Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-13
EASTERN BLIZZARD
AKieIEe STORM SUNDAY AND JESTER
DAY.
Telsgraphic Communication North Greatly
Interrupted and Mails Delayed
Boress on q Rampage.
fBy telegram 70 the pisp,tcb1

day (Monday), and up to Z o'clock to-
night none have been received since 2
o'clock Sunday morning. Late this
afternoon communication was opened
with Richmond and with Pittsburgh,
but although the sky is clear the
wind is bowling gale, and the prospects
for the wires holding out are not
promising. No train has reached this
city since daylight to-day from any point
north OF Baltimore. The first Baltimore
train bringing Baltimore morning papers
reached here about 80 this afternoon.
The last train to reach here from the
North previous to that time was the
limited express which left New York at
$40 yesterday afternoon and reached
here at 3 O'Clock this morning.
The first train from Baltimore
this morning was obliged to creep
It's way through a network of telegraph
poles and wire and stop frequently to
clear the track OF fallen trees and scat
tered timber railroad officials are en-
tirely in the dark concerning their trains,
as their telegraph lines are in the same
condition rs the commercial wires. PeO-
pie arriving from Baltimore this after
noon say the force OF the wind was such
that lights were blown bodily from the
railroad signal-posts. in this city A
great many trees were blown over and
practically all the wires were disabled,
but no serious damage was done.
THE STORM UNPRECEDENTED II NEW YORK.
NEW YoRK, March l2-9 r. M-There
has been no abatement in the storm.
The thermometer has fallen to4. Frozen
ears and feet were never so numerous.
The drugstores have been ii led with pa
tents all day and evening A woman
absolutely froze TO death to night at the
corner OF Broadway and Fulton street,
popularity supposed to be the busiest four
corners on ,h- earth. in hundred, of
streets loaded wagons were abandoned
and the horses taken to the nearest sta
oles. Where the wind has blown the
snow into drifts countless accidents from
slipping have occurred The Astor House
alone turned away 300 would-ba guests
Oth,r bit. J, have aimilar experiences.
{ he tate of New York is absolutely
showed under The Oldest persons
never saw IT,, eGual. Not one tram was
DISPATCHED by either the Erie or Central
b dav. Something unprecedented
rclc.rame from drtances of POO mikes
have the same story to teIl-uamely " 1t
Is the worst storm ever known here.
POLICE ASD FIRE PEEcAUTIoNs.
The police authorities say the storm
has nor been equailcd since 1870. Most
of the police telegraph wires broke down
early IN the morning, and policemen
were obliged TO tramp many miles,
carrying important dispatches Early
IN TIE day Chief Shay, of the Fire De-
partmcnt. held O consultation with S'u
pcrintendeut Murray regarding extra
precautions to lie taken III promptly
sounding fre-alarms.
3 full force Of fremen were kept on
duty all day, and as many extra horses
as could ne procured quarters at the va
rious eugiHe-houses.
Owing to the Tremendous gale and ter
rible snow-storm there have been no ar
rivals nor departures from this port.
Navigation has been almost wholly abau-
doned in the rivers and harbor, and even
boats on different routes made only IN
frequent trips.
THE srOEM UNABArED At MIDNIGHT.
New YORK. March l2-VidnjobL-
The storm is undated The wind Is as
furious rs ever, but the snow has stopped
falling Snow drifts in the bu,.u. So
streets are as deep as in the CO FRY
districts Grown persons here leyer
saw the like. But meagte reports
are received from the up town dis
tricts. but in the lower precincts,
where reporters managed to struggle
through the snow and against the wind,
more than one hundred fractures OF
limbs and contusions OF skulls were re-
ported. Ambulance horses mt the difl'e-
rent hospitals were completely worn out
early in the niqht. aud calls in many
cases could not be responded to.
ROUGH TRAVELLING BETWEEN sew YORK
AND WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 12.-The
efforts OF the railroads 10 open cOmmu-
nication with the North succeeded at 8
O'Clock tonight, when the tram which
left New York at Q o'clock last night ar
rived after hard. slow, and te
dious trip. Persons who were on the
train say their experience was without
precedent IN TINS part Of the country.
The storm broke out in its fury when the
train was nearing Philadelphia, and the
speed had to be slackened. Philadelphia
was reached. however, without very great
difficulty but after leaving there the
train had to grope its way, the train
hands going ahead with lanterns to give
notice OF distractions on the track.
lelegrAph-polcs, wires, up-roOted trees,
and distractions OF all kinds were
found lying across the rails at
freqnent intervals. The passengers
aided the railroad.men in removing the
distractions, and after great labor VIII
mington WAS reached, a little beyond
which the cars were stoppedto await day
light. One passenger estimated that
300 poles were removed from the track
between Philadelphia and Wilmington.
After daylight the train slowly worked
its way to Washington, frequent stops
being made for the removal OF obstruc
tons. A later train brought in the
Philadelphia papers twelve hours be-
hind time, while the New York papers,
which usually reach here ct lU:4j A.
NJ. had not arrived here at midnight.
The track between Baltimore and Wash
lngton is now reported clear, but as all
the wires are down trains have TO pro-
ceed tediously. The western and south
ern trains are coming in slowly, and pas
sengers on the former report but little
damage aside from the interruption to
telegraph business. they were surprised
when informed Of the damage by the
storm, and said that its effects we're hardly
noticeable for miles west of here. One
of the southern trains had the windows
of one car smashed in by falling tele-
graph pole, and several passengers were
slightly hurt The railroad people to-
night are hopeful of having the tracks
clear tomorrow to admit of a more or
less general resumption Of traffic.
A Cyclones singular Freak.
[By telegraph TO the Dispaicn.l
OAKLAND, ILL.,, March l2.-While