The Holly chieftain., 1918-12-26
Two Feet Of Snow Covers
Fast Part of State.
Rail TRAFFIC PARALYZED
MAILS HEAVILY CONGESfED
Snow of Last Week Followed by .
Further Fall and Temperature Of
Eight Below Tuesday Morning
Warmer Weather Follows.

The snow storm which began in
this section the early part of last
week and was characterized by The
Chieftain as a 'several-thOusand
dollar snow," has since paralyzed
both freight and passenger traffic
on the main line of the Santa Fe,
brought local business to stand
still, caved in many business build.
ing roofs throughout this section
and assumed the proportions of
what the Denver Post calls mil
lion dollar proposition. At any
rate it is the heaviest snow storm
in this section since 1911.
Snow continued to fall last
Saturday afternoon and evening
and all day Sunday, the depth
reaching to between IS inches and
two feet throughout the lower Ar
kansas valley. Monday the wind
drifted the snow which had fallen
since Saturday, until all east and
west highways were impossible
with either cars or teams.
All passenger schedules have been
off since last Saturday. Two or
three engines have been reported
off the track on the main line OF
the Santa Fe between Holly and
Dodge City. east of here. as result
-Ur buckiag the l.oeyy snow. and one
passenger engine got off the rails
between here and Lamar last Sat
urday. However, no casualties have
resulted from these derailments,
which have otherwise only tended
to enhance the disruption of train
schedules. Number IL, the Chica-
go Flyer, east bound, and due here
at 1852 p. M, arrived late Monday
evening and remained here until
about 10 o'clock Tuesday morning.
Rain, sleet and snow in Kansas
east of Dodge City Monday and
Tuesday, stopped nearly all the
trains.
Here in Holly the snow fall of last
Saturday and Sunday caved in
number OF flat roofs of business
houses, including the armory build
ing, joining the English Lumber
Co.'S yards and plant. which was
also threatened and a portion OF its
shed roof was only prevented from
collapse by timely bracing with
timbers. Other store buildings
about town which were threatened
were sh0veled off in time to save
them from collapse.
The whole west half of the arm
ory building, which is owned by A.
ID. Plank, is a complete wreck, the
brick walls having given away un-
der the heavy weight of snow and
the roof and timbers are now flat
on the ground mass of wreckage.
The damage will approximate ST.
600.
The rural mail routes have also
come in for q share of the conges-
ton caused by the big storm. The
HOlly-Lamporte route. running W
miles south of Holly, for instance
was completely tied up from Wed
nesday of last week until Tuesday
of this week, when a load OF mail
started out only to be tied up
again few miles out, and the en-
tire route has not yet been com
plcUely trdNefSeu OIl dcCouA1C VI I!S
heavy and impossible snow drifts
on east and west roads. During
this congestion about five tons of
mail have been accumulated. Post
master John Adkins and the car.
riers, however, have been doing ev-
erything physically possible to re,
.labilitate the route service which,
it is hoped will be resumed by Sat
urday or Monday. Harry 0. Kane,
who has one of the rural routes, has
been able to take care of part OF
his route by making part OF the
trip on the A. V. as far as Hartman
during the past week, when the A.
V. was running.
The passenger and mail service on
the railroads will have been fully
renewed by Monday. The Arkan-
sas Valley branch of the Santa Fe
was drifted impassable and no
train was out over that line from
last Saturday until today. two en-
gines and a snow pillow having clear
ed the track on that line late We'd
nesday afternoon. The passenger
went out over that line today.