Article Text
The Storm at Sioux City. Sioux City, Dec. 29.-Driven by a relentless, forty-mile gale from the northwest, a blizzard raged here all night. The snow was preceded by sleet which coated the streets and made traveling and street car traffic very difficult. The ice also put most of the telegraph and telephone companies out of commission. A 7-below-zero temperature was hammered into the air Tuesday forenoon by the wind and it is as bad a blizzard as the city has had for five years. The storm stopped suddenly the work of removing the ruins of last Friday's fire, and, altho three days have passed, five streets are yet blocked, street cars being compelled to run on irregular routes. Tuesday was devoted to recovering safes, nearly all of which were found to contain well-preserved books and money. The City National and First National banks recovered all their goods, together with about $90,000 in cash, and have reopened for business in new quarters. The walls of the seven-story Toy building were pulled down by ropes at 6 o'clock Tuesday evening, filling Fourth street with great heaps of debris which will require days for removal. It was Minneapolis' disastrous experience with fire walls that induced Mayor Sears to take immediate steps to have all walls torn down at once. The most remarkable story of heroism in Friday night's fire was made public today and as a result a subscription paper is being circulated for Gus Berg. a fireman, and Addis Bell, an elevator boy. The two dragged a hose to the roof of the seven-story Metropolitan block when its outside woodwork had been ignited. One sat on the other's legs for two hours so the hose could be held out and the front drenched. This alone saved the block from burning, which would have carried the fire across Fourth street and probably doubled the loss.
