The Portland daily press., 1888-03-17
SUN AND sHovELs
Removes tho Piles OF Snow and Lib
crate Blockaded Trains.
Delaware Sreakwater Strewn with
Ice Covered Wrecks.
How Railroad Passengers Fared as
Told by One of Them.

New York, March 16.-The weather to-
day is very mild, and as a result the snow is
rapidly disappearing. The city has resumed
normal conditions and everything is moving,
including all the surface cars, with as much
regularity as before the advent of the blz-
zard. All the railroads are running trains
on schedule time except the New York and
New Haven road, which has thus far been
been only able to reach Stamford. but the
officials are hopeful of being able to open a
gap to New Haven this afternoon. The tel
egraph wires are working fairly well in all
directions. except east of New York, where
it will take several days to effect full repairs.
Postmaster Pearson says the mails are now
arriving and departing in good shape to and
from every quarter.
Sad Stories.
NEW YORK, March Histories of heroism
and suffering are coming in. For instance:
Miss Minnie Pollock, a stenographer, whose
Office is in the Stewart building, walked
down town through the storm on Monday
from her home at 315 West Nineteenth
street and back again. It took her seven
hours. She was almost dead when she
reached her home, and had to be carried in.
Then she tainted. Her clothes were frozen
to her body. Miss Pollock went to the office
simply because she had promised to finish
some work for lawyer.
When the storm was at its fercest on Mon
day night Manager Eckert, of the Metropoli-
tan Telephone Company, found two girls,
AGED TpgnpptlVplV
the snow in the doorway of the Coal and
Iron Exchange Building, at the corner OF
Liberty and Church streets. They were
clasped in each others arms and unconscious.
Mr.. Eckert aroused the little ones from their
deadly sleep and with great difficulty got
them to the Astor House. Here they faint
ed The kind hearted gentleman got hack
and had both girls sent to then homes in
Cherry street.
There was a pathetic scene in front Of
Newspaper Row. A big dray horse had fallen
from exhaustion. The driver did not flay
him and urge him to get up. He evidently
was man OF human feelings, and instead OF
doing so placed the harness as comfortably
as possible, unhitched the truck and drew it
away. and then placing the cOlal under the
beasts head as protection, covered him not
with a blanket, but the oyercoat from his
own back.
A trainman who arrived in Jersey City on
train No. "a from Philadelphia yesterday
insane by anxiety. She had ticket for Ger
many on the steamer Lahm. The train left
Philadelphia Monday morning and was
stalled near Bristol She became alarmed at
the duration of the stall, and suddenly
bounded from her seat and sprang to the door
and jumped into the snow. She ran up the
track for nearly mile with two porters af-
ter her. She was finally captured almost ex-
hansted, but struggling to free herself.
When taken back to the train purse was
made up for her, and two ladies' promised to
see hercared for until the next steamer sail
ed. She was brought to this city.
APassenger's story.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, March 16.-George
S. Chase, who spent two days on one of the
snowbound trains, tells the following story
of his experience:
1--WE left Bosten on the New York express
over the Boston & Albany railroad at II a.
m. last Monday, in the midst of binding
whirl of snow, which melted as it fell. Fiji
teen minutes later the fields were white, and
by the time we reached Worcester furious
gale was heaping the snow in the lee of every
obstruction. Seven miles east of Spring
field is a cutting quarter Of mile long.
On its right is low bank slOping down to a
broad meadow. On its left is a high hill,
scarfed away almost perpendicularly for a
hight of so or 60 feet TO make way for the
railroad tracks. The snow, sweeping across
the meadow and over the bank, had already
filled the cutting to the depth of yard OF
more. Into this we plunged, hOundered al
most through and then stopped. A hun.
dredsyardS ahead the track was as clean as a
well swept room, but it might as well have
been hundred miles distant so far as our
power to reach it was concerned. In five
minutes after we had come to a stand the
snow was packed s0lidly under the cars, ce-
menting tfem solidly to the ground. As
soon as possible, the conductor started on
ahead with the engine in search Of help.
Before he had gone two miles the engine
stuck fast in a still larger drift, and the con-
ductcr leaving it proceeded on foot to Lud-
low station, which was bare quarter Of a
mile distant. To traverse this quarter of a
mile cost him four and half hours Of hard
work.
''ln the meantime we passengers on the
train whiled away the time as we best could.
We numbered 1SS in all, of whom AZ were
ladies'. with several children and one baby.
In the smoking ear the air wasI thick with
tobacco smoke and the card tables crowded
with players. In the other cars people read,
talked, made acquaintances or dozed. A
more quiet, patient, well-behaved crowd
never saw. Nobody grumbled, nobody
whined and nobody found fault with the
railroad officials. As it grew dark the lamps
were lighted, but sparingly, lest we should
run short of oil, and ii being too dark to read
the time. Some one had a violin, which he
brought out of its case. and the smoking car
ran with music and songs. In other cars
witticisms and bright sayings were banded
about, accompanied with quiet smiles OF
shouts of laughter About 10 O'Clock we be-
gan to prepare for the night. By turning
oevr the seats and shifting the cushions a
sort of Procrustean beds were improvised, on
which we stretched-nO, 'cramped'-our-
selves, oyercoats or handbags serving for
pillows. The novelty and discomfort of such
couches were hardly conducive to sleep.
and not until long after midnight did quiet
settle down upon us. And when at last
sleep had overcome the majority, what sight
that car load of humanity offered! Here, a
couple lying side by side, their legs dangling
down the ends of their seat cushions. There,
q muffled oveTcoat crowned by silk hat,
tipped forward till not an inch OF the face be-
low was visible. In another spot a single
stockinged foot planted high up against the
curtained window, and in another pair of
legs hanging Imply over the aisle from the
arm OF the car seat
"MorDing came. and the sleepers awoke. Nc
water with which to wash, and precious little
to eat. | went out freShened-I will net say
cleaned-my hands and face with handful
of new fallen snow, and then waited as pa
tiently as possible for what the steward of
the dining room car could give us for break
fast. The women were fed first, and about
o'clock / succeeded in struggling into the
dining car, where received my morning ra-
tiOn in the shape Of three square inches Of
very thin bread with a few bits of cold
chicken the whole washed down with glass
of ice water. For a man who had eaten moth
ing since the previous noon 1t was not exactly
a surfeit, but IL was good deal better than
nothing. An hour later we were gladdened
by the report of the coming of relief. 1t APP
peared in the form of struggling procession
of the natives each with his trousers tied
about his ankles, each white with snow.
and each bearing in bag or basket or box
something to eat Such hospitality was as
unexpected as it was spontaneous and de-
lightful.
TUESDAY passed quietly, with occasional
rumor of help, which always proved false.
Once we saw lar away to the east, the smoke
of locomotive and heard its whistle, but an
hore or so later came messenger, saying
that the snow pillow that preceded it was of
the track and broken to pieces. Some of the
mour courageous of us ventured out and
struggled for mile or more up o. down the
track. but brought back only reports of bic
drifts and impossible roads. A rather hang
dog looking countryman appeared with d
box of villainous cigars, which he offered al
the rate of two for a quarter. There was
rumor that he had in his pocket a bottle OF
still more villainous whiskey, but Of that
am not sure. That evening the violin was
silent, but instead we had a series Of lee.
lures. Somebody had discovered among oul
passengers the Rev. Selah Merrill of Ando.
yer, formerly consul at Jerusalem, and he
gave us a most interesting half-hour talk