The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-12
CITY IS HELD
FAST IN GRIP
OF C0LDE ST
WEATHER YET
Richmond Cut Off from Out
side World for More Than
Twelve Hours by the Worst
Blizzard in History.
COAL IS LIMITED

No relief is in sight. for several days
at least. from the record breaking cold
weather which held Richmond and
Wayne county fast in its grip Satur.
day as result of the blizzard, un.
precedented in its fury, which struck
Friday night
Richmond was cut off from the out
| side world from shortly before mid.
night Friday until about late Saturday
morning. All traffic was paralyzed
and trains stood still. Interurban cars
started running late Saturday morn.
ing. The first car from Indianapolis
arrived at noon.
City street cars, however, did not
start until Saturday afternoon. and ali
available forces were at work clearing
the tracks. Snow drifted to a depth
Of five feet in some places.
Two trains for Chicago and one
train for Indianapolis and ST. Louis,
were held all night in the Richmond
yards because of the snow which had
| drifted to a depth for from five to
! eight feet in somep laces. The trains
were unable to plow their way through
the snow. No mail was received al
| the postoffice.
Hundreds Of dollars worth of dam.
age was done to telephone wires, &C.
cording to officials OF the telephone
company. Many wires connecting
Richmond with towns in this district
! D;nL hnp
we're without service.
Lightning But no Thunder.
An unusual phenomenon occurred
during the blizzard Friday night when
| lightning was seen in the skies. The
lightning begun at $50 o'clock and
| continued for about twenty minutes.
according to Weather Forecastei
Moore. No thunder was heard, how.
ever.
I With the coming Of extremely cold
weather again the fuel situation in
Richmond is more serious than il has
been at any time during the winter
according to Wayne County Fuel Ad,
ministrator Bates.
| Sales were being made in half-ton
lots under orders to the retail dealers
issued by Bates. Only halftons OF
coal will be sold. until the weather
| breaks and dealers are assured of get
! ting their deliveries.
Several distress calls were received
by the fuel administrator and enough
coal for immediate needs was sent. Il
is believed that some homes are with
| out coal. entirely.
25 Below at 4:3o O'Clock.
rrl~ iah eto tod nv %
downward at about s o'clock Friday
night, had fallen to twenty-five de-
grees below the zero mark at 4:3d
O'Clock. oned egree below the lowest
previous record of the winter. accord
ing to the government thermometer at
the home Of the weather forecaster.
At 6 o'clock Saturday morning the
government thermometer registered
nineteen degrees below and was slow
ly rising.
The record breaking cold weather
will continue Saturday night and Sun
day according to Weather Forecaster
Moore. The high winds, which gained
velocity Of forty-five miles an hour
Friday night and Saturday, will have
diminished by Sunday afternoon, i is
believed The weather may moder.
ate enough to cause more snow the
first part of next week, according to
the forecast.
While the mercury only fell one de-
gree lower than it has during the en-
tire winter. the high biting winds
made it seem much colder.
Mall Carriers Held Up.
Rural mail carriers made no attempt
Saturday morning to go out on their
routes. The roads in MANY places
are nearly impossible. and the snow
has drifted to eight and ten feet in
some places according TO information
received by the weather forecaster.
Snow blows and all available forces
ct the Pennsylvania railroad were ar
work along the lines Saturday morn
ing clearing the tracks. An eastbourd
train for points between Richmond and
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