Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-15
SNOW And SLEET
TIE UP TRAFFIC

Continued from Page one)
today and the commissioner OF street
cleaning was clamoring for more men.
Forty-hve thousand. he. said. we're need d.
Before noon all the New York Central
tracks between here and Albany had been
| cleared OF snow and sleet, and in most
cases switches had been thawed out or
cleared for operation. westbound trains
were scheduled to leave here on time.
Eastbound trains continued to be from
one to eight hours late.
| Though an army OF laborers was at
work along tho New Haven lines condi-
tons still were badly demoralized all
| forenoon
The blockade OF the electric zone of
the New York. New Haven & Hartford
railroad between New York and STAN
ford, Conn. was described by officials
OF that road as the worst jn years.
Hundreds OF passengers spent hours last
night in the stalled trains or marooned
In the stations until steam locomotives
were sent, out to pull the trains to their
destinations.
All Trains OFF Schedule.
New Haven officials said that the
through trains between Boston and New
York began to move frcm six to eight
hours behind the schedule this morning.
Telegraphic communication between
New York and points west and north
was cut by the breakdown OF wires and
poles under the weight Of snow. The
telegraph companies stated that their
service had been affected as far south
as Virginia.
AZ one time the Western Union Tele-
| graph company was virtually without n
wire leading from New York to cities
] up tho Hudson river and all the signal
wires OF the New York Central railroad
/ went down.
Cable communication across the Allan
| tic was badly hampered by the failure
OF the cable companies land wires be-
tween New York and Nova Scotia. The
shaw fall in New York City Is esti-
mated at six inches.
During the height OF the storm the
wind here attained velocity OF sixty
| four miles an hour. The storm caused
damage 10 shipping In the harbors ana
Along the coast.
Former President Taft was among the
storm-bound travellers on the New York,
| New Haven a Hartford railroad last
night. He boarded train for New
Haven at Grand Central station, only
to be Informed that because Of a break
In the electric feed wire there would be
indefinite delay.
Never mind" said Mr.. Taft. I'm be
quite comfortable here" and. doing. he
waited patiently until. with the aid Of a
steam locomotive. the train crawled out
u the station,
Although he first climbed aboard at :
a. m, II was this morning when Mr..
taft reached New, Haven.
Three KILLED at POuEhkeepsle,
| PoUGHKEBPsIE. N. ", Dec. IA
Three men are known, to be dead. two
others are missing and hundreds Of pas
sengers are imprisoned in twenty-five
railroad trains near this city as the re-
suit OF last nights bliEzard. The fatal
ties occurred at Beacon, Hudson and
colonie. and the missing men are Milton
Johnson and william Bogardus of POUCH
keepsie, N. Y.
An avalanche Is said 20 have occurred
at Storm King. The roof OF an evange
listie tabernacle at Beacon collapsed JUS
after the Audience had left the building
and a number OF factories here have beer
crushed by the heavy snow.
A theater az Wappinger Falls was badl,
damaged and large gymnasium at tn,
Riverview Military academy here caved
in. Dozens OF Conservatives In the VIC
let district broke under the weight OF we
snow.
Conservative estimates place the prop
erty damage az t25e.O00
, storm Passes out 10 Sea.
BOSTON. Mass. Dec iA-Report,
early indicated that the worst of the
storm which swept this section last
night had passed TO sea- The weather
bureau announced clearing conditions
would soon prevail. The wind which
attained maximum OF fifty miles ii
} Boston last night. had dropped TO twent,
mIles this morning.
Reports from points along Cape Co,
= said the wind had reached hurricane pro
h portions. but had subsidized and the baro
e meter was rising steadily. Many eoas
u suard stations were cut off by tn
d storm. but a general inquiry failed L
u show any disaster 20 shipping. whicl
3 had been warned Ia time to seek Shelter
Il Berkshire county Is In tha grasp o
the worst snowstorm In twelve year
y today. The snow. already thirty inche
deep. Is still falling. Trolley and steaI
70 railroad traffic Is practically paralyzec
All schools are closed IL the storm con
tinues until night Il will be equal TO IN
great storm OF 1883.
]; Worst storm since Isss.
1, Albany. y. T.. Dec. IL-New Yor
d state today Was gradually digging itse
2, out Of snow drifts OF the worst storl
: since the March blizzard In lsS
= The storm which started early yeste
. day and lasted for more than twent,