Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-13
SOUTHWEST GETS
BLAST OF WINTER
Mercury Drops Thirty to Sixty De-
grees in Kansas, Oklahoma,
Missouri and Texas.
sLEET AND SNOW DELAY TRAVEL

winter weather today and natures
Offering lived up to advance notices
Of the weather bureau. The mercury
dropped from 35 to 60 degrees in
twenty-four hours in the affected dis
trict, and this morning temperatures
ranging from zero downward prevail
throughout Kansas, Iowa and this
section of Missouri Oklahoma and
Texas. too. felt the drop. Snow is
falling in much of the territory.
Fresh northwest winds will blow the
clouds away tonight and tomorrow We
look for temperatures ranging from 10 to
20 degrees below zero in Kansas and this
section OF Missouri" said announce
ment OF the local weather bureau.
Train service into Kansas City is dc
layed from one to two hours street car
service in all Of the cities affected has
been seriously interfered with; telegraph
and telephone companies are fighting
Vainly TO maintain communication on
sleet-coated wires and farmers and pro-
ducers have been warned that II is too
cold 10 ship perishsble products.
Two Deaths in kansas City.
In Kansas City the death list as a re-
suit Of the storm remained at two, while
more than score Of persons are in hos
Ditals recovering from injuries. Des
Moines reported the mercury at zero.
st. Louis. in the center OF the low pres
sure area extending from that city 10
Memphis Tenn. on the other hand. had
temperature OF 4s degrees above. Rain
was falling. Little Rock. Ark. also in
this area. reported 20 degrees.
a blizzard prevailed all over Kansas.
A snow measuring from two TO four
inches fell in the state. sallna reported
the mercury at 10 degrees below zero
Conoordia had reading OF s below;
wichita below and Junction City 4 be-
low. At Junction city the mercury
dropped to 4 degrees above zero while
Abilene. Tex, reported IS above.
Gale FIFTY Miles an Hour.
In Kansas the storm is the most severe
since the winter OF 1912. a gale from the
northwest that reached fifty miles an
hour carried binding snow and sleet be-
fore II. Tho Union Pacific ran snowplows
ahead of It's trains in central Kansas this
morning. The Santa Fe also ordered its
plows out and all trains VIII be preceded
by track clcarers this afternoon.
The mercury began to sink at Kansas
City during the morning. At noon it had
descended to degrees below zero. Ad-
ditIonal Kansas temperatures included 2
below zero az Clay Center. 5 below at
Emporia and 6 below at Pratt.
Scores OF families that have been de-
pending on natural gas for heating pur-
poses hunted for other fuel today II Is
expected tho gas supply. which comes
from the Kansas fields. will reach It's low
est point OF the winter tonight.
one Death at 50. Joseph.
ST. JOSEPH. No. Jan. i2.--John Crook,
IS years old. was found In a snowdrift
here today fatally frozen. He had left
his home last night on an errand and be-
came exhausted
Trains Late In south Dakota.
SIOUX FALLS. s. D., Jan. 12.-with
temperatures ranging from Is to "a de-
grees below zero and strong north
west wind drifting the snow which had
fallen for the last twenty-four hours.
Sioux Falls and southeastern South Da-
kota awoke this morning to find that II
had passed through storm which vividiy
recalled to the older inhsbitannts the ter
rible blizzard OF twenty-eight years ago
today. January y. 1855. when many lives
were lost ana much damage was done IN
IN this section. All trains have been
from one 10 four hours late into this
city and wire service throughout this
territory is seriously impaired this morn
ing.
sioux City schools Close.
SIOUX CITY. Ia. Jan. i2-The sever
est weather OF the season was ex
pcrienced in this section today. Il wal
Is below zero at 10 o'clock and q below
is predicted Tor tonight. street car traf
fic> was greatly delayed by snow. SCHOOL,
were closed.
Ice Forms at Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES. Cal. Jan. l2-smolx'
pals overhung tho valleys Of southern
California today. showing where orang'
growers fought through the nisht witt
thousands of smudge pots against freez
ing temperatures. in most sections II wa
colder than since the disastrous freeze o
1873. but orchsrdlsts. forowarned and aide
by moisture from recent rains. said toda,
there had been little damage. In Sal
Francisco the temperature fell TO "a de
grees above zero. Street puddles her
we're ice-surfaced today,
Burlington Train stalled.
BEATRICE Neb., Jan. l2-(special Tel
egram 1.-THE blizzard which RACED her,
yesterday continued today. the snow
drifting badly. Trains are all behind tim,
from two TO four hours.
The eastbound Burlington passenger el
route to Nebraska City Is stuck in
snowdrift near Edgar and at last report
had failed 10 get through.
The government Thermometer reEistere,
II below zero this morning. Freight traf
fic Is at a standstill.
send out Rescue crews.
FAIRBURY, Neb.. Jan. 12.-(Special Tel
gram.l-Jefferson county \ IN the gri
Of the coolest day In thirteen months
with prospects OF tonight being the cold
est IN years. The therpometer registers
" below zero at 10 O'Clock this morninl
with a blizzard from the northwest 4
progress. Business was at a standstiu 1
Falrbury today
Operating officials Of the Rock Islam
az this point experienced considerabl
difficulty in moving freight and passen
ser trains over the division. II was neces
sary TO deadhead number OF train an
engine crews out on the line 20 brin
freight trains into Fairbury by reason
steam failures and the crews being caugi
with their rest up BY the sixteen hoJ