The Redwood gazette., 1936-02-13
SNOWPLOWS PUSH
THROUGH 10 FOOT
BANKS TO TOWNS
Only IS of $50 Miles Open
On County Roads; 200
Men Working
Another Weeks Work Need
ed to Open Remaining
Highways

Isolated since Saturday from
outside contacts, except by tele-
phone or radio, after one of the
worst blizzards to strike this sec
tion of the state in years, all
towns in Redwood county were
opened to traffic Wednesday, al
though most of them by round
about routes.
County plows working at top
speed but not making rapid
headway against the drifts meas
uring from five to 10 feet in depth
had opened 75 miles of the coun-
tvs $50 miles of roads Wednesday
night and Richard Cook, county
engineer, stated it would be a
week before the remaining roads
would be cleared.
Seven plows, including four
rentals, one owned by the county
and two caterpillars, were called
into action Monday morning as
soon as the blizzard had abated
to buck the huge banks of snow.
About 200 men, $50 of them WPA
workers, armed with shovels were
assigned to help the plows. 1t
was the first time in two years
that it had been necessary to
summon the caterpillars.
An idea of the task confronting
the plows could be gained from
the experience of caterpillar so,
the largest plow, which started
from Redwood Falls for Belview
at p. m. Monday and did not
reach its destination until 10 p.
m. Tuesday, being compelled to
travel the last three quarters of a
mile through farmers fields. The
same plow headed south from
Belview shortly after arriving
there and by last night had been
able to clear only four miles of
road as far as highway 10.
The cleared roads as announced
by Mr.. Cook Wednesday night
were the star route from Morgan
to Clements, Wabasso, Lucan and
Milroy; the old road from Red
wood Falls to Delhi and from
Delhi to Belview, the road north
and south of Morgan and the road
into Wanda from highway II.
The other communities are 1ocat-
ed on state highways. The plow
from Belview which was pushing
south at a slow pace, expected TO
have the partially cleared Sea-
forth road opened some time to-
lay.
Faced with shortage Of butter
and bread, and without communi-
,ation with the outside for nearly
i've days, 25 residents of Seaforth
divided themselves in three
groups and opened passage
rom their town to highway l9
Wednesday, a distance of eight
niles. One group started shovel
ng at Seaforth, another midway
between the town and the high
way and the other at the highway.
The men in the center worked TO-
ward those digging out from Sea-
'orth and when they met the two
groups then banded together and
worked toward the shovelers dig
ring from the highway. The men
started early in the morning and
inished clearing a passage by
loon. Drifts were reported nigh
II than a man. Telephone wires
,etween Seaforth and Wabasso
we're snapped Friday by the cold
Ind had not been repaired yester-
lay.
Efforts were to be made today
% put through carloads of coal to
Wanda where there is a severe
shortage of fuel. The Farmers
elevator there reported its bins
Empty and what little coal was on
land was being parcelled out.
The storm was described by Mr..
Cook as the worst he has seen in
aspect to tying up the roads in
he county. The drifts on the
oads at Lamberton were from
light to 10 feet high, while it
anged from five to 10 feet in
iepth near Wabasso. The cuts
pened up by the plows formed a
ritual canyon of snow.
Continued on Page Four