Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-01-15
Grea, storm more severe storm


borhood last Friday and continued UNI
til Monday, very fortunately seldom
visits us. 1t began about dark on FRI
day evening with high wind and a
binding snow, and by Saturday MORN
ing at least eight inches Of snow had
fallen, while the wind had made drifts
as high as the fences in town and in the
country. The lanes and roads were i'm
passable in many places, sometimes the
ground being perfectly bare, and again
drifts six feet deep impeding the way.
Added to this cold wave came along
with rush, and the thermometer fell
to zero. All the railroads were block
AIDED. AS fast as the heavy snow-drifts
were removed others were formed, and
the extreme cold prevented any effective
work being done. On the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad the passenger trains
due here from the South at $50 p. m.
Saturday and 12.0S p. IN. Sunday arrived
here about 3 a. m. Monday morning,
and those from the North were nearly
as late. On the Baltimore & Ohio the
blockade was one of the worst ever ex-
perienced, and all the through trains
were away off the schedule. On the
Valley Branch the passenger train due
at Cbarlestown at $50 Saturday night
got stuck about half mile from Charles
town. Hacks were sent after them, the
passengers were transferred. and then
the hacks became snow.bounG. After
much discomfort the belated passengers
finally reached the Carter House, and
were made happy by Landlord Wyatt.
The Western Maryland road had
hard time of it, along with the other
lines. A graphic account of the battle
with the snow blockade is furnished
from Western Maryland official sources,
as follows:
"The severe win1-storm which pre-
vailed Saturday night and all day Sum
day in the Blue Ridge mountains and
at other elevated points upon the West
ern Maryland Railroad so filled the cuts
with snow that the trains which left
Baltimore at 3.25 p. m. Saturday (South-
ern expressy and 4p. M. (Willlamsport
passenger) became showed up about
midway between Mechanicstown and
Blue Ridge Summit. The first reached
point one mile east Of Sibillasville, anu
the second was stopped near Deerfield.
Although each had two engines upon
it. it was impossible to force their way
through the drifts. At ll.3O p. IN. re-
lief train was sent from MecEanicstown,
but owing to the continuance OF the
high wind and the severe cold, 1t was
found impossible to render any practl-
cal assistance until after daylight. The
men could only remain in exposed
places for u few minutes at time, ana
the snow blew into the cuts faster than
thew could remove it. A large additional
force was sent forward by the fast mail
train, also drawn by two heavy engines,
but owing to new drifts which had
formed between Mechanicstown and
Deerfield, this train was delayed some
three hours. Upon its arrival the pre-
yious trains were each dug out in turn,
and passengers sent back as soon as pos
sitle to Baltimore. The fast mail east,
due at Baltimore 4p. m. saturday, was
able to reach Blue Ridge Summit, where
it was side-tr tracked until relief trains
were sent from Hagerstown to assist in
removing the heavy drifts upon the east
side of the mountain. The two forces
met at about p. M, and at about the
same time the train which had been
sent to open the Baltimore and Cumber-
land Valley Railroad arrived at Ship
pensbury, so by 5 p. m. Sunday the
whole line was open upon and west OF
the mountain. While this was being
done. however, new drifts were form
ing at several points between Westmiil-
ster and Mechanicstown, and additional
trains were sent from Union Bridge TO
assist those which had been relieved
upon the mountain, and which had
been again detained at these points. AT
noon on Sunday there were fourteen en-
gines in the SNOW. drifts upon the noun
tain, some buried in snow fifteen feet
deep. so that only the top of stack and
other high portions could be seen, the
drifts continuing to form after they had
stopped. This was the ease with the
coaches to such an extent that the pas
sengers were unable to leave them, and
there was great difficulty in keeping
them comfortable and to provide food.
They all, however, seemed to appreciate
the difficulties of the situation and bore
these hardships philosophically. A
number OF carloads of stock were
caught in the snow-bound freight
trains, and in some cases at exposed
points the cattle had to be unloaded to
keep them from freezing"
The intensely cold weather was es-
pecially severe on the railroad employ
ees. We are Informed that some Of the
ballast-train hands on the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad were severely FROST
bitten aud frozen while clearing away
drifts. Engineer William Hoover, OF
Hagerstown, froze both his feet last Sat
urday night anG S. Murphy, his fireman,
had both feet and legs frozen at the
same time. Engineer VIM. L. Feigley
also had both ears frozen Saturday
night.
The storm WAS unusually severe all
over the country, North and South, East
and West. In Florida oranges were
Trojan m the trees and at Galveston