The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-10-20
DAMAGE FROM FIRST
SLOPE SLEET STORM
IN YEARS IS LARGE
Automobile Traffic West of RlN-
er Is ParaIyzed BY H.
Inch Snowfall
STOCK LOSSES ARE HEAVY
Communication Firms Attempt.
ing Survey Of Territory
Thursday


part Of Thursday as power and COM
munication firms attempted to sur
vey the effects OF one of the worst
sleet storms in the history OF this
section.
Communication east of Bismarck
was restored Wednesday afternoon
but hundreds of poles were down to
the west and the only information
from that section Thursday morning
came from persons arriving by train.
Later the Northern Pacific managed
to open a wire to the Pacific coast.
It's main trouble was at Blue Grass,
between New Salem and Hebron.
Automobile transportation in the
western part Of the Missouri slope
was paralyzed by 14-inch snowfall.
At Dickinson, east-bound train No.
4 of the Northern Pacific was stalled
for an hour at the station late We'd
nesday, unable to move because Of
snow drifts. Many automobiles were
abandoned in the streets of the city
and others were reported stalled on
roads in other parts of that section.
The blizzard and snow appeared to
be as severe at Marmarth as at Dick
inson and concern was expressed for
30 carloads Of stock en- route from
ranches near the South Dakota bor-
der to the stockyards at Marmarth.
Heavy stock losses throughout the
entire western part of the state ap-
peared certain.
Thousands Of Poles Down
Thousands Of poles were down
throughout the entire state. although
the worst condition appeared to ex-
list west OF the Missouri river. Power,
telephone and telegraph wires were
snapped in thousands Of places.
Walter Render, manager Of tho
North Dakota Power and Light COM
pany here. said sleet-covered wires
were as thick as a mans wrist. It
was this tremendous weight, together
with the force OF the wind, which
snapped both wires and poles.
The Northwestern Bell Telephone
company had three wires working to
the east and assumed its crews were
battling snowdrifts to reach sources
OF trouble IN the western area. It
managed to reach Dickinson by a
roundabout circuit Wednesday night
but the connection was so poor that
nothing could be learned Of condi-
tlons there. Private advices said the
transcontinental telephone line of
the Bell company was in "a terrible
mess west of Mandan.
Because 1t was impossible to learn
the extent of the trouble there were
no estimates of damage but it was
expected to run into many thousands
of dollars.
The 500 Line railroad reported its
lines were down both north and
south and that every pole between
Baldwin and WaShburn was on the
ground. A man coming by automo-
bile from Wilton reported that every
telephone pole in that CITY was
ooWn. The power line from Wash
burn to Wilton also was out OF COM
mission.
500 Train Is Stuck
Advlces at noon said a 500 Line
train was stuck in snow drift north
OF Washburn and that the Bismarck
Mlnot BUS was stuck at Washburn.
These advices were brought here by
a motorist. Railroad offices had no
news OF their train and the bus COM
pany was unable to report on its
vehicle.
On the main line of the 500. LOO
poles were down from Valley City to
Cathay and communication to the
south was impossible.
Other advices from western Rich
land county, however, said that no
snow or sleet had fallen in that area.
throughout the state roads were
slippery and dirt roads were In poor
condition because Of the moisture.
according to Ray Robinson of the
state highway department. There
was no information from Dickinson
but the records here showed two
snoW-plow units were stationed In
the Dickinson area and it was as
sumed these were In use.
Reconnaissance BY the highway de-
partment established that roads were
blocked from Judson, about 10 miles
west OF Mandan, to the west, and q
snowplow was dispatched from here to
meet one which presumably headed
east from Dickinson. Previously the
Northern Pacific had reported that its
east-bound train No. 4 had been STALL
ed at the Dickinson station for an
hour late Wednesday because Of snow
drifts.
Communication Paralyxed
The North Dakota Power & Light
company was unable to establish
communication with its offices at
Mott, Beulah, Glen Ullin, Elgin and
Dickinson and anticipated serious
trouble on its network Of wires In
the district. Its line from Bismarck
to Steele also was down and IS poles
were down between Bismarck and
New Salem. In addition, some cir
cults in Bismarck and Maudan were
out Of order.
When other efforts to obtain infer.
nation failed the power company sent
out an airplane. plotted by =. 4.
Roberts, Jr., to survey its lines and
report on conditions.
Power for this city and lfandan
was being furnished ~ tn Bismarck
plant, the line from the biz Heujah
station having failed early Weduee-
day morning.
n. SConttnaas1 a paoD lGnal