Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-16
SHOWED UNDER.
BrattlebOrO's Experience with a
Dakota Blizzard.
20 in. Of Snow in a 9O-miIe Gale.
sights, Scenes and Incidents Ia BrRttle-
bore on Monday, Tuesday and We'd
nesday.

Htghtss scenes ana AuctdemR IN hFhtue-
bore ON Monday, Tuesday aud We'd
nesdRy.
THE STORM sEwHERE-THE BLoCRADED
TRAINS, MAILS AND PAssENGERs-PR
vGoUs GREAT sToRMs-NoTEs or HAPPEN
INGs DURING THE STRANGE VISITATION AT
HOME AND ABROAD.
Vermont, with the rest Of the old fogy,
slow going East, sends greeting to Dakota
and the whole Of the big booming North
west. She has heard great deal about
what western blizzard is like, and this
week she has tried on a very lively minia-
ture copy, about three quarters life size,
and found out good deal about it by actual
experience. The storm which prevailed
during last Monday aud Monday night was
by far the most severe ever known by any
man now living, or Of which there is any
record The fall of snow was not only phe-
nomenal in amount, but it was accompanied
by terrible gale from the northwest and
north against which il was almost impossi-
BILE for man or beast TO make Roadway.
The snow began to fall Sunday evening
The day had been mild, following a bright,
spring like day on Saturday. It fell con
tinuously during the night, and at o'clock
Monday morning 10 inches had accumulat-
ed, the temperature still remaining mild
The morning despatch from the signal office
said IA cold wave was coming. and that the
thermometer would fall 10 degrees before
3 o'clock. The warning proved true one
but it was not till rather later than o'clock
that people indoors began 10 realize how Sc
we're was the storm that was upon us. The
snow steadily grew thicker and the wind
rose as steadily. The 1870 mail train from
the north reached here nearly on time but
very soon after news came from Springfield
that the Connecticut River road had dis
continued all trains north aud the mail
train did not 20 below this place At that
time snow was falling so as 10 partially
darken the atmosphere Enquiries at the
Brattleboro weather Office revealed the fact
that the wind was blowing on top Of Wan
tastiquet at the rate Of 90 10 - miles an
hour, and the weather vaue showed that it
was 'flawy,' varying from north 10 north
west and northeast Down through Main st.
the snow drove in almost horizontal lines
Outside il fell so thick that the outlines of
buildings could not be discerned 10 rods
away. From the rear windows Of business
blocks on the east side Of Main street the
H.
beyond was a thick wall Of falling snow.
At this time the mercury had dropped to
about Is above zero The accumulation Of
new snow at o'clock, as shown by Mr..
Childs's government registering apparatus.
was % inches. The wind was piling it in
great drifts in all the streets. aud it was IA
serious problem how women employed in
the shops and stores should get home In
point Of fact many did not attempt to 20,
but staid at the nearest available places.
The letter carriers stuck 20 their routes de
livering the northern mail as long as posi-
bile, but could not in all cases complete their
rounds Mr. Malcolm Moody started to
drive To his home in Centreville. but was
stopped by the drifts when part way up
Western Avenue. and turned back A lit
tie later one Of Rays coupGs undertook to
make the trip, but also had to give it up
| The West Brattleboro coach started up
about $50, going 10y the Brook road, aud
was an hour and half making the trip
There had been no trade since noon, and
the stores closed at O'Clock at that
hour, even, merchants, clerks and employees
in the various factories found it a serious
matter tn breast the gale, which steadily in
creased in force, and make their way
through the drifts One experience Of
many was that Of Patrick Fleming, the
wcll-knOwn carpenter, stout. rugged man
used ~ outdoor life who started from
Main street TO 20 10 his home on Forest
| Square at about q O'Clock aud was an hour
and half getting there. He went as far
as a. +. Doolittle's at this end of the Ave
nue., without much difficulty, but from
| there ON IT was hard battle with snow and
wind. When he reached Cedar street he
/ was in total darkness, and wallowed the
street all over repeatedly When he finally
reached his own place on the corner he lit
orally pitched over the hedge into his door
| yard with scarcely strength enough 10 get
to the house
Experiences similar n this could he re
lated in all parts Of the town-on Prospect
hill, in Esteyvillc and elsewhere one Es-
tey workman, d man in delicate health, had
to be carried into the house of Mr.. Angler
and cared for over night Men living on
| Prospect street had to reach their homes by
going round by some Of the streets in the
rear, taking a rest at neghbors as they
did so. Mr.. b. Ranger, the veteran mer
chant, had half-houl's hard tusse making
his way from Asylum street out to his house
~ or 10 rods away. Postmaster Childs en-
countered heavy drifts on Terrace street on
his way home at 8 O'Clock He repeatedly
laid down on the snow 20 rest and finally
reached his own door so exhausted that ht
had to be helped in. Mr. Wilcox, his as
sistant, became so exhausted in his struggle
to get from the corner at \. Il. Halls out
TO his house on Chaplin street that he fel
when halfway there and was helped int
Ross Whites, where it took half hour,
rest ~ enable him to cross the street to hi,
house. At this hour Mr. Childs's register
ing apparatus showed that the wind wa,
blowing 80 miles an hour ON the mountain
People who came up from the RAILROAD
station at G:3O declared that they would
not repeat the job for a good sum of mon
ey, and strong men were forced by the vino
against the railing Of the bridge and would
have been thrown into MILESTONE brook
had it not been for the rail
AT half past six all idea of trying /,
move the mail train south was given up
and the train men and passengers, some 81
or 40 in number, scattered To the hotels anC
various lodging places about town. Among
the passengers were the lawyers from Bel
lows Falls, who expected to go that nigh
to Newfane for the opening of the Marcel
term of court next day. Besides the 30 OF
40 from the north were IL or II Vernon
men, who found themselves as far away
from home as if the distance had been ION
miles instead of only five. c. p. Gilsor
had warning by telephone not to attemp
to come home, for his family said, even il
he could get 10 the Dummerston station, i
would he impossible for him TO get across
from there.
BrRttIebOrO on Tuesday Morning.
All night long the snow fell and all nigh
the wind ragged. At daylight it was
strange spectacle which the town presented
| II Suos siunrltr ,,ua trraat pNpapea e gp,t,
with half-huried houses scattered thickl,
through it. There was no track Of man Of
beast. The glittering expanse seemed {,
rise and fall in the streets like pillows OF
the ocean, and here and there white peak
and ridges rose up II or - feet high. Man,
were the pranks played by the wind. Many
u house wife raised her curtains to find hel
accustomed view cut of by white wal
reared before the window during the night
and many goodman opened his door t,
find a tall white wall barring the way
Gradually the town woke up, and here anC
there an individual, called by necessity, OF
more venturesome than his neighbors, wal
lowed out. But in some cases even wallow
ing was impracticable. We hear of tw,
railroad men ON Prospect hill who laid down
and rolled off the big drifts, and Of another
long legged denizeu who threw IA long lad
der on the snow, walked its length, threw
it in front again, and so reached a plac,
where his legs could touch bottom.
If all the amusing experiences could b,
gathered up and printed they would form
long chapter. Perhaps one Of the most pic
turesque incidents was that of our residen
Judge of the State Supreme Court crawling
out of his parlor window, and wallowinl
over to neighbours telephone to send
message to the clerk of courts at Rutland