Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1912-01-09
worst STORM
Of THE WINTER
WITH LOW TEMPERATURE AND
HIGH WINDS, CONDITIONS SUN.
DAY NIGHT WERE SEVERE.
RAILROADS HIT HARD
Local Trains Laid Out at Harlowton
and Service on Main Lines Is More
or Less Demoralized-Twent
Below Zero Saturday .Nbght-A
Heavy Snowfall Sunday Night.

After relaxing his grip for day or
two. Jack Frost took q fresh hold Fri
day night. and from then OH until yes.
terday morning very severe weather
prevailed, not only in Montana and
the northwest, but pretty much all
over the country. The climax, SO far
as low temperature Is concerned, was
reached Saturday night, when the
government thermometer registered
26 below zero. Owing to a stiff breeze,
1t was generally supposed that this
was the low record for the winter,
but it was three degrees above the
low point reached Il couple Of weeks
ago, 20 below zero.
Wind and Snow.
| It showed intermittently Saturday
and Sunday and toward Sunday eve
ming the wind stiffened into a gale
while heavy snow storm prevailed
all through this section. The wind
seemed to come from all directions
and played strange tricks with the
swirling snow, piling 1t up in big
banks in one locality and sweeping
/
people were out, but those who faced
the storm had a lively experience.
Fortunately 1t was not very cold, the
low point reached during the night be-
ing four below zero.
! Fills the Cuts.
So much snow was blown from roots
and picked up by the fierce wind that
some believed it was not really snow
ing. although the air was full of the
beautiful, almost binding pedestrians.
his belief was erroneous, however,
for the weather observer, w. w. Wat
son, reported a a-fallsOf' fo,sr SaRd half
inches, making it one of the heaviest
snow storms for the time IL prevailed
of the season
One effect of the high wind was to
fiji every railway cut with packed
snow, and the line, which had been
opened the day before by tho snow
ploW, was again blocked.
: Trains Laid Out.
, For the second time during the
week there was no evening train in,
it being held at HarloWtOn. It came
in about noon yesterday with the de-
layed passengers and mail. In addi-
tion to the late local trains, traffic
on the main lines was demOralized
and connections were missed.
Seems at An End.
People were surprised and delight
+ ed yesterday morning, after the ex-
T perience OF Sunday night, to find that
, the temperature had gone up and that
the weather was delightfully."- clear and
, sunny. The cold spell now seems at
an end-for the present.
There has been no lack Of fuel, coal
! deliveries being made even more
promptly than usual during this period
Of intensely cold weather.
All Over Montana.
Sunday nights blizzard ragged all
over the Basin, SO far as can be
learned. Talks with leading stortmen
today indicate that it did -. .;f
, for the reasons that the temperature
was nowhere lower tnan around five
below zero, while the cattle and sheep
men We're fully prepared for just such
a storm, although it came on rather
suddenly.
The storm on the west side, around
Arnreils and at Forest Grove, was
quite as severe as at LeWistoWn
Helena, Butte and other Montana
) cities had much the same experience
I and the storm extended clear on to
/. Portland, Oregon, which was COM
\ pletely isolated, 50 far as wire con-
} nections were concerned, Sunday
, night.