Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-07
BLIZZARD RACES
IN THREE Cities:
SNOWFALL HEAVY
Twenty flour Mile Wind Sweeps
Blanket Into Drifts Impeding
Cars and Pedestrians.
RAILROADS ARE HARDEST HIT
Two Main Tracks On Rock Island
Completely Blocked for Hours.
and All Trains are Late.

Two MAIN Tracks TN KOCk lSl0n0 !
Completely Blocked for Hours.
and All Trains are Late.
A blizzard, one of the most severe
that has been experienced in several
years, swept the tri-cities and vicinity
yesterday.
Snow started falling early Satur-
an early hour this morning. All day.
yesterday and through most of the
night a veritable gale swept the snow
into drifts, impeding the progress Of
street cars, vehicles and pedestrians.
Luckily the temperature did not drop
to the zero mark, the lowest being re-
corded at O'Clock this morning when
II above was reached.
The local weather bureau reported
a snowfall of eight inches on the
level, the heaviest in several years.
To the west of here the blizzard was
not so severe, but to the east fall of
IL inches of snow was reported.
The local public utilities were not
seriously hit. The street cars on all
lines were off schedule almost all day
yesterday, but the cars were kept
moving, none of the service being en-
tirely abandoned. The. Tri-City Rail-
way company had all of it's available
sweepers out early yesterday morning
ard they were kept going until an
early hour this morning. The COM
pany had three sweepers operating in
Rock Island and Moline, one in East
Moline and three in Davenport. The
most serious street car tieup in Rock
Island came at o'clock this morning,
when a trolley wire snapped On Fiji
teenth street between Second and
Third avenues, blocking traffic on the
Long View, Bridge and Fourth avenue
lines for nearly half an hour.
Few Phones Out.
The Central Union Telephone COM
pany did not suffer as result of the
blizzard. No more than the usual
amount of phones were reported out
of order today and the toll lines are
all in operation. The snow did not
cling to the wires, and although the
wind was strong, reaching velocity
of "a miles at times, no serious breaks
were reported. -
The street department was con-
fronted with a huge task today. Com
missioner N. Z. Juhl had all of his
available men and teams out early.
He turned his first efforts to the loop,
clearing the crossings. The snow will
be removed from the downtown
streets as quickly as possible. On Sec
ond avenue the drifts were unusually
high in places, the wind sweeping the
snow up from the river.
Shovel Your Walks.
Commissioner Juhl today issued an
appeal to the citizens to assist the de-
partment in the present emergency.
There is city ordinance making 1t
compulsory that sidewalks be cleaned
of all snow. 1t should be matter of
personal pride to the citizens to carry
out this order. In places the drifts
cover the walks and pedestrians to-
day chose the center of the car tracks
to walk to work, wherever they were
available
The railroads were hardest hit by
the storm, especially the Rock Island
lines. On the Rock Island the west
bound tracks in the vicinity of Min
eral, H., were completely blockaded
and the trains were not released un-
til noon. The Rock Island and Peoria
branch was also completely block
taded all night, but is now open. IEIe
Peoria train. due in Rock Island at 10
O'Clock last night. did not arrive until
8 this morning. The train was stopped
by drifts near Galva and bucked them
for hours. before being able to get
through. At Mineral H.. drifts COM
spletely blocked the Westbound track
The trains due last night all got
through, however. Train No. II, thu
fast mail. due here at 5:3S had not
arrived at noon. The trains from the
west, though fifteen minute to a hall
hour late, were all able to gel
through. The eastbound main track
to Chicago was also kept open. Trair
No. Z, due here at o'clock yesterday
afternoon. got stalled outside of Chi
- cago in drift and did not arrive until
last evening.
Milwaukee and Q Open.
On the Milwaukee lines the South
west limited arrived 10 hours late
from Chicago. All other trains were
from two to four hours late, but al
were reported moving. All trains or
the Burlington lines were from two
and half to three hours late, but al
are moving.
Switching facilities in the city viii
be hampered for several days. Tht
local yards are filled with drifts to-
day that will curtail movements O.
freight cars to great extent. TIL,
roads are also handicapped by short
age of section hands. They had beer
depending mostly on Mexicans fol-
this class of labor and the majority
OF them migrated TO the south will
the first cold spell.
Coal for Several Days.
Local retail dealers reported toda,
that they had coal on hand to last fo
several days and that il no unusua
tieup Of cars results from the storm
a fuel famine will not materializ
here. Thus far the dealers have ha,
no great trouble in getting coal car
through. All railroads give fuel ship
; ments the preference in the right o
3 way and 1t is not believed a great scar
/ city OF coal will result here.
Z Nimrods who ventured out Gto tn
country districts for rabbits and Othe
game yesterday came to grief. Sew