The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-05
TRAINS HALTED
WIRES BROKEN
DURING STORM
No Lives Lost Although Wind
Approaches Tornado Pro-
portions at Places
MINNESOTA SNOWBOUND
Radio Used to Reach Many
Trains and to Broadcast
News During Storm

Chicago, Feb. b.-(By the A. P.)-
The central and middle western
states from Minnesota to Texas are
digging them selves out Of snowdrifts
today after one Of the worst biz
yards Of the winter tied up railroad
traffic and wrought havoc with wire
communication with estimated loss
Of several million dollars.
Chicago is almost isolated. The
Chicago Office of the Associated
Press, the largest news relay point
in the world was compelled to use
radio to broadcast the news for
morning papers that filtered in over
roundabout circuits. Ordinarily the
hub of wires carrying Associated
Press dispatches to New York, New
Orleans, San Francisco and northwest
points, Chicago received outside
news after a wide detour was made
to pass around sections where COM
| munications were severed.
Queer Wire Routing.
The wires were so routed as to
feed virtually every American city to
the Pacific Coast and back again be-
fore touching Chicago. Starting at
New York the lines passed through
Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans,
| St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma
City, Denver and St. Paul before
their burden of news was finally
landed in Chicago. San Francisco
and other Pacific Coast points also
were served from this route.
Relief trains, many of them sum
mcned by radio when ordinary con-
munication failed. are endeavoring
to reach passenger and freight trains
which are snow-bound at various
points in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Passengers on most of the stalled
trains were enabled to obtain sheiter
for the night at towns and stations
near the points where they were
marooned. One train at Waupaca,
Wis, reported by radio that its fires
were out and the water supply ex-
hausted and its passengers in dan
ger from the cold.
The snow and sleet at Wooster,
Ark, and Evansville, Ind, were &C
companied by gale which assumed
the proportions of a tornado. Build
ings were wrecked and property dam
aged with losses Of thousands OF
dollars. Meager reports said there
were no casualties.
Street Cars Halted.
City and suburban street cars
throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota
and in Chicago and vicinity were
stalled and delayed by sleet and ice
last night and early today. Taxicat
companies in Chicago and Milwaukee
refused to accept calls except OF
streets where street car lines oper
ated because their caps were be1nt
caught in drifted snow which II
many places was piled waste high.
Losses to wire communication il
the vicinity of Milwaukee were esti
mated at $1,O0O,00O and similar con
ditions were reported to be genera
in the Northwest and lake region.
Weather forecasters in Chlcag
promised little relief for today. TIL
trend of the snow is toward the east
with its fury diminishing on It's wa!
Temperatures generally were not 10y
and minimum of eighteen abov
zero was promised for Chicago an
vicinity.
Hundreds of men were employe
in Chicago throughout the night re
moving the drifted snow from tn
streets Of the business section an
keeping lanes open for vehicle trad