The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-01-10
Chicago and Surrounding Terri.
tory Faces Fuel and Food
Famine as Result of
Storm.
ALL TRAFFIC is TIED UP
No Freight Moving and Situa-
ton Is Serious-Foot of
Snow on Level Piled
by Gale.

OAiNa6o bdis O. iltNu6 Cru y"
dig itself u Of the drifts today after
one of the worst billiards. in it's history.
The wind, which blew from 40 to 60
miles an hour during "a hours, abated
at 2 o'clock this morning and in the
calm Of daylight, made brighter by the
great drifts and fields of snow, the sun
smiled the bland smile Of the cat which
had just eaten the canary.
Everywhere were evidences of the
storm. There was scarcely a block in the
outlying districts without its stalled
automobile, hood-high in the snow.
waiting to be shoveled out. Their own
ers had left them last night, secure in
the knowledge that no thief could move
them.
The steamer Missouri, plying between
Chicago and Milwaukee. held fast in
the ice and buffeted by the gale, limped
into port this morning like some stray
iceberg. 1t was coated with ice and the
crew, after many cruel n sleepless
hours, came out of her like EsquimauX
emerging from the igloos.
With abatement of the wind snow
plows on streets and railroads had a
chance to do effective work, but so
great wac the snowfall that, with b
short, it was predicted that days must
elapse before the streets are in normal
condition.
The snowfall in Chicago since early
Sunday morning has been more than a
'oot on a level and the gale of more
a 40 miles an hour formed huge
irifts from five to 10 feet deep, tying
Up steam railroads and electric lines in
all directions. 1t is said to be the
heaviest January snowfall in Chicago's
history. The snow and gale continued
all day Sunday and not until after mid
night was there any signs OF abate-
nent. Toward daylight this morning
the snowfall became lighter and the
wind died down somewhat, but even
wit this assistance snow blows were
able to make only meager Roadway
against the big drifts along the rail-
rOa and car lines.
No Freight Moved.
The temperature at 8 o'clock was ~
degrees above zero. Practically no
freight trains moved yesterday. Every
passenger train today carried out re-
lief crews and railroads reported that
freight was again moving. although
haltingly.
Switchboard operators of the tele
phone company, owing to the paralysis
of traffic, were sheltered at hotels last
night and were at their posts without
delay today.
Employees of the stock yards battleo
through the greater part OF the sun
uay getting the StOck arrivals uluei
cover. BY nightfall every head OF stock
was safely put away. More h a 16C
cars Of stock arrived yesterday.
Two Deaths Reported.
Two deaths in Chicago have been
reported so far as the result OF the
blizzard. Many persons are reported
injured, mostly in collisions which re.
suited from the snow. Approximately
rs fires were reported during the past
o. an nlfbnttn11 In ~ ~ instn mae
the fire apparatus became stuck in
snow drifts temporarily, no serious
blazes occurred.
The heavy gale and binding snow
combined with great cakes of ice, mads
navigation in Lake Michigan practical
ly impossible.
The big steel plants and other fac
tories just across The state line in
Indiana are said to he seriously hamp.
cred by the storm. Traction conditions
! in the Calumet district are said to be
worse han in Chicago proper. There
are no Geographic facilities between
Pullman, Indiana, Harbor. Whiting and
Hammond, the great banks of nov
having blocked all rains In addition
to the scarcity of coal, the factories are
handicapped by inability Of their en-
ployes to reach their working places
Most of tho steel plants, some of them
working on government orders. are said
10 ne Tunl'''lS ut ABOUT OlG-tnlfQ tnelf
usual spec.
FL Outlook Serious.
The fuC' situation is thought to be
the most 'erious throughout central
illinois. ] )ria is aid to ave only one
days SUP =, while many other towns
are report to be running short. State
Fuel Adm 'Strator Harry Wheeler said
today tha' here was plenty of Goa in
Illinois, h that everything depended
on wheth" or not transportation facil-
iticg couiG he repaired sufficiently tG
supply the various towns before their
local yards ran short.
N.ichigan n Wisconsin points also
reported serious fuel and ~transporta-
ton tieups as a result Of the storm
At Grand Rapids, Mich. eleven inches
Of snow is reported with all railroads
tied up. Milwaukee m Beloit. Wis,
report that the storm there was the
heaviest ever felt.
Storm Stops Pacifists.
A meeting Of pacifists, scheduled in
Chicago to discuss terms Of peace. was
called off because only n delegate
5raved the storm and appeared at the
meeting place.
No milk trains arrived today and
the best the railroads could promise
the distributing companies was deliv-
cries tonight. Both Of h Borden COM
pany's trains from the Elgin dairy dis
trict We're stalled, one at West Chicago
and the other at Woodstock.
Drivers attempted to deliver the sur
plus left over from Saturday, but owing
to drifts they were confined to paths
made by the street cars.
William G.. Conrath, superintendent
of streets for the first ward, which in
cludes the business district, said he
could use 1000 men in removing snow
In other years." Mr.. Conrath said
there would nave been hundreds OF
men waiting at the Randolph street
dumping yards after such a storm. This
morning there were exactly Is, but
finally rounded up $50"
Mr.. Conrath said it would take a
week to restore the streets to normal
Possibly half the homes in the city were
without their newspapers this morn
ing.