Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-08
RAILROAD AND WIRE SERVICE
ARE SUSPENDED FOR
SEVERAL DAYS.
GREAT HAVOC IN FOX RIVER VALLEY
Electric Light and Power Shut of In
Several Cities as Result of Broken
wires-Worst SIeet Storm in Wis
consin's History.

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 il appears 10 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 of 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 or
February q, starting with a heavy d
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 a 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 il was found neces-
sary to shut of 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 of from the world. Traffic was
at an absolute standstin from p. m.
Wednesday to 10 D. m. Thursday. Not
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 IS inches OF
snow.
Not a street car ran for two days
and after bucking the drifts for 80
AdAA NdAAG4 JAIN
their cabs and refused to run. Street
Commissioner Cartier put 200 men TO
work shoveling 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 shoveling the snow from the
street railway tracks. The city took
over every county snOwplOw in an ef.
fort TO dig passages to its business
district. Children were unable TO plOw
through 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 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
have been done. For five days the
county was without rail cOmmunica-
ton.
The Fox River valley remained al.
most completely shut of 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-
fc can save the valley from indus
trial paralysis
Five trains were wrecked near Ap-
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 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 500 AID.
pleton homes are stiI without electric
light and that a survey OF the district
showed 2.S7s telephone poles down
along the line between Fond du Lao
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