Evening star., 1948-11-21
Blizzard Blows Out
After Taking 5lives
In Western States
Sy the Assoeioied Press


strip of the Great Plains area from
Eastern Colorado to Minnesota blew
itself out today. grounding a Lake
/ Superior freighter in one final fling
Despite the storms paralyzing
fury, only five deaths had been at
tributed to the blizzard as relief
workers reported that of the hun
dreds of persons marooned only
one definitely was known to be
still missing.
Many, however, still were in i'm
provised havens, safe from the
weat ther, but in danger of possible
food shortages unless relief crews
could break through drifts quickly
Stalled Trains Move Again.
Western Kansas and Nebraska ap-
peared to be hardest hit. There
was no way of estimating damage
and livestock losses.
Most of the stalled trains were
moving again-slowly and hours late
as snow plows battered through
drifts. Five trains still were stalled
but these were at stations and their
passengers were safe. Four of them
were on the Rock Island lines at
Goodland in Northwest Kansas and
one was the Union Pacific City OF
St. Louis at Weskan on the Kansas
Colorado line.
Many stranded motorists were
rescued by Santa Fe train crews In
the Dodge City-Garden City area
One of them, the Rev. r. w. O.
Knowles, minister of the First
Methodist Church in Garden City
said Il owe my life to Divine guild
ance and the Santa Fe Railway"
AS Kansas and Nebraska were
digging out of the drifts whipped
up by winds ranging up to IS miles
an hour, a 68-mile-an hour gale
grounded the freighter Robert Hob
son at the mouth of the Duluth
Superior harbor. The 33-man crew
remained on the l9,00O-ton vessel
and were reported in no danger.
Town Still Blocked.
In South Dakota the town OF Del
mont still was blocked by drifts,
some as high as Is feet. A North
western passenger train was stalled
at Adrian, Mimi, but railroad work
ers expected to free it soon.
Mcpherson, Kans., hotels were
hard pressed to care for 450 extra
guests - stranded travellers who
could not get out of town.
Power lines and telephone and
telegraph lines were being restored
slowly in Kansas and Nebraska,
but communications still were un-
certain and the exact extent OF
the damage could not be ascer-
tanned.
Frank Tiffany, Associated Press
correspondent who flew over the
Kansas storm area, reported the
worst affected area appeared to be
a strip about 10 miles extending
from Kinsley to Cimarron, Kans.
While most of the main highways
appeared to have been opened, drifts
still were piled over many roads
and rail lines. He counted "a cars
and trucks behind a highway de-
partment snow plow in one place.
Bus Passengers Safe.
Fifteen passengers aboard a
Greyhound bus found safety in the
farm home of Everett Hays, West OF
Colby, Kans. They were showed in,
and authorities trying to reach
them didn't know how long Hays
food supply would feed them.
Snow started falling again at
Colby at noon today and was ex-
pected to continue throughout to-
night. The Rock Island has had no
trains through for more than two
davs. and railroad men at Colby
said the tieup was the worst they
ever had seen.
Farmers appealed for vlunteers to
help dig focks of sheep out OF snow
drifts in that area.
A school bus, stalled since Thurs
day south of Oakley. Kans.. was
able to reach town today when the
highway was opened.
The only person still definitely
ISIGQ DIS was t'AA'' A~N-
Laughlin, 80, of Jetmore, Kans.. last
seen Thursday when she left her
stranded automobile to seek aid for
her 75-year-old aunt. Mrs. Libby
Sinclair, also of Jetmore. Mrs. Sim
clair was found and taken to Dodge
City yesterday by rescue crews. Ap-
parently she suffered no i'll effects
At one time more than 300 persons
were missing in the Dodge City area
alone.
A l5-year-old girl died at Hutch
inson, Kans.. when snow drl1ts
blocked efforts to get her to hos
pital.
Brothers Found Dead.
Two brothers were found dead
near Stromburg, Nebr. The pair
Myron johnson. 4S, and Emerald
johnson, 43, died in an apparent at
tempt to reach a farm house after
their car ran out OF gas.
A farmer near Lebanon, Nebr.
Virgil Thomas, was found dead OF
exposure today. and at Seward
Nebr., John F. Steinberg, "a, died o1
aheart attack while Shoveling snow
Many roads still were blocked il
Nebraska and 30 communities still
were without long-distance tele,
phone facilities. Some trains there
were running as much as two day!
late. One Burlington snowploV
worked all night to clear drlf
5000 feet long and 10 to 16 fee
high in the Lincoln CNebr.) area.
Power service was restored t.
Lexington after an interruption o
more than 30 hours. Shelton, Nebr
was without power or water NOR
than "a hours.
Grand Island and Hastings wer'
without city transportation and a
Grand Island where winds piled VI
ll(ll ) (Il.1 I1I0I.IS..'