The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-26
MfssoTRI PAcIr1c.
Everything win Ile running by to-
morrow morning. No trains today cx-
cept passenger sent out this morning

morrow morning No trains today cx-
cept passenger sent out this morning.
Accompanied by a WIND blowing at
the rate Of 25 miles an hour. a snow
storm-the most severe I'm years
struck Topeka at 10 O'Clock Sunday
| morning. continuing throughout tho
day and night until by s o'clock this
morning the depth OF the fan was %
inches.
All Kansas was developed in snow
ranging from s to Is inches in depth
Railroad and street car traffic was is-
1oralized, and today thousa nds Of men
are employed IN an effort to restore
norman conditions.
The snow was Of the soft mushy sort
heavily ladeE with water, he precipu-
tion amounting to 1-30 inches ia melted
snow.
Locally the street railway company
experienced the most dinculty In the
history Of the line in keeping the cars
on the move. At 10 o'clock Sunday
night "A dozen cars we're Off the track.
and the attempt to keep all lines clear
was given up.
Early in the afternoon between 50
and 60 men were put TO work clearing
the snow off the tracks. but they could
not make a great amount Of hcadWay.
as the snow was coming down in "A
style that had not been previously seen
this seaso,.
Later the force was Increased until
today there have been 100 men on the
job. All night long the work OF at
tempting to clear the tracks continued.
end two sweepers, four drag ploWs. two
salt cars, and two wrecking crews
were put into operation.
The crews began to have trouble IN
making the schedules az noon. but by
late IN the afternoon the situation be-
came serious. Ice froze on the tracks
and the ears that we're out. one by one
were derailed, until as previously stated
by 10 O'Clock dozen OF them we're on
the track.
In the evening the service was de-
moralized on all the lines and r. was
only by iercely combating the soft
freezing snow on the tracks that any
cars al All were run. -Four cars we're
off the track at one time on the OAK
land inc. many in the Washourn
line. and a couple of them were having
trouble out in the "wilds 'on the asy-
lum line.
street Cars Are stopped.
1T took three hours to male one re-
turn trip to North Topeka" said SUI
perintendent Albert Patten this morn
ing. This IS the hardest experience
in the history of the local street rail-
wav company. Twelve years 20 when
the snow was nearly twice as deep as
is the case today we did not have near
the amount Of difficulty that We are
now experiencing because the snow Was
lioht and did not freeze on the rails.
We also had trouble Sunday after
noon on account Of the Snow freezing
on the wires
by the ice forming IN a ball in front ~
the car wheels. which raised them right
off the track"
The Lowman Hfl and North Topeka
lines were open at an early hour this
morning. and the West Sixth street
line as far as the Potwin station. This
morning the Quinton. Washburn and
Santa Fe, and the West Eighth street
lines were opened for traffic. Later to-
da-- cars on the Oakland and Cemetery
lines will be running. and by evening.
according TO Superintendent Albert
Patten the people OF Highland Park
viii be able to get to tom without hav-
ing to "hOof It," has been The case
in several instances today.
Such a heavy load II watery snow
have the trees borne that broken limbs
are seen all over the city. Ii was a
curious sight this morning tn see the
people going down the middle of the
streets following TIE street car tracks
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