The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-12

The loss to stockmen and farmers
who have not provided adequate shell
ter for their stock may mount to sew
eral figures if the blizzard continues
for any length of time.
Cattle in eastern Kansas are fairly
well protected by their owners. In
western Kansas the situation is not so
well in hand.
Hundreds of stockmen in Kansas.
today are driving their herds towards
sheds and barns-On ranches where
the shelter is large enough to hold
the animals. For the most part
found their herds backed up in the
blizza rd-as usuaI-ag ainst a barbed
wire fence for protection-for, figura-
lively speaking, an old COW was never
born under a she'd
just Right for Wheat
With the CONSERVATION among resi-
dents of the larger towns and the
worry of the residents of the stock
producing counties. today's blizzard
brought only joy to the men in the
big wheat growing counties. Reports
from western Kansas indicate that the
wheat counties have received a heavy
fall of snow. Only i sudden thaw,
followed by another equally sudden
freeze could now hurt tho wheat
growers, it is asserted.
Heavy Blanket of Protection.
With a heavy blanket of snow and
an indication that the weather con-
ditions may continue for several days,
the wheat growers see hopes OF an
other big wheat crop and have made
no complaint. Reports received from
Ford, Finney, Reno, Pratt, Barton,
Edwards and Pawnee counties in the
southwestern section of the state, in
dictated that no alarm was felt con-
corning existing conditions In the
northwestern counties of Norton,
Smith, Sherman, Sheridan, Cove, De-
catur and Cheyenne counties, there is
promise of more severe weather con-
ditions, but as yet no damage to the
growing winter wheat has been re-
ported.
Street Car Delays.
| A NJ. Patten of the Street Railway
company reports that tOdays blizzard
is the worst in years for the company.
| The snow being dry, and assisted by
the wind from the north. fills up the
| tracks. No schedule could be main
! tanned this morning and the cars came
along in punches. A sweeper was used
on every line last night, but the wind
always blew the snow back into the
! track again.
This morning the company decided
to put salt and sand on the rails, as
this would eat out the snow. By night
| fall, Mr.. Patten declares, the sched-
ule will again become normal.
People coming to work this morn
| ing had a difficult time of it because
|
1t was absolutely impossible to make
| much hea dWay with the tracks in such
slippery condition. The street rail-
way is making gigantic efforts to get
affairs working right for the rush late
this afternoon.
Very few people wanted to walk to
office or shop today and between $3.50
and $50 o'clock the cars were
! jammed.
Low School Attendance.
The attendance at all Topeka
schools was greatly reduced by the
storm The toll of absentees in the
high school today could not be learned
by A. J. Stout, principal, until the
lost ones report when they return to
schools
THE number of students coming in
late this morning indicates that large
per cent of the enrolment is absent"
Mr.. Stout said this morning
1t is reported that the number Of
girls who were at their classes today
was comparatively small. The boys
as a general rule, braved the storm.
Fifteen poles went down about three
miles this side of Lawrence this morn
ing, carrying the main line from To-
peka to Kansas City according to the
report of the local office of the Mis-
souri, and Kansas Telephone company.
The lines were down between here and
Emporia also this morning. Local tel
ruption of service is expected if the
snow continues much longer.
Fences Destroyed.
Hundreds of miles of fences were
destroyed in Kansas today owing to the
| drifting snow. Roads all over the
state are blockaded-
35 Degree Drop in 2o Hours.
Wichita, Jan. 12.-Five degrees be-
low zero, the coolest weather this win
ter, was recorded here at o'clock
this morning. A high north wind and
driving snow sent the temperature
down 8 degrees between and s
o'clock and threatened a still lower
mark during the day.
The entire south Kansas is
in the grip of the cold wave which
came at . o'clock last night. The
temperature was 80 degrees above
zero at I a. m. yesterday. a drop
of 50 degrees was recorded at the
same hour this morning. The next
hour showed drop of degrees when
the record Of five below was made.
This was a drop in temperature of IS
degrees in rs hours. Swirling snow
and the intense cold caused much suf-
fering to live stock which has been
unprotected through the mild winter.
Interurban Service Stops.
Pittsburg, Kan, Jan. 12.-The most
severe weather of the winter holds
southeastern Kansas in it's grasp to-
day A rain which fell internationally
most OF yesterday here continued
early last night and freezing tenn
perature covered the ground with ice
The rain gave way to a snow early
this morning and the temperature
dropped gradually until thermometers
recorded a few degrees above zero
interurhan service between Kansas
towns was badly interrupted At 6
o'clock the Joplin & Pittsburg Rail
way company has been unable to get
car through between Joplin and
Pittsburg.