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

of rigid wind and snow has, during the past
ten days offered Il fair sample of tue fickle-
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 EARNEsr.-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 northeast; 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-
joyiug ?) n genuine blizzard. By9 O'Clock
the clouds broke away, but the force of the
wind did not a'atc until the middle OF the
afternoon, when there was slight lul in
the storm. At about eight O'Clock in the
evening the wind again rose and was strong
er than ever throughout the night, Again
during the day on Sunday the fury of the
storm seemed spent, but after nightfall OH
Sunday il 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, perfect dust which entered at
every cruvice; 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 OLA: degrees. Az two
O'Clock ON Sunday morning it stood at four
above zero and at daylight at below Dur,
ing the day It 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 4 degrees above, at IN. Tuesday 1t
reached zero and at 81 a. III it stood 3 de-
grees below zero.
From 10 to 12 inches of snow fell and as
the weather WAS extremely cold it was dry
and light; the strong wind whired it about,
denudng the roofs and high and exposed
parts of the ground banking it up i'll inn
mcnsc drifts, driving through the crevices in
outbuildngs and every chink and opening in
the house Many ga,rcts contained large
quantities Of snow and il entered, an unwel-
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 & E. turnpike for
long distances was flied from side 10 side, as
high as the fence; at n number of places the
county roads were closed against vehicles, or
even single horscmen.
The trains on the W. Nj. railroad were not
seriously impedei at points east OF this, save
q, n point about IL hali-mllc east of ID. p. G,
where a 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 Sabillasyille, where it
was side tracked; the Southern Express
which passes here at $50 p. m, got as far as
LantZ, miles west Of this place and when
several hundred yards west of that station it
struck drift and stuck fast, although run
ming double header" it was not able to get
through and in avery few minutes was I'M
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 oct and they too go, fast: the work
tram which had been laying OF at thls point
went up to render some assistance, went into
the drift and that engine too met the fate of
the othcr 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
snow 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. TIL, Fast Mail
west on Sunday morning went that far, but
judicous,y kept away from that drift; the
passengers were transferred to that train and
taken back to their starting points eastward.
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 other huge drifts
which had first to be shoveltd out and this
was not completed until Sunday evening at
! 5 o'clock.
There were about fifty men engaged in
shoveling out the snow.
A despatch from Baltimore to the New
York Sun said that there were probably
considerable suffering from exposure, by the
messengers showed in on the trains. There
was happily no foundation for any such re-
port; the coaches were well supplied with
coal and save an occasional puff of gas from
the stoves, occasioned by the strength and
irregular course of the blasts of wind, no
one suffered any Inconvenience and the
railroad company photographed Mr., John F.
Miller, proprietor of the Miller House, this
place. to have a large hamper of provisions
ready for the Fast Nail On Sunday morning,
which was taken to the blockade and dig.
tributed. The male passengers too organ
lied foraging parties, which Jared well at
the hands Of The good housewives of the
farmers of HArbaugl's Valley AM food was