The Portland daily press., 1886-01-29

rOrttdno visited ny MOST 06StFuC.
tive Storm.
The Streets in Darkness and the Fire
Alarm System Disabled.
TWO Destructive Fires Fought and
Conquered,
Under these Conditions, by Our
Brave Ladies'.
The city of Portland was visited yesterday
by the most inconvenient storm OF the season.
The rain, which began falling Wednesday
night so encouraged the Horse Railroad Com
pany that they put on heavy crew and be-
gan to break out the railway tracks At
$50 a. N. yesterday the rain had increased so
rapidly and the ice was found so impacted
upon the track resisting the pillow, that the
company gave up the idea of trying to clear
the road and the workmen were ordered to
shovel the snow back again, and the COM
pany will now wait for more favorable OPP
portunity. The travel had to content itself
with the sleigh-cars, and, if ever plenty OF
cars on rails were needed. last night was the
time. The company were wise however IN
avoiding all liability by accident
When the citizens looked out OF their WIN
dows, yesterday morning, the trees presented
a beautiful spectacle, the branches laden
with ice; but it proved a sad spectacle IN It's
results. AS the steadily falling rain froze on
A. II. \ crrla n
melt the ice. the branches gradually sue
cumbed to the weight and feli with greater
or less crash. according to their size, to the
ground. Late in the afternoon many OF the
streets in the upper part of the city were
made almost impossible by the debris of
small and large wood. The danger to life
and limb was great, for some tree limbs as
large around as mans leg came tumbling
TO the ground with the slightest breath of
wind. Fortunately it was almost MINDLESS
day. In some cases whole trees fell as in
the case of one on. Cumberland street, or
were split in halves by the weight of their
branches. as was noticed in one of the SPLEEN
did old elms in front of the Winslow pottery
at Deering, and in front of the Anderson
mansion on Free street. Tops of trees were
taken off as if they had been sawed off
square. In Lincoln Park, it is thought, that
most of the trees are irretrievably ruined.
Twenty were all broken up last night. Down
in Deering Oaks, and on State street, inn
mense injury has been done to historic trees.
At night the drivers of teams had to keep
constant watch in many of the streets in
order to pick their way in the darkness.
The condition of the telegraph, telephone
and electric light wires was something ter
rible. The great number of wires, loaded
with ice, bent the poles over to several de-
grees out of plumb, so that the poles looked
like line of tipsy men Keeling along the
street. Wires broke and the ends were in
some cases grounded, and in others struck
against buildings. During yesterday the fire
alarm struck frequently, but this was
owing to the wires being crossed by other
wires. Almost every telephone circuit was
broken, so that means of communication
could not be depended upon. The fire alarm
weakened, and the Marshal gave orders to
the police force and special watchmen to use
extra vigilance during the night The cleo
trio light company tested their circuits and
at 4.30 p. m. turned on the current, but in
consequence of the masses of ice accumu-
lated on the wires by which constant breaks
occurred, the city authorities, upon repre-
sentation Of the telephone and fire alarm
superintendent that there was danger of
communicating fire to dwellings and stores
should the electric light current be turned
on, ordered the electric light company not to
turn on their current, and consequently the
city was not lighted last night and the streets
were in darkness. This again emphasizes
the necessity of being able to use the gas
when the electric light fails.
The telegraph, both Western Union and
Baltimore & Ohio, gave out during the day,
and only one wire was in use on the former
line in the afternoon. To add to the general
discomfort the rain fell steadily, and the
slush and water in the streets made the
walking very disagreeable.
The railroad trains found their telegraphic
communication interfered with, and the
slippery rails delayed them somewhat. but
we have not heard of any one that was later
than forty minutes.
In the harbor there was no sea, the water
being quiet. 1t was quite thick outside
Owing to the condition of the wires, the
general alarm for the omission of the after
noon schools yesterday was not rung.
In Pine street last night, an immense
bough, stretched across the street, just
above the bend in the street, making it al
most impossible for a team to get under it.
Deering street was nearly blocked. A fine tree
near President DeWitt's house on Deering
street, lost most of its best branches, and
also those on New High street. Park street
was in bad condition.
The trees on Danforth street are said to be
a wreck.
The electric light pole in Market square
was almost over at O'Clock last night.
Cedar street was INSTRUCTED with limbs of
trees, and the sidewalks in Green street. In
the former street big tree was split in the
middle and bird-house which stood in the
crotch was left attached to one half of the
trunk.
On South street a big branch had been
torn from the fine tree in front of A. W.
Longfellow's house and completely obstruc-
ted the sidewalk.
A small tree on Centre street was broken
short off about half way to the top, and the
trees on the Clapp place on Congress street
suffered severely.
DR.. Hill, who arrived home from Massa-
chusetts last night, said that it took the
train seven hours on the Boston and Albany
to go from Sprinfeld to Boston owing to the
branches of trees scattered on the tracks.
A branch of tree as large as a mans leg
fell near the corner of Chestnut and Cum
berland streets, and broke down the small
balcony in front of house in its fall.
A serious accident is reported to Mr..
| Thomas G. Loring, the well-known apothe-
cary at the corner of Federal and Exchange
streets. He stepped into the yard in front
of his house, at the corner Of Oxford and
Pearl streets, when large branch of a Balm
of-Gilead tree fell and struck him glancing
blow on the back of the neck, prostrating
him. He was taken into the house and DR..
Bray called. The Doctor says Mr.. Loring
has suffered conclusion of the spine, and
| it may be week, or much longer, before he
gets out again. He is paralyzed in his lower
| limbs.
Fire on Central Wharf.
At about half-past nine last evening II. j.
Butler the fireman on tha Grand Trunk