Evening star., 1918-01-13
Lashing Gale ParaIyzes Men
Who Attempt to Clear Way
Through Drifts.
BUSINESS SUSPENDED:
STORM CAUSES DEATHS
Below-Zero Weather in Many States
Adds to Suffering Already Felt
in Fuel Famine.

Ey the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, January IA
Not a passenger or freight
train will leave Chicago
terminals for at least twenty
hours, according to predic-
ton made by operating OIL
cials of railways entering
this city tonight. The in
tense blizzard that for days
palsied all traffic of the
middle west tonight had
completely paralyzed all its
transportation lines.
The first efforts of the
roads, it was said, will be
directed toward releasing the
scores of trains now I'M
prisoned by drifts and bring
ing in their passengers. It
was useless, it was asserted,
to send out new trains only
to have them marooned IN
drifts in a few hours after
their start. Chicago is COM
IL. pletely tied up" exclaimed
one operating official, in dis
cussing the situation.
CHICAGO. January 12.-Raiiroads en-
tering Chicago abandoned all attempts
to operate trains today. The lashing
below-zero wind made it impossible fol
workmen to make any headway at all
in their efforts to clear snow from the
switch intersections. Scores Of passen-
ger trains were reported stalled in drifts
throughout the central west.
Attempts to move freight were aban-
doned carly. Passenger trains were kept
running for a time, as they could be
uuoSCn Will tao VhS1ASo oAA t'iS AAOAA
pulling and one pushing in the rear
Snowplows were ordered out with three
engines behind them, but their worh
was futile. The wind piled the drifts in
back of them as fast as they could push
it from the tracks ahead.
Stalled Trains Comfortable.
Toward nightfall conditions became
worse. The railways abandoned all at
tempts even to keep their lines clear
and concentrated their efforts on the
relief of passengers marooned on theil
trains along all lines from 25 to 10C
miles from the city. No distress was
reported among these victims of the
blizzard. as most of the trains carried
dining cars and plentiful supply OF
fuel.
At night the usual crowds of travel.
ers assembled at the railway stations
In Chicago. and being unable to get
trains or hotel accommodations, hun
dreds spent the night in the stations
sleeping on their baggage. At the
Illinois Central station the railway
officials threw open fifteen Pullman
cars for women and children.
Send Food and Fuel.
The New York Central railroad re-
ports that several of it's trains. includ-
ing the Twentieth Century Limited, are
blocked near Elkhart. Ind. and that
no word has been received front them
since early this afternoon. Efforts are
being made to transport food and fuel
to the trains. The Western Express
from New York. due at 8 p. m. Friday
arrived this afternoon.
Several Big Four trains are stalled
east of here. but the road reported tina,
it had no definite information as tc
their whereabouts.
Three passenger trains on the Monor
route are blocked on the outskirts OF
the city. Three freight trains are re.
are believed to be in Indiana, but Off.
cials dellared that word has beer
received from them since morning.
Pennsylvania Trains Lost.
On the Pennsylvania no trains hav.
arrived in Chicago since this morning
The Pennsylvania also reports lack O.
communication with its trains and sev
eral are believed to be tied UP east O.
here.
The Chicago. Burlington and Quinc,
was one of the last roads to becom,
completely blocked by the storm
Trains were run from St. Paul an,
MlHucapOlIS, dTT1NlHg mere II
eight hours late. The road announce
tonight that all trains had been an.
nulled, but that efforts would be mad,
to operate west tomorrow.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Pan
railway operated one train today-t,
st. Paul. All others were abandone,
this morning.
A train which left for Omaha at
o'clock last night was unheard from
until o'clock tonight, when 1t returne,
to Chicago after unsuccessful attempt
TO plow through the snowdrifts. Durint
the twenty-four hours 1t had advance,
only seventeen miles.
The Illinois Central reports that 1
annulled all trains early this mornine
combining its efforts to bringing Il
trains already on the lines. On tn
Michigan Central no trains have bee,
able to travel west II Niles, Mich. Sew
sral are reported stalled there.
No Trains for Two Days.
The Chicago and Alton has not on.
Grated train for two days, Its Of.
fcials reported. One of its through
trains to st. Louis left the station
yesterday. but became stalled befor,
1t could get out of the city Effort,
to return to the station failed.
The Chicago and Northwestern alss
continued ifs efforts today to attemp
to locatesvarious stalled trains. TIVE