Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-01-14

| ten DAYS offered a far sample OF Tue HCklc-
ness of our climate. On Monday of last
week, deiuge of warm accompanied by
lightning and rain on Friday night howl
ing blizzard with the thermometer nearing
zero.
WRITER IN EARNEsT.-On Friday last we
noted during the day the formation of the
first pronounced snow-sky of the winter. At
about seven o'clock in the evening light,
fine snow began to fall this increased rapid
" until nine O'Clock when strong wind set
in from the north cast; this also increased in
energy during the night, vcering gradually
to the north and finally to the west and at
daylight Oh Saturday morning we were en-
Toying (?) genuine blizzard By9 O'Clock
the clouds broke away, but the force OF the
wind did not aNlatc until the middle OF the
afternoon, when there was slight lull IN
the storm. At about eight o'clock in the
evening the wind again rose and was strong
err than ever throughout the night. Again
during the day on Sunday the fury of the
storm seemed spent, but after nightfall ON
Sunday it again increased in violence, but
d d not attain the velocity that prevailed on
Saturday night. AT about nine O'Clock on
Sunday night the storm brought another
fall of snow. q perfect dust, which entered at
every cruyice this continued for several
hours. or until midnight. The Thermometer
stood daring the early days of last week as
high as 81, while on Saturday night at IL it
had fallen to :. n fall or4: degrees. Az two
o'clock ON Sunday morning it stood at four
above zero and at daylight at below. Dur
ing the day Il did not rise above 10 and at
midnight on Sunday had again fallen to
within degrees of zero
AT midnight on Monday the mercury
stood degrees above, at a IN. Tuesday it
reached zero and at 81 d. m it stood . de-
grecs below zero.
From 10 to IL inches of snow fell and AS
the weather WAS extremely cold it was dry
and light; the strong wind whiircd it about,
dcniding the roofs and high and exposed
parts of the ground banking it up in inn
mcnsc drifts, driving through the crevices in
outbuldings and every chnk and opening III
the house Many ga'rcts contained large
quantities OF snow and il entered, an nnwel-
come visitor unUer doors and between the
sash.
The roads in this locality. notably these
whose course is north and south were rem
dcred impossible. The F & f. turnpike for
long distances was flied from side to side, as
hiyh rs the fence; at a number of places the
county roads were closed against vehicles, or
even single horscmen.
The trains on the W. NJ. railroad were not
seriously impedcd at points east OF this, save
at a point abont hall-mlc east OF ID. Z. Z,
where small drift was found, bat between
this place and Blue Ridge Summit, the trains
on Saturday evening met their fate.
The afternoon freight west managed to
struggle through to Sabillasvilie, where 1t
was sidc-tracked; the Southern Express
which passes here at $50 p. m, got as far as
Lantz, niles west Of this place and when
several hundred yards west of that station 1t
struck drift and stuck fast, although run
| ming double header" it Was not able to get
through and in very few minutes was TN,
able to back out the express which passes
here an hour later also running double
header" got that far and the two engines
went into the drift intending to help the
other two out aud they too got fast: the work
tram which had been laying oil at this point
went I'D to render some assistance, went into
the DRIFT and that engine too met the fate OF
the other four and there were five engines
within several hundred yards, all victims OF
that mountain snow drift. The men went
to work to shovel them out; but the binding
SHOW and the extreme cold would drive
them from their work at short intervals
when the wind would rapidly replace the
snow About thirty passengers were aboard
the two trains and they were compelled to
pass the night in the cars. Ths Fast Mail
west on Sunday morning went that far, but
iudicious,y kept away from that drift; the
passengers were transferred to that train and
| taken DacK 10 tllCii StaI'inS Poiheo o"e'""i"
By the middle of the forenoon on Sunday
the captive engines were all released, but
there was no attempt made to cross the
mountain as there were otter huge drifts
which had first to be shoveltd out and this
was not completed until Sunday evening al
O'clock.
There were about fifty men engaged in
shovelng out the snow.
A despatch from Baltimore to the New
York Sun said that there were probably
considerable suffering from exposure, ny the
passengers showed in on the trains. There
was happily no foundation for any such re
port; the coaches were well supplied will
coal and save an occasional puff of gas iron
the stoves, occasioned by the strength ant
irregular course of the blasts of wind, NJ
one suffered any Inconvenience and thu
railroad company telcgraphed Mr.. John +
| Miller, proprietor of the Miller House, thi
place, to have large hamper of provision
ready for the Fast Mail On Sunday morning
t which was taken to the blockade and dis
t trbuled The male passengers too organ
lied foragine parties, which Jared well a
t the hands of ,he good housewives of th
farmers of Harbaugl's Valley an ! food wa