Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-31
TIE GREAT SNOW STORN.

Oar exchanges from all parts ofthe country
have long accounts of the great Christmas
snow storm. West of us the storm was more
severe than in this section. The snow is re-
ported in many places in New York and
Massachusetts, as having fallen to the depth
of about two feet, so that travel on all the
railroads was DISTRACTED and delayed. In
Philadelphia all the trains from the suburbs
were delayed by the snow. The Press ofthat
city speaks of the storm as follows:
The pedestrian out at half past O'Clock on
Christmas night found the slippery condition
Of the sidewalks increased by q binding
drifting storm of snow, which set in upon the
city abont that time. The Intense cold con-
verted the falling PARTICLES into peculiarly
glinty material, and the rude blasts Of old
Boreas from the east and northeast, sent
them whirling about at such terrific rate
that the traveller was compelled to turn his
| back that he might recover breath to again
breast the raging storm. Those who were
out at the hour indicated scarcely at that
time could have made up their minds or had
the least expectation of witnessing the sight
which they lid on rising yesterday morning
Philadelphia, in common with A esss,rs,l
portion OF the Union, was co1rea NIX yjt5'e a
mantle Of spotless white, - ,hrou@h The
morning air the featAefy iHas stiIl f.1i WIN
emitting clergy, ssii, as was afterwards
found 10 Be the case, the weather clerk had
determined to give this city such snow
storm as she has not witnessed for years,
The whistling, wintry wind whirled round
the corners with spiteiul yehenence that
piled the snow in drifts three or four feet deep,
while those whose business demanded a jour
ney to the heart of the city looked through
the frosty window panes and stood almost
aghast at what they saw. The sidewalks,
already slippery wit h ice, they knew were
doubly so with the Swimming snowfall, and
! cars it was almost an impossibllity TO drag
| through the streets blocked up with the snow
still the snow fell steadily, while the storm
king howled with undated fury. The fall is
the greatest that has been seen for many
years.
The New York Times gives the following
description OF things in and about the metrop-
oils as affected by the storm:
Yesterday, the kilograms coming in from
points north, south, east and west ofths city, |
all told the same tale-damage to shipping by |
the violence of the ice foes carried down by |
the wind; delay of trains by snow blockade; |
stoppage of car traffic in the cities. All the |
Erie trains were eighteen and twenty-four |
hours behind time; on the Hudson River line |
short trains dragged by four locomotives could |
scarcely make ten miles an hour. All the |
mails were, of course, delayed to the same |
extent; indeed, it was scarcely ATTEMPTED to |
send off more than half the usual number. |
In the North and East Rivers great masses of |
snowladen ice accumulated against the |
wharves, and wherever they could play up
Oh the floating masses they piled up one over
the other in compact fields, through which
4 A.. IL, = |
extreme difficulty. In the streets of the city
travel was everywhere impeded, in many ca.
SEES 1t was stopped altogether; for the clear
ing OF the sidewalks by shoveling the snow
into the roadway, added greatly to the diff
cuIties under which wheeled vehicles labored,
Wh!le increasing the facilities for pedestrians.
All the car lines which have not ceased run
ning, were worked by double teams, and yery
| Ithe regard appeared to he paid to the tracks.
II an obstruction occurred on the line, and |
the street was sufficiently wide 10 admit Of it,
tne cars coming up jumped the track, passed |
the obstruction, and returned to the rails |
AGAIN as soon as they could On lines on |
which the curves were numerous, the cars
were hauled off. No amount of borse.nov |
could have dragged them through the high
banks OF accumulated snow. In Broadway |
the street cleaning Bureau had all its force
employed in carting away the snow. which |
was dumped into the rivers. When evening
came, ana the Offices, stores, and factories
cioseu' me streets became more lively than at
any previous time during the day. The hmm.
dreds OF people making their way home bv
all available eonyeyances caused rush M all
the starting points for the car and stage lines
and at the ferries; while those people who
were not afraid Of little sturdy exertion
went off uptown on the instruments of loco
motion with which Nature had provided them
and seemed 20 enjoy the fun. Cheerfulness
breaking into loud laughter manifested itself
among the crowds fpedestrians along the
thoroughiares OF the city last evening. to an
extent not often beard among our 'melan.
choly people" as Americans have so often
been described by foreign critics This, in
deed, was the bright side of the picture which
the storm presented us with; the dark side
will be shown in the long list of wrecks. the
many accidents on the railroads, and the gen.
eral loss which the storm has occasioned in
the stoppagc and delay Of communication. Il
is to be hoped that this feature of the storm
" Ill be less than We might anticipate; AMI
that the great event in meteorological annals
Will not be remembered in connection with
severe loss of life or ruinous damage to
property.
We have given some account OF the storm
in Massachusetts, In Boston the snow fell to
the depth of foot. All the trains were de-
layed. Trains on the Boston and Maine
Railroad were considerably disarranged after
the first drifts OF snow begun to pile upon their
track The through Northern train, due in
Boston at 7 40 Friday evening came dragging
along at 2.l5 next morning.
On the Eastern Railroad trouble com.