Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1917 — DAMAGE BY SLEET EXTENSIVE [ARTICLE]

DAMAGE BY SLEET EXTENSIVE

Local Telephone Exchange Hardest Hit in This Section. The exact, expense of the damage done by Tuesday’s sleet storm will be difficult to determine for several days. The local telephone exchange seems to be the hardest hit of any in this section and Mr. Bott estimates his damage to be between $4,000 and $5,000. About 40 O' telephones have been put out of service and it will be some time before all tlhe lines can be reconstructed. A force of ten men is at work on, the line north of town, which is practically all down for a distance of four miles. This line carried about forty wires and many of the large new poles were broken in two or three places. In some places where the wind qould sweep the line and thus remove a portion of the ice there are some poles left - standing, these are few and the line is practically a total loss. . South of town the line carried only about itwenty wires and is apparently in pretty good shape, although it is said that over dear Remington many poles are down and the damage is quite extensive/ In Newton county the damage seems to have been slight, but further south the sleet was more destructive/ At Lafayette both the telephones and electric wires were down quite' a little, as. well as many telegraph poles. Telephone communication, had been,, established with all of the neighborhing towns yesterday morning except those north Rensselaer. It is. now possibld/to. reach Remington, LafayetJ|p;/ahd Indianapolis, but Chicago cannot? be reached as yet.