Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-02-05
The Great Snow Storm East

The treat Snow Storm East
The snow storm and cold on Sun
day, Monday and Tuesday Of week
before last in New York appears to
have been terrible bey ond all pIece-
dent. The New York Tribune Of
the 22nd says: 8
The terrible storm which began
here on Sunday afternoon centinu-
ed With unexampled violence until
last night. 1t also EXTENDED for a
great distance in every direction,
reaching from the seaboard to the
lakes, and from the Potomac to Can !
ada. The cold Of Sunday We think
has not been equalled in this region
at least within the present century.
All along the Northern frontier the
mercury wedt down ten, twenty and
thirty degrees below zero, and at
Wattrtown in this State the quick
silver froze up at thirty-seven de-
grees below, while spirit thermom.
eter marked forty degrees below ze-
TO, or seventy-two degrees below
the freezing point. Tie oldest in
habitant is beaten at last. He can
not recall the equal Of the cold Sun
day of 1857. In and around this
city the snow began to fall on Sun
day afternoon, and continued with
little intermission until Monday eye-
ming. The depth cannot be ascer-
tanned because Of the drifting, but
would probably be at least a foot.
| No trains arrived or departed yes.
terday, consequently no mails we're
received. Harbor navigation is diff
cult and dangerous, while the sound
! is completely shut up. The ferries
work slowly and irregular, in conse-
sequence of floating ice. We hear
! Of some wrecks and loss of life on
the Jersey coast, but, having no re-
liable nication, are unable to
give particulars. 1t is more than
probable that we shall have some
terrible accounts in "a day or two
The N. Y. Herald tells ofacrowd of
FIVE HUNDRED PERSONS in DANGER OF
! 10 - THE ICE.
t. Notwithstanding the large guam
stilies Of ice that annually makes its
appearance In our harbor and rivers,
lit is very. unusual for it to accumu-
late'in such large masses as to admit
of passage way across either of the
great rivers that wash OUT shores -
This phenomenon occurred once, how
ever, 10 the year 1852, when the
East river was frozen across from
shore to shore; and thousands oil peo-
! pie passed over TO the other side
it being considered great feat to. dc
J
so. ta
The same circumstance occurred
yesterday, and it is estimated thai
10000 must have taken advantage
of the circumstance to walk, instead
of sail from New York to Brook
Ign and back.
This continued until four o'clock
when the tide began to turn, and
r the water sensibly to lower in thu
! slips. The more cautious left thu
ice and came ashore; bat it seemed
impossible to warn the boys and mel
who were in the centre of the stream
t In little while the ice near tn,
docks became fissured Oh the Ney
. York side, and it became eviden
E that the ebb tide would soon max,
short work of the ice. The peopl,
4 on the docks saw this, and shouted
to those on the ice to come off 10
Gods sake" but they had done S,
much shouting before that they wer,
not needed. In little while Their,
was great chasm near the shor
this side, when the alarm spread t,
It those On the ice to run to the othe
{ side. At this time there wer
a nearly five hundred persons on th
ice and running for the Brooklyl
shore, where a few got of, but tn,
I ice broke there also, and matters be
t gan to look serious, as all communi
cation with the shore was cut of
land the five hundred we're running
from side to side. not knowing VIVA
to do-tha ice in the meantime drift
ing slowly down the river with a pre-
cious freight Of human life upon il
At this time the anxiety Of tn
people upon the docks was intense
and it was feared that many live
would be lost. While this fear wa
at its height however, as by magic