The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-03-21
THE GREAT STORM.

ffIT~bl &c, MITCH A5.--Dtl-iiiec1 on Tue
Pennsylvania Railroad, between this
city and Philadelphia, is completely
I parlyzed. No trains have arrived from
the Feast since las. night. Everything
is blockaded with snow. All the freight
trans are snow bound, and there Is it
tie or no prospect of their getting out for
at least twenty-four hours. At some
places the snow has drifted as high as
five feet, and there are miles and miles
Of freight trains waiting to get through.
Never before IN the history Of the rail-
road has there been such blockade.
I The cold weather will be very severe on
Z freight brakemen. as most of them are
saow-bound several miles from any sta
tion or habiiation. The passengers on
/ the trains will also have to suffer, o. the
( Thermometer at most places IS below
zero. No mails have arrived from the
East since 8 o'clock last evening, and It
( i estimated that sixty thousand letters
alone are now snow-bound bet Seen Pitts
burg and Philadelphia. Telegraphic
communication j. still almost entirely
cut of, and ali messages are taken sab
ject 10 great delay There is no trouilc
West, and trains are arriving and de-
parting on time.
BALrnsoHE, March FI5.-FcF the first
time in the existence Of the telegraph,
Baltimore was cut off from communica-
tion with New York and Washington for
over twenty-four hours. From Sunday
night not only were the wires down bat
hundreds Of telegraph poles along both
the Western Union railroad lines are
broken \ mild rain set in sunday
morning from the east, bat soon the
wind veered to the northeast, blowing a
gale, and by nightfall the worst blizzsri
that has swept this section in twenty
years was blowing. The temperature sell
twenty degrees in ten hours. By .
o'clock sunday night the snow was six
inches deep, and all communication cut
off The wind Was blowing about fifty
sslniIes an hour. Travel through the
streets Of the city was daueeroes. as tin
roofs and chimneys went f ring along the
streets Telegraph poles holding twenty
or thirty wires each were blown down in
different parts OF the city.
Tie tide yesterday was lower than
ever known in the memory Of the wharf
men. being at least twelve fee. below the
level of ordinary low water, and as a
consequence many deep draught vessels
lying in different dock were grounded
At the county dock, foot Of Broadway.
the water vas 50 low that the bottom
was barred, and persons could walk dry
shod on the soil thus exposed. After Q
O'Clock the FIRE telegraph system was
useless. An alarm could not have been
sent in from over dozen boxes, and the
city would have been pr prleticaliy at the
mercy Of the flames had fire broken out.
The old watch-tower system was put IN
use. At each enginc-house a sentinel
was stationed in the belfry and relieved
at intervals.
r. Is the opinion OF Old bay CAPTAINS
that sunday night was one Of the worst
ever experienced on Chesapeake Bay,
and as the notice Of the storm was -
short there have doubtless been many
disasters which will be reported as soon
as the yessels begin to arrive. No YES
sel could live in the Bay sunday night
NEW YoEK March 13.-The police au-
thorities say the present storm has not
been equaled since 1855. Most Of the
police telegraph wire broke down early
yesterday morning, ard policemen were
obliged 10 tramp many miles carrying
important dispatches. Chief Shay, Of
the fire department, held 4 consultation
with Superintendent Murray regarding
extra precautions TO be taken in promptly
sounding fire alarms. As result orders
were issued To all policemen to notify
occupants Of the nearest engine-house
Of the fire Immediately after sonnding
the alarm. \ full force Of firemen is
kept on duty, and as many extra horses
As could be procured are quartered Al the
various zeng'ne-houses.
The storm is absolutely unprecedented.
All business has been paralyzesl. The
weather stopped the courts. Jurors and
witnesses in a murder case were unable
To arrive. Every street car In New York
Brooklyn, Jersey City, and; elevated
trains were stopped. The Brooklyn
bridge aud ferries we're almost abandon
ed. The elevated roads run three tious-
and trains daily usually, and never he
fore were stopped. Westerners declare
Dakota never equaled New York's biz
zard.
The State of New York is absolutely
showed under. The oldest persons never
saw its equal. Not one train was dis
patched by either the Erie OF the Cen
tral yesterday. something IN prece,len,ed.
Telegrams from distances oftwo hundred
miles have the slne story to tell name
ly, it Is the worst storm ever known
here.
The snowdrifts in business streets are
as deep as in the country districts
Grown persons here never saw the like.
Bat nieaser reports have been received
from uptown districts. but in the lower
precincts, where reporters managed
to struggle through the snow and against
the wind. more than one hundred frac-
lures OF limbs aud ccntusions ofthe skull
we're reported. The ambulance horses
at the different hospitals were complete
ly tagged early in the night, and calls in
many cases could not be responded To.
The stock Exchange has JUS; adopted
t,Ie following.
Resoiref. That il is the sense of men,
bers present that all dealings, 50 far as
possible. be suspended. and that all de-
liveries go over till tomorrow
By order Of the Governing Committee
the Stock Exchange adjourned at le