Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-23
LAST IEEEh'.S BLLZZ4RD.
The New York HeraId's Graphic De-
scripiiOn of the Storm in the Great City.

HOW THE BLOCKADE WAS RAIsED-MATTER
THAT WILL BE INTERESTING A HUNDRED
YEARS FROM NOW.
From the New York Herald, Tuesday, March 49,
A great white hurricane roared all day
through New York yesterday and turned
the comfortable city into a wild and bewi
dering waste of snow and ice. Imagina-
ton cannot picture the extraordinary
scenes that have taken place in the metrop.
oils during the last twenty-four hours to
one who has not looked at them No one
living can remember such storm. All
business was abandoned, and the snow
drifted in mountains against niles and
miles of closed business houses The ele-
waited railways ceased running, and all the
horse car lines were completely bl1cked up.
Telegraph wires were furiously torn from
their fastenings and whirled up and down
the roadways.
Huge trees in Twenty third and other
streets were pulled up out of the ground
and thrown in all directions by the mighty
wind which increased in strength every
moment. Men and women were thrown
about like straws, and many had to be dug
out of the vast drifts. Wall street looked
I
lonely brokers shivered in the empty stock
exchange. All the big centres of COM
merce were deserted. Ferry boats were
blown helplsssly up and down the North
and East rivers in the sErieking tempest
and no vessel dared to enter the storm
sml,en harbor. Trains ON all the railways
were showed in. The telegraph compa-
MES refused to take II IS ages. A horror
of darkness deepened over the crowded
/ city, and the terrcr-slricken population
covered at the awful sound which came
1 from the throat of the whrlwind.
1t started at about midnight. A gentle
rain had been plashing on the pavenents
| for several hours. Gradually it turned in
| to wet snow and the cutters ran slush.
/ The wind began TO rise and the thermome-
ter fell rapidly. Suddenly the whole city
seemed to tremble as the Storm swept
/ down upon it with a grandeur anl power
| that are ndescribable. Dawn cane tue snow
in torrents till the sidewalks W, re buried
under the drifts. Signboards were torn
from the fronts of buildings, roofs were
stripped, windows blown out, wagons over
| turned and street cars halted.
When day broke the city presented an
amazing appearance. Through the wild
clouds of snow that were driven along the
| streets could be seen loaded wagons given
up by their drivers. Their owners had
fled for their lives apparently regardless
of what became Of the property, Butch
ers' wagons, piled high with meat, milk
trucks crowded with cans grocers Wagons,
coal carts, street cars We're scatt, red in
mountains of snow IN all directions. There
were thousands upon thousands of these
abandoned wagons an carts, some over
turned, some lying across the street, some
half buried in the drifts.
Long before daylight the horse car lines
gave up all attempts 70 carry passengers
The multitudes trudged through the storm
to the elevated roads, and crowded every
train. Even these trains were few and
far between. The snow and wind made it
almost impossible to work the switches,
and the brakes were rendered useless.
Finally the whole elevated railway sys-
came to a dead standstill Then ensued
scenes of excitement and suffering. There
was a solid blockade of trains ON the Sixth
avenue road from Fourth street to Twen-
ty-eighth Street The passengers were
half frozen. They could not reach the sta
tions except by walking along the mar
row edge of the tracks, which was fright
fully dangerous in such high wind, Wo-
men cried and men swore Many of the
men took off their overcoats to shelter the
uhll peilsueu women he passengers
were finally released 10y long ladders raised
up against the frame work and blocked up
at the bottom with dry goods boxes to
make them reach.
No one but a rich man could get down
town unless he walked, and it took strength
and courage and endurance 20 travel in
the streets. In many places tn SNOW was
drifted seven and eight feet high across the
roadways and men who tried TO force their
way through had to be pulled out 10y res,
cuing parties. No cabman would take a
passenger to the lower part Of tbs city for
less than $40, AS the day wore on the
cabmen began TO forsake their vehicles.
Within few hours they had gathered in
a weeks wages, They hocked to the sa-
looms. Everywhere could be seen horses
tied to lamp posts, telegraph poles and by
drants shivering and moaning as the bliz-