Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1917 — Big Sleet Took Place Thirty-Four Years Ago. [ARTICLE]

Big Sleet Took Place Thirty-Four Years Ago.

The cold weather of Thursday night and today reminded one of our older residents of the fact that it was just thirty-four years ago today, February 2nd, that the country had one of the most damaging storms in history, and reminded us of the fact by telephone this morning. On February 2> 188.3, the citizens of Rensselaer were going about m their shirt sleeves. At 3 o’clock m the afternoon it started to snow and continued to snow heavily for several hours. Later it began to rain, the rain froze and the conditions wefe terrible. Traffic was practically suspended. On the next day the country was visited by a heavy sleet, .which-damaged the telephone wires, poles and every other susceptible thing in sight. • John O’Connor made a trip overland from Roselawn to Wilmington 111., during these two days and when at Remington on his way home was finally forced to abandon travel for several hours until the roads became more passable. ~ Mr. O’Connor also recalled a/n incident of 42 years ago, when he drove a team from the farm where Mrs. Jennie Conrad now resides to Chebanse, 111., a distance of 32 miles, with the thermometer standing at 28 degrees bqlosr zero.