Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-14
A wild Night On the Road.

eral persons are missing.
A wild Night on the Road.
PiTTBURe, Pa, March 13.-[Special Tele-
gram TO the BEE. For years there has not
been such absolute dearth of telegraphic COM
munication with the east as yesterday and
last night. The storm of Sunday night
rolled down the mountains and through the
Juniata valley, scattering fences, breaking
telegraph poles and wires, upsetting small
buildings and causing great loss in many
ways. 1t was a bad night for Pennsylvania
railroad men. Many freight trains were
compelled TO take to sldngs and wait until
morning. A short distance east Of here
brakeman was blown from the top of car,
but was not injured severely. Trainmen
pronounce it the worst storm ever known on
the road. One of them who arrived last
night on passenger train said: Between
Philadelphia and Downingtown the wind al
most blew the cars from the track. The air
was piercing cold and it was almost impossi-
BILE to stand in the storm. Telegraph poles,
trees, fences, everything, was blown across
the track and the train made little Roadway.
One of the poles blew down as the train was
moving slowly along and knocked the smoke
stack from the engine. The engine then ran
into q network of wires, which wrapped
themselves around it and we had to stop
terribly and were almost frozen"
Business on. the Pennsylvania railroad
between this city and Philadelphia is
completely .paralyzed. Nc. trains have
night. Everything is blocked with snow.
All freight trains are snowbound and there
are no prospects of getting them out for at
least twenty four hours. AT some places
snow has drifted as high rs five feet and there
are miles of freight trains waiting
to get through Never before in the history
of railroads has there been such blockade.
The cold weather is very severe on freight
brakemen as most of them are snow-bound
several miles from station or habitation.
Passengers on the trains. also suffer, as the
thermometer in most places is below zero.
No mails have arrived from the east since 6
o'clock last evening. Telegraphic communi-
cation is still almost entirely cut off and all
messages are taken subject to delay There
IS no trouble west and the trains are arriving
and departing on time,
PHILADELPHIA, March 18-There has been
but little improvement to-day. The stagna-
ton of business caused by the storm contin-
ues. The street car companies have gener-
ally resumed business with four horse teams.
The steam railroad systems, however, are still
In paralyzed condition and very little effort is
being made to run trains over any of the
roads centering here. Attention is being
mainly given to attempts to clear the track.
The severe storm still RACES, so far as drift
ing of snow is concerned, aud the herculean
efforts of the railway officials so far have
been fruitless in getting the various lines
into successful operation. The wind has
continued to blow all day, and thousands of
laborer who have been digging at the noun
tans of snow and ice on the various lines
leading into this city have had dishearten-
ing task. The loss'to the commercial inter-
ests of Philadelphia cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents, and the time which
will be required to put the railroad and tele-
graphic traffic in its normal condition cannot
even be estimated. Railroad traffic for the
present is almost entirely suspended. No
wrecks have been reported to-day on the
various roads, but a number occurred yester-
day.. Fortunately none Of them were at
tended with fatal results, although several
train hands received painful injuries. One
party of twenty-eight railroad men and pass
engers has been stuck in a big drift at Dud-
ley on the .Amboy division in
New. Jersey, since yesterday. morning,
and fearing they were suffering for food on
the train one of the train dispatchers organ
lied relief party. Taking big four horse
sleigh with provisions, they endeavored to
but their success has not yet been learned.
The blockading of railroads, both in this
state and New Jersey, has cut short the
supply of milk and produce, and the. former
article cannot be purchased except in very
small quantities in this city.
Reports by a special messenger from Will
mington, Del, say word has been received
from Lewes by railroad wire that a number
of vessels and tugs have been sunk at the
Delaware breakwater and twenty-five lives
lost Two bodies have already been recov-
cred, and it is. believed the loss Of life along
the coast will be terrible.