The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-11

about 10 O'Clock the snow returned 10 uuty
and came down lightly but constantly, ana
so continued unit, 12t O'Clock Pm. There
was then cessation till a, when on itstart-
ed once more.
This snow Is entitled to consideration rs
one OF the greatest Of recent times. IL
compares IN fall with that OF 1857, but IN
that one the wind was very high and the
drifts enormous, and therefore the Inter
ruption OF travel was more serious.
THE Snow OF 1857.
The storm commenced about O'Clock
on Saturday night [JaIuary II, 1851. with
light descent OF snow and q stiif nor
westerly breeze. BY 10 O'Clock the ground
was whitened. the wind increased by de-
erees until it heightened into n gale, and
so continued throughout the night and
Sunday, becoming more violent about MD
day.
s.The snow was blown in every direc-
tion like clouds OF white dust, and drifted
in some places to considerable depth"
On Tuesday morning, January Goth, the
Vhiq said: Sunday last llSthl will long
be remembered as the most inclement day
ever experienced in this latitude, and "the
great snow-storm Of 1851" which has dis
tinguished it above all other days, will
form subject OF remark from year TO year
until the account OF that fearful visitation
paItakes Of traditional character. We
could hardly be convinced that snow
storm so violent and indescribable has ever
been witnessed outside OF the limits OF
Siberia. 1t was without eXaggerati0n ter
ribly severe and carried diSmay and fore
bodings TO the hearts OF those who were at
all exposed to its rigor. Never before, if
our memory serves us right, did the WIND
howl more fearfully than N Sunday night.
"About midnight the fury OF the storm
abated. The tine-cut snow which had
fallen unrcmittingly since saturday night
was piled UP i'm the streets to II depth OF
six or seven feet, forming in various places
impossible barricades, which rendered Pc
destrianism a task Of great difficulty.
ITO increase the horrors OF the dreadful
night the iirc-bells sounded an alarm about
o'clock. lSeveral stores near the corner
of Seventeenth and Franklin were de-
stroyedl
no VEHICLES on TIE STREET.
"The only vehicle which made its ap-
pearance on the streets yesterday was the
wagon i'm which. the mails are generally
conveyed from the Central depot TO the
Petersburg depot. II passed our office
drawn by six powerful horses. and was
proceeding TO the Central depot to await
| the arrival Of the mail-train due here Sun
day afternoon.
sThe train referred 10 had arrived with
| in five miles Of the city, but on account Of
| the mass OF snow could not proceed fur
! ther. There were OF course no sleighs out
Yesterday, the surface of the snow being
too uneven" land many places on the
streets bare OF snowl.
STREETS BARMCADED.
[From he Wing Of Wednt sday, January 81,
| 1857.
Twelfth street between Main and Cary
is completely barricaded, the snow being
piled up in 4 compact mass to the average
/ height OF five feet. The milk and bread
wagons are prevented from going their
rounds; the butchers and market-garden-
ers are unable to supply their stalls and
stands. and those who were so luckleSs and
improyident as 10 get short OF fuel md
themselves unable to procure supplies.
The northern mail-train on the Central
road due here on Sunday at O'Clock only
reached the city yesterday forenoon. hay-
ing been detained by the snow at Straw
berry Plains. about five miles from Rich
mOnd, since Sunday. MessIs. Woodward
d Newman, OF the St. Charles Hotel, dis
patched their omnibuses TO the spot on
Monday, hut it was found impossible to
penetrate the huge drifts, and they re-
turned. In the mean time the railroad COM
pany employed large force OF men, who
succeeded i'm clearing the track.
DIR. Cox, OF Chesterfield county, was
frozen to death on Sunday night while
proceeding TO visit patient at Glover
Hill.
THE SNOW OF - AT OTHER PLACES.
WASHINGTON, January %, 1S51.-There
has been a terrible snow-storm here and
at Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
and at the eastward. The drifts here and
elsewhere are from twelve TO fifteen feet
deep. The weather is very cold. The
snow has continued TO fall for three days.
AUGUSTA. Ga, January lS.-The weather
is intensely cold, and snow fell throughout
yesterday. The Thermometer at sunrise
was 50 above zero.
THE BIG Snow OF 1872.
! Friday, March /, 1872, there was snow
OF which the Dispatch said it "was deeper
and the storm much more severe than any
we have had since the memorable winter
OF 1857, when the river was closed for six
weeks; when the snow was banked up in
the city as high as the top Of store-doorS
on the north side Of the streets; when the
poor were fed by committees who went
around in sleighs. and when il was not an
uncommon thing TO hear OF persons beng
frozen TO death in various parts OF the
State"
The snow reached depth OF from 12 to
II inches. In various places where it
drifted il was more than three feet deep.
A portion OF the roof OF the concert
room OF the Exchange Hotel was broken
in by the weight of the snow upon II.
! At Danville the snow was l6 inches
deep: at Greensboro, 10 inches; at the
White sulphur Springs, 10; nj Bristol, IL;
mt Gordonsville, Is.
There were seventeen SHOWS here that
winter and spring.
On March 4th there was q shower and
..the sun came out about noon and the
snow melted very rapidly, and by the eve
ming one could hardly have told that we
had had such a severe Storm"
On the 9th the thermometer was 80 above
zero at sunrise.
THE SNOW OF 1877.
Another heavy snow was on January /,
1877. "It fell from morning till night
not by fits and starts, not in whirls and
gusts, but with a steady. determined mo-
fion that held forth no hope OF an early
clearing up" "Between Greensboro and
Danyille The snow covered the ground
twelve or fifteen inches on an average, while
In some places. where il was banked by the
winds. il was two or three feet. The mail
and-passenger train which left Charlotte on
fine ist 20: us far as Reidsyille and was
there snow-bound. The most active eXel,
fions Of the officers OF the road, working
under direction OF Superintendent Talcott
t....,Ntotorf IN Eao,, tho fraat