Norfolk was the center OF the storm $
severity, the snow belt reaching west to
Lon Pine and south into the southern part
of the state. From two TO four inches OF
snow fell. Train traffic was tied up for
the night. a number OF passenger traia
waiting at Norfolk all night. Traffic was
resumed this morning. however, in most
directions out OF Norfolk
Near Neigh a high loaded furniture car
was picked out of moving freight train
by the wind and dropped out on the right
ot-way. The wreckage was cleared at
o'clock this morning. The temperature
throughout the storm area ranged from
10 TO 20 degrees above zero As the liv5
stock range country Is west and north Of
the snow belt fears that stock may have
suffered severely have been dispelled.
Traffic ImDedsd at Beatrice.
BEATRICE. Neb.. Jan. 2s.-(Special Tele
gram. THE storm which has been raginl
here since last night IL subsiding. Tn,
property damage in the city will amoun
| IN saVeraI fhousand doIlara ffic nm "a.