Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-03-16
THE GREAT BLIZZARD.
ITS DISASTROUS EFFECTS FELT OVER
A WIDE TERRITORY.
Business and Financial Transactions at u
standstill-Railroad Traffic Suspended
Funerals Even Poitponed - The
Worst storm for Years.

NEW YORK, March 1.-THE demoralizing
effects Of the worst storm ever experienced
In this city are beginning to disappear
and business is rapidly being resumed.
The storm was a peculiar one. 1t began
with slight snow fall about o'clock
Sunday night which hardly whitened the
earth and steady rain followed lasting
until 430 Monday morning The cold
wave had flung itself across the region
surrounding the city by 5 o'clock, and
the steadily falling rain became snow. BY
s O'Clock the wind was blowing a gale and
snow was falling at remarkably rapid rate
The wind increased until six o'clock Mon
day evening, when it was blowing hurri-
cane, and people had difficulty to stand up
The stores and offices closed before three
o'clock, that afternoon and by evening
everyone seemed to realize that a storm
which would be long remembered was at
hand. There was more snow and an in
crease of wind again as Tuesday advanc-
cd but by night wind and snow almost
disappeared. "Wednesday morning the
sun rose amid the clouds which brought
snow about II o'clock, but the day closed
fairly pleasant. Such is snyposis
of the blizzard, which it probably
will take many days to write all connected
WIN. olON ltll W Il uepIn Oh TWO ana
half feet on the level over all the coun-
try within radius of 30 miles of New
NOrk. The drifts on Broadway We're in
places six feet high, and only narrow
space between the shop fronts and the
drifts were left or the people bound to
their places of business At times, TO.
nearly whole block, only the tops of
their heads were visible above the snow,
and now and then they could not be seen
at all. When the medium early risers,
cot III ut "a 70 S.Dl
ready to go to business on Monday they
found the horse cars gradually being tied
up. The snow which haG fallen after the
heavy rain froze down hard and rendered
the use of snow plows futile. Later the
elevated roads began to be troubled, until
by noon every traction vehicle in
the city was useless. 1t grew bitterly
cold too, q above zero being generally
reached. BY early evening the exposure
of nose or ears to the storm in cases of
most people was attended with freezing.
In the afternoon New Yorkers began to
prepare for bad night. Residents in
distant parts of the city went to the ho
tells and registered for the night BY
$50 it was impossible to get Il
room in any hotel down town
advance. BY midnight hundreds
of people were sleeping on mattresses and
couches in the Railways, In the best ho-
tells, after Monday night a person unwill
ing to pay small fortune for a room, say
S25 to $50, could not get one Cabs re
ceived fares ranging from 50 to $40 and
trip Dawn showed many singular
sights. Horse cars We're stuck in the snow
and ice, horses having been driven away
the day, before by their drivers. The
elevated roads and railroads ont of the
city had trains bockaded mere aud there
The 18th avenue tunnel was iull of snow
and tlaIns were lost inside About noon
the elevated roads begans to get their
train crews together and with much
steady effort the. engines We're got along
the tracks and snow and ice showed of
BY Tuesday evening they were most all
running, though not with any attempt as
regular time. The horse cars did not
move at all Tuesday. The steam rail
roads al expected 10 move trains
by 2;30 Tuesday afternoon and most of
them put up signs saying SO, but the signs
bad to be taken down. At the Grand
Central station at the ferry slips aud
about the entrances of the Brooklyn
bridge We're hundreds of people VINO
wanted to get home ont OF the State and
were anNi3ll- ttb u, what was taking
place at Lume. 1n--v -'ing out OF the
state had to give up the Idea, but the fer
ries and bridge entrances ushered great
crowds from the city. Many people en-
tered the city as well. When Wednesday
forenoon had passed the snow and ice be
gan TO show signs of yielding to the com
mon regime. The tens of thousands OF
NOIh llltu anu pedestrians Oh IDe previous
day had worn the dIlits away a great deal
but the entire task was so great that the
part done seemed to be small 1t seemed
TO be necessary for the surface roads tC
open the streets for the Vehicular traffic
and that traffic began heavily between
and II O'Clock a. IN. and made the grea
city look like its own self again.
The day opened with a light fall of snow
and the the thermometer registering =,
above zero It Is now cloudy with pros
hnpt har Stn no. oil
waited road and Brooklyn bridge are il
fair working condition, and travel is beiu!
generally renewed. A few street cars arr
running, but the blockade in the outskrt
of the city and outlying districts still con
tinues. 1t will take three or four day
with good weather TO open all tn
means of communication. The railroad
are IN little better condition than the.
We're yesterday. Each road, however
has a large force Of men at work shovelinl
snow, and other efforts are being made t.
open the roads. The sidewalks in the cit.
have been generally cleaned and Immense
Daaks OF snow line them. All the street
are still in bad condition, and few vehicle
are seen. Telegraph wires are down
Nothing has been heard from Bostol
for two days, The Western Union OIL
cials sag they do not expect to have an
wires to that point until Saturday, +
lew wires are working to the West and
few to the nOrthward. The rivers ar
Oiled with floating ice and ferry travel /
uncertain and attended with considerabl
danger. No mails have been received a
set and none can be sent ont. In wor
New York is practically isolated from tn
outer world, but is making hercuea
effort to re-establish the normal condition
of things.
Forty Trains stalled Between New Yor
and Albany,
New YORK, March 4.-Reports fror
the New York Central and Hudson Rive
railroad show that there were 40 train
blockaded yesterday between New Yor
and Albany, of which IS were betwee
this city and lOnkers Only one trai
moved Chis side Of | tlca and that was I'll
st. Louis express, which was pulled out
bank near Spuyten Duyval last evenin
and hauled down oyer the old rive
road. All trains excepting this one wei
reached and food furnished passengers
OIher BarIs d NaN YnIk.