Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-23
ICE STORM SWEEPS STATE;
TRAINS LATE; WIRES DOWN
NEAR-CRASHES
FREQUENTDUE
TOSLICK RAILS
Interurbans and Trains Are
Delayed-TrOIley Wires -
Reported Down.
MORE RAIN DUE TONIGHT

indianapolis and Indiana was to.
day gripped by a disagreeable '1ce
storm"
Citizens skidded to work this morn,
ing.
Because of the, slippery condition
of the rails a number OF crashes be-
tween early morning street cars we're
narrowly averted.
Thoughtfulness Of the crews Of two
cars at Massachusetts avenue and Ala
bama street saved many passengers from
possible injury. A north bound car on
| Massachusetts, avenue split a switch Just
rs an inbound Central swung into the
avenue. The tail end Of the north-bound
car rammed the side Of the Central ave-
| nue car but both were stopped instantly.
| Had either car advanced a foot further
both would have been hurled from the
| tracks.
ICE CLOGS
J RAILWAY SWITCHES.
The ice became lodged in the switches,
making 1t difficult to throw them.
Early cars on some lines coupled up
in order to make their way.
John W. Arlington, head of the weath-
er bureau here said icy conditions pre-
vailed throughout the state. He pre-
dicted rain tonight, changing into SNOW
! by morning, with a drop of eight de-
grees in temperature.
Reports to The Times from all parts
Of the state indicated conditions similar
to those which prevailed in Indianapolis.
Traction and steam railroad service was
delayed. Telegraph and telephones wires
/ we're reported in bad condition.
SNOW AND RAIN
IN NORTHERN INDIANA.
| In northern and central Indiana the
weather reports showed snow, sleet and
rain. At Gary, South Bend and Ft
| Wayne, there was heavy snowfall; at
Elkhart it was sleeting, and raining at
Muncie.
| Trolley wires were down on some in
| terurban systems. On the line from
! Indianapolis to Frankfort, the trolley
was on the ground and threatened to
| delay service for some time On the
''red line" from Indianapolis to Green's
burg, service was crippled.
| ICE QUICKLY
| COVERS WALKS.
During the forenoon a sIeety rain
| fell, covering the streets and sidewalks
/ with a thin coating of ice as the rain
/ quickly froze. In spite of the fact that
1 the government thermometer registered
/ 20 degrees. AT a. m today the ther-
| mometor registered 2S degrees and be-
gan to rise slightly along toward the
| noon hour. a gradual rise was promised
| for the afternoon.
| The weather man said the tempera-
ture in the clouds was higher than
| on the ground level, and that the pre-
/ ctpttation- left the clouds as rain. The
/ temperature at the ground level has
been below freezing for a number of
| days, and, the rain was near freez-
ing temperature it froze almost as soon
as 1t hit the colder surfaces.
/ James p. Tretton, superintendent OF
the Indianapolis street railway, said that
although ice on the trolley wires ham,
/ pered proper contact and slowed traffic
! somewhat, he did not anticipate serious
dlff1culty in maintaining good service.
1t was practically impossible to maintain
schedules on any line, however
/ Automobile drivers were forced to exer-
( else the greatest caution in travelling the
city's streets. Several near-accidents, due
to sddding, especially Of light cars, were
narrowly averted.
AUTOMOBILE ROADS
IN BAD SHAPE.
Automobile roads leading into and out
of the state were in a dangerous con-
dition. The Jackson highway to Chi
cago was reported "icy and slippery"
/ with several inches of snow drifted In
places. The road was reported rough to
Lebanon; narrow over Sugar creek near
Mechanicsburg and careful driving is
necessary; drifts have been cleared in
| Tippecanoe county, but going is heavy
IN places beyond to Rensselaer,; fair to
good remainder of route, but with some
bad places between Crown Point and
Hammond
The Jackson highway to Louisville is
Icy and slippery entire distance. de-
tour at Marion county line to Greenwood
is necessary. Rough places are reported
between Edinburg and Columbus, with
fair surface through Jackson county.
The road is rough the remainder of the
way with bad places from Underwood to
Memphis, where heavy traffic is barred.
The route through Washington county is
fair to good, but rough places from Sa-
lem to Fredericksburg.
Reports on other highways were as
follows:
National Road to Richmond-Surface
mostly icy and slippery poor road Cum
berland to Greenfield; rough Greenfield to
Dublin; deep ruts in places between In
dianapolis and Knightstown; poor and
rough Cambridge City to Richmond.
National Road to Terre Haute-Sur-
face mostly icy and slippery; rough Put
I =
fair through Vigo county.
"Dixie Highway to South Bend-Icy
and slippery southern stretches decreas-
ing northward; 4 to inches snow on
highway, deepest northern part, drifted
between Plymouth and South Bend track
good through Hamilton county new road
Plymouth to Lapaz; general condition
for travel fair Marshall and st. Joseph
counties.
''Dixie Highway to LouisviIle-Surface
icy and slippery southwark through Law.
renee county and rough beyond through
Washington county, travel conditions
fair to good, indianapolis to Martins
vile; bridge out one-half mile south OF
Dolan and another out FIVE miles north
of Bloomington; detour one and one-half
miles northeast of Martinsville at Ham
mond's hill.
Highway to Anderson Marion, Hunt
ingtonF't. Wayne-Several inches snow
over route; generally icy and very slip
perry, except in Allen county, where snow.
has been graded out; traffic difheult