Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-03-03

Milwaukee, Feb. 28.-Details Of the
most disastrous sleet storm in Wis
consin's history, which swept the state
on February %, Washington's birth
day. are just beginning to reach this
city.
The storm was general throughout
the state, but it appears to have been
most severe in the Fox River valley
and in the section lying between Lake
! Winnebago and Lake Michigan. These
/ districts were completely cut off from
4 outside communication for four days
/ Train service all over the state was
/ practically abandoned last Thursday
and in many instances passengers in
trains marooned between stations
were threatened with starvation.
The storm began the evening Of
February 81, starting with a heavy
rain, which fell internationally all the
following day and then froze in heavy
masses on trees, wires and poles.
Trees were bent nearly to the ground
by the great weight. A few hours
later strong wind came up. creating
great havoc. Streets and roads were
made impossible by masses of tangled
wires, limbs of trees and broken poles.
In several cities 1t was found neces-
sary to shut off all electric light and
power lines because of the danger OF
electrocution from broken wires.
Green Bay Hard Hit.
Details of the worst sleet storm and
blizzard in the history of Green Bay
were received here yesterday. For
seventy-two hours the city had been
cut off from the world. Traffic was
at an absolute standstil from 6 D. IN.
Wednesday to 10 p. IN, Thursday. Not
train on any of the three railroad
Ines moved Only three telegraph
lines were left--one to Shawano, one
to Wrightstown and one to Houghton,
Mich. Communication by telephone
stopped. Not single toll circuit was
working. Hundreds of poles crumpled
under the load OF sleet-covered wire
and were buried under 10 inches of
snow.
Not street car ran for two days
and after bueking the drifts for SO
hours, taxi companies called back
their cabs and refused to run. Street
Commissioners Cartier put 200 men to
work shoyeling paths in the streets,
but gale kept whipping back the
snow. General Manager Pheresie of
the Public Service Co, led his EN-.
ployes in shoveling the snow from tho
street railway tracks. The city took
over every county snowplow in an eff.
fort TO dig passages to its bus uess
district Children were unable to pillow
through the drifts and school was sus-
pended.
Cut of Five Days.
Reports from Sturgeon Bay say the
storm passed within few miles OF
the Door county cherry and fruit re.
gion. Although the edge of the storm
brought rain and snow, little damage
was inflicted. Had the path of the
storm been few, miles north millions
of dollars worth of damage would
!
county was without rail communica-
| ton.
The Fox River valley remained al.
most completely shut off from the
rest of the state Monday, in spite of
/ the work of railroad, telephone and
telegraph crews in clearing away the
/ debris of fallen poles and wires and
the deep snowdrifts. Several large
mills have shut down for lack of coal.
| Others are working only part time.
Only the rapid resumption of rail traf-
hc can save the valley from indus
trial paralysis
| Five trains were wrecked near APP
pleton, it is now believed. Three train
men were injured when a Northwest.
/ ern train derailed at Little Chute.
Another Northwestern train was de-
rallied at Greenville. two 500 line
trains were derailed at Horronville
and another two miles from Appleton.
Communicate by Wireless.
Ever since last Wednesday, Osh
kosh, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna
and Appleton have been dependent for
communication upon amateur wireless
outfits. Wireless dispatches from
Neenah and Appleton stated 600 APP
pleton homes are still without electric
light and that a survey of the district
showed 2,37S telephone poles down
along the line between Fond du Lac
and Green Bay.
Fruit and shade trees. which suf
fered widespread damage as well, and
the ruined poles and wire lines re
NAMED buried beneath heavy masse:
of ice in the Fox River valley. The
weather has remained cold since The
storm, with the mercury never risinl