The Red Cloud chief., 1909-02-04
DISTURBANCE cENrEREp OVER
NEW ENGLAND SATURDAY.
STORM PASSES MIDDLE WEST
Fire and High Winds Cause Loss Of
Hundreds Of Thousands Of DOL
Iars-New York Battles
with Blizzard.

With temperature failing rapidly
In its path and snow and sleet in many
sections, marking its sweep eastward.
the center Of the storm that has ragged
with great force through all that part
OF the country cast of the Rockies,
Saturday centered over New England.
Through the west, and largely through
the south, there is cold snap ami
the weather bureau predicted freezing
temperature in the fruit belt OF Flor
ida. Snow has fallen west of there
as far as the Mississippi river and
north Of Florida
Chicago and the middle west arose
Saturday with official assurance that
| the worst of the storm which devag
tated that section Of the country was
over, and that 1t would be quickly
| followed by clear cold weather.
while the east inherited the blizzard.
The damage done by wind and sleet
can scarcely be estimated. Many
cities and towns are still practically
isolated and train service remains
demoralized. In the Dakotas and Ne
braska hope is held out for immediate
Improvement in conditions and these.
1t is promised, will rapidly extend
eastward to Ohio over the storm
stricken region.
In the south the storm was the
most severe in recent years and the
story of wrecked buildings. Interrupt
tion to wire communications and gen.
eral distress Is almost a duplicate of
that sent from the north and north
west. Railroad traffic is also badly
delayed In Arkansas, Oklahoma, Miss
issippi and portions of Texas. Fire
and havoc from high winds have re-
suited In loss of several hundred thou
sand dollars.
The heavy snowfall in the states
to the west and northwest of Chicago
is the most serious result of the bliz-
zard The delay in freight traffic anj
passenger traffic will probably con-
tinue for some time. The loss of life.
considering the extent Of the area af-
flicted, has been significant
Tne blizzard had abated materially
In Chicago before the morning bust
ness rush began, but the heavy snow
fall that had accompanied it remaineA
and caused much confusion and delay.
Elevated and surface lines were i'm
peded and attempts to maintain regu-
lar schedules were abandoned In the
downtown district the cars moved at
a snail-like pace.
The center of the western blizzard
reached New York city Saturday.
Accompanied by high west wind, a
heavy fall of wet snow, succeeding a
rainfall throughout Friday night filed
the streets with slush which threat
ened to delay all city transportation
except the subway.
Snow from seven to ten feet on
the level and drifts many feet deeper
are still blocking many of the lines
of the Colorado railroads, but most I
OF the passenger trains stuck in drifts
at remote sidings or small stations
have been reached and the passengers
ore being taken care Of.
Damage from fire, and havoc
wrought by the high wind-estimated
at about $500, 0,000-was caused IN
Texas and Oklahoma.
In Dallas alone within two days
there were seventeen fire alarms. A
number of residences were burned
with losses OF $4,000.
Four residences burned Friday at
Grand Saline Texas.
The grain elevator at Bison. near
Kingfisher, Okla, with a quantity If
corn in cars burned, causing a loss of
about $4,000. In the Glenn oil pool.
near Tulsa, the damage Is probably
$4,000 by reason of the wind having
leveled many derricks. The walls OF
hotel was wrecked at Muskogee.
Fifty derricks are down In the oil
field near Keifer, Okla.
In the Texas Panhandle the sand
storm was terrific. The gale has been
followed by a cold wave, which en-
braces the entire southwestern coun-
try from Kansas to southern Texas
and into New Mexico
After being securely wrapped for 2
the last twenty-four hours in the grasu
OF the most severe blizzard on record
reports Saturday from the southwest
showed that the storm had spent It's
force and that conditions were i'm
proving. The temperature, however,
remained at Its lowest point, in many
places drop of from 40 to 60 de-
grees being experienced since the
beginning of the storm. Telegraph
and telephone communication. which
mad been almost completely cut off
Tor twenty-four hours. was slowly re-
stored Saturday. Reports from Mis-
souri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and
Arkansas reported clear but colder
weather. The wind had almost died
out. The following temperatures were
reported, all showing a fall of from
80 to go degrees in tnirty.six honrs:
Concordia, Kans,, above; Wichita.
8; Springfield, Mo-, 4; Oklahoma
City, 16; Amacillo, Tex, 12; Fort
Worth, 26