Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-21
Wind, Rain and SIeet Cause
Worst Wire Blockade
Known in Years.
NUMBER REPORTED DEAD
AND MANY ARE INJURED
Early Crops Suffer Severely, Traffic
Is Halted and Property
Damage Is Heavy. II


NEW YORK, March 2I.-The east and
the west We're severed today as effectut
ally as IL a Chinese wall had sprung up
overnight in the Mississippi and Ohio
river valleys. Storms which ragged last
night and continued this morning caused
the worst wire blockade the telegraph
and telephone companies have known in
years.
Chicago was on the west side OF the
wall and communication between thar
city and the east and south ceased at
I'm. after the lfnemen had made a los
ing fight with the elements. At that
hour the companies said they had lost
every one of their 300 trunk wires be-
tween Chicago and New York.
The farthest western point that could
be reached from New York, for "A time
today, was Memphis. and communication
with Atlanta was possible only by round
about routes.
Sleet Drags Wires Down.
Wind and rain storms throughout tha
south and central west. and a series of
sleet, rain and hail storms south and
east of Chicago, were responsible for the
situation. Where the wind left wires still
| standing the sleet finished the work by
dragging them down.
Because the stock markets of the
| world were closed on account of Good
Friday, the wire blockade did not cause
| as much Inconvenience as ii might have
/ on other week days.
The storm was headed east, and short
| ly before noon trouble was reported
| about Cleveland and Columbus. Ohio. In
| New York harbor the atmospheric con-
/ a
up shipping. Eight thousand passengers
/ were marooned on ocean steamships
| waiting for clear weather to approach
| their docks. The ferries ran behind
schedule, and inconvenienced million
commuters.
One Dead, Several Injured.
SHREVEPORT, La. March 21.-One
man was killed, several persons were in
jured and heavy property damage was
| wrought at Saline. La, a town Of about
200 inhabitants. in Bienville parish, by
| last nights severe windstorm, accord
ing to a report received here today.
Fatality at Columbus.
COLUMBUS. Ohio. March 21.-A ter
rife windstorm swept over central Ohio
early today, leaving death and damage
in wide path. The toll of the wind
storm in this city up to 10 o'clock in
cluded one death, probably a score OF
persons injured. at least three seriously.
numerous small fires and thousands on
dollars damage to property which was
blown down.
The gale reached a velocity of fifty
miles an hour. and in many instances pc
destrians were swept from their feet.
| Richard Plimmer, contractor, was
killed and three other men working with
him were seriously injured when brick
building collapsed and buried them in the
ruins.
REPORTS from towns and villages I'm this
section of the state indicate that there
has been large property damage in rural
sections, houses being unroofed and farm
buildings wrecked
/ At Tiffin. Ohio, William Wick, seventy
five, was instantly killed and six or eight
| others are believed to be buried in the
| debris of the smokestack of the county
| infrmary, which was wrecked today by
| the high winds. Three others are known
to be injured. Tottering walls make
| rescue almost impossible.
Trains Several Hours Late.
LOUISVILLE. KY, March 21.-Daylight
| found communication cut off from all
| points south of the Ohio river. Trains
from the south began arriving from four
to five hours behind their schedules.
washouts were reported from many
points along railroads in kentuckyS
| southern Indiana and Tennessee Az
| Louisville the weather bureaus wind
gauge recorded a velocity OF seventy five
miles, the highest on record at this etaS
| ton. :,
| farmer driving to Louisville FROM
| Mount Washington with a load OF marj
| keting escaped with only slight injuriea
] when the wind seized his team and wag3
on. blowing them into field adjoinin, 4
| the road.
Early Crops Are Damaged.
| The few points with which communfl
| cation was established this morning res
ported that early crops had been severely
damaged The loss in Louisville amounts
ed to about 5000. and the damage IN
the several states that suffered FROM tha
| storm is variously estimated at from two
| to three million dollars
| Usual wire routes south of Louisville
had to be abandoned and early commu-
nication by telephone and telegraph with
| points south of the Ohio river could ba
The greatest difficulty has been expert
enced in reaching points in the Ohio ald
central Mississippi valleys.
Property Loss Is Heavy.
Heavy property damage was reported
from Tennessee and Kentucky. where thu
storm took the form of severe shifting
gales with heavy rains. Telegraph ana
telephone communication was crippled
throughout the district south of the Ohio
river, and tho storm moving northward
and eastward over Ohio and Indiana
threatened further destruction
The weather bureau. from the meager
reports compiled over the crippled wires
predicted q severe cold wave to follow
Storm warnings were ordered displayed
ali along the Atlantic coast from hate
teras to EastpOrt, Me.
Centers Over Great Lakes.
| Last nights storm swept Arkansaaa
mississippi and on north across the Ohio
river. and today was centered over the
great lakes The weather forecasters
after examining his reports, said:
."rhe storm Is accompanied by severd
and shifting gales, and widespread pre-
cipitation followed by cold wave oE
Unusual severity for this season OF the
YEAR. Heavy snowfalls are reportea
at many points in the north central
states and great damage has been done
TO electric wires the storm cutting ofc
,.op,munjca tiOn thrOug ghout the MIDI