Evening star., 1949-02-14
Months Worst Storm
Adds North Dakota
To Disaster Area
by the Assoe'oted Press


The Great Plains blizzards
opened UP a broad new front in
North Dakota today with the
worst "a hours of weather the
West has had in two weeks.
Six North Dakota counties were
added to the disaster area as a
result Of weekend storms which
stalled relief and rescue opera
tions in some parts of Nebraska
and reduced them by SO per cent
in others.
A minor tornado damaged few
buildings at Edna, in Southeastern
Kansas, and at Alvarado, Tex.
strong winds lifted some residences
from foundations and scattered
them over a wide area. There
were no fatalities at either place,
but damage at Alvarado was esti-
mated at $50,000.
Train Passengers Rescued.
In Southern California. tenn
peratures sank deep into sub
freezing levels again. necessitat-
ing more orchard heating. Mini
mum readings Of "a degrees were
expected today in some sections
of the citrus fruit region.
The 500 passengers on three
trains stalled for several days at
Rawlins and Hanna. Wyo., were
rescued and taken to Cheyenne
in buses.
The new North Dakota emer-
gency area embraces six south
western counties. Additional
snow-flghting equipment was
moved into the 7,500-square mile
area today from other sections
where the need for it was lass
acute. The Red Cross has begun
a survey of urgents need with the
use of six ski planes. Farmers
and ranchers were reported in
need Of food and fuel.
Maj. Gen. Lewis A. Pick sent
staff of officers to open headquar-
ters for the rescue work at Fort
Lincoln, in Bismarck, and ordered
24-hour duty at the post.
Two Crews Sent Out.
Two crews have been dispatched
on 50-mile snow-removal drives,
one toward Mott. in Hettinger
County, the other from Belf1eld
to Bowman. Prospects were that
weather conditions would not be
favorable for the work.
Gen. Pick said the storm in
some parts of Nebraska was the
worst in the relentless series since
February 2. At Neigh and Al
lance, work Of removing the snow
was virtually halted during the
worst of the Saturday storm, and
at Valentine about 80 per cent OF
the equipment had to be with
drawn from operations.
In South Dakota, the Army had
opened 921 miles of roads but the
gain was lost by wind which
choked of another 1000 miles by
drifting snow.
Hope to Clear Railroad.
Despite additional snowfall OF
from Q to 6 inches in Wyoming.
the Union Pacific Railroad hoped.
to clear today the last stretch OF
its snow-clogged right-of-way be-
tween RaWlins ana Rock Springs,
Wyo., and to resume operations of
trains, but strong winds again
were whipping UP new drifts. Two
trainloads of hay arrived at
Green River yesterday and ranch
ers started clearing roads for
quick movement Of the feed to
their hungry livestock herds.
Freezing rain was reported fall
ing today in portions Of Illinois,
Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and
North Texas, with the rainfall ex-
tending eastward through the
Ohio Valley to Pennsylvania, New
York and Central New England.
Temperatures were below zero
In Northwestern Wisconsin,
Northern Iowa, Minnesota, the
Dakotas, Eastern Montana and
parts of Utah, wyoming and Ne
vada. In the South. Northwest
and Eastern sections Of the coun-
try the mercury was around nor
NAL.