Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-03-03
RAILROAD AND WIRE SERVICE.
ARE SUSPENDED FOR
SEVERAL DAYS.
GREAT HAVOC IN FOX RIVER WILEY
Electric Light and Power Shut Off in
Several Cities as Result OF Broken
Wires-Worst sIeet Storm in Wis
consins History.

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
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 heavy
rain, which fell internationally all the
following day and then froze in heavy
masses on trees, wires and poles.
Trees We're 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 it 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 p. M
Wednesday toto p. m. Thursday Not
a train on any of the three railroad
lines moved. Only three telegraph
lines were left-one to Shawano, one
to Wrightstown and one to Houghton,
Mich. Communication by telephone
stopped. Not a 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 bucking the drifts for So
hours, taxi companies called back
their cabs and refused to run. Street
Commissioner Cartier put 200 men to
work shoyeling paths in the Streets
but a gale kept whipping back the
Snow General Manager Phenesie of
the Public Service Co.. led his en-
ployes in shoyeling the snow from the
street railway tracks. The city took
over every county snoWplow in an eff.
fort to dig passages to its business
district. Children were unable to plow
the drifts and school was sus.
pended.
Cut off Five Days.
Reports from Sturgeon Bay say the
storm passed within a few miles of
the Door county cherry and fruit res
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
have been done. For five days the
county was without rail communica4
ton.
The Fox River valley remained all
most completely shut off from the
rest of the state Monday, in spite of
the work of railroad, telephone and
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.
fic can save the valley from indus
trial paralysis.
Five trains were wrecked near APP
pIeton, 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 Greenyille, two 500 line
trains were derailed at Hortonville
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 900 Ap.
pleton homes are still without electric
light and that a survey of the district
showed 1878 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 masses
of ice in the Fox River valley. The
weather has remained cold since the
storm, with the mercury never rising
more than few degrees above the
zero mark. The sun has shone only
occasionally
Chiffon, county seat of Calumet
county, has also been hard hit by the
storm. 1t was only on Sunday that
contact with the outside world was
re-established.
Highways are slowly being opened
to vehicle traffic, although only few
Of the principal roads are passable as
yet. Green Bay and other cities Of
the district have been so closely snow
bound that burial of the dead has
been impossible. Veteran undertakers
Of the district declare it is the first
time within their memory that post
ponement of funerals has been dictat-