The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-06

fury; Trains Delayed.
The old year went out like a lamb,
but the new one came in like lion.
New Years day saw the snow COM
ing down in earnest for the first time
this year. 1t began falling in the
forenoon, and continued all day and
until well into the night. The mer-
curry hung about four above all day.
The wind began to blow a little in
the afternoon, but not enough to drift
the snow much. Along towards Mon
day morning a gale set in, and the
temperature dropped to eight de
grees below zero, and four below
was the highest point reached all
day yesterday. In the afternoon it
took a dive, and before dusk had set
in it was down to twelve and drop
ping rapidly. It continued to fall all
night, until the lowest point was
reached at eight o'clock this morn
ing, forty degrees below zero by The
Free Press thermometer. Other in
struments recorded all the way from
reliability or lack of it, and accord.
ing to their exposure.
Coolest in Quarter of Century.
It was the coolest morning known
in Mankato for a quarter of n cen.
turv at least, if not the coolest ever
known since the whites arrived here
Such degree of cold was entirely
unevrected. In fact. the people were
unrrerared for the storm as a whole
rhe weather during the fall having
been so exceptionally fine.
Yesterday was a terrible day, and
eSrecially so on the prairie, where
the storm took on the attributes of a
blizzard, with binding snow drifting
into all the cuts and forming deer
drifts wherever there was shelter oil
any kind. Eight or ten inches OF dry
snow formed abundant material for
the wind to pile up. The cuts in the
wagon roads were filled, and in some
places most of the snow blew off,
Railway Service DemoraIized.
Railway service was demoralized
No freight trains on any of the roads
were running, and this service was
not fully resumed today, many way
freights not being started. Passen
ger service was very badly interfered
with. A few of the trains were an
nulled, and the rest were from one
to twelve hours late
On the Omaha road, Nos. 2 and 10
the early morning passenger trains
were annulled today, No. was two
hours late, and other trains moro OF
less late.
On the Chicago and Northwestern
road, No. 5S1 was annulIed today
Other trains were more or less de
layed.
The Milwaukee road reported al
passenger train running today and
not very much late. West of this
city on the main line the storm was
not so bad, as far as the snow was
concerned, the wind having blown il
from the tracks. The intense colo
was the cause Of most of the delay
The Great Western train due t..
leave at 2:4O p. m. yesterday did moi
get out until 6 p. m. Today the
trains were running somewhat be
hind their schedule.
Plumbers Were Busy.
Plumbers were busy yesterday anC
.
good heating plants appreciated them
The street yesterday was almost en-
tirely deserted
The street car company maintained
service on its lines by making siren
uous efforts to clean the tracks will
the sweeper. Patrons appreciated
this, and the cars were unusually
well patroniZed.
The normal school reopened this
morning with the building nice ant
warm, but the attendance in the
lower grades was only about hal
what it ordinarily is, on account O.
the cold. Owing to late trains. some
OF the teachers had not returned thi.
forenoon.
Shovel Brigade at Work.
The residents as a rule got thei]
walks shoveled off yesterday, ant
walking was fairly good in the cen
trail parts Of the city, and not SO bac
further out. The citizens as a Who'll.
are to be commended for thei
promptness, for the drifts in som,
cases were discouraging to look up
on, and the snow was still driftin:
badly in the morning. Those VIII,
nave not shoveled should do SO a
once, and the city ought to have ;
force OF shovelers out to clear tn,
walks OF those who do not do i
themselves. The new charter make
provision for assessing the cost O
this work.
HOW F. O'BRIEN AND M. BOYLE