The Portland daily press., 1888-03-14
THE sITUATIoN IN sIpDEFoRD.
Some of the Hardshlps Of Railroad
Inc frs A

BIDDEFoRD, March 13.-Yesterday's bliz-
zard was nearly equal In intensity to that
which visited eastern New England on the
26th Of January. and which blockaded rail-
roads and impeded business for number Of
days. Less snow fell and the length of the
storm was much shorter, but the wind blew
with more ferteness and piled up drifts that
obstructed travel even more than the first
storm.
On the Boston q Maine the scenes Of jan
uarv 20 were repeated. On the western
division the down mail train due here at
7.2O got stuck in the snow this side OF North
Berwick and remained ali night, not getting
through here till twelve minutes past nine
o'clock this morning. The down Pullman
passed the mail train at North Berwick and
slowly worked its way along,.till it steamed
into the BIddeford station at 227 this morn
ing. Conductor Cousens's train, which left
here for Kennebunk In the early evening,
stopped at West Biddeford, in accordance
with standing orders, TO await the passage
of the down train. There being no tele-
graphic communication between Blddeford
and Boston, no special orders could be re-
ceived. Consequently Conductor C0usens's
train spent the night In the woods at West
Biddeford, with showed in freight train
No. 2, in social proximity. Cousens's train
had only one or two passengers Tor kenne-
bunk and they were obliged to make the
best of the situation. The coal and water In
the engine gave out and skirmish for fuel
had to be made, while the engineer melted
snow enough to keep water In the boiler.
The passengers Of the down mail train were
transferred to the Pullman.
This morning the storm had abated,
though a strong east wind was blowing. The
snow was drifted in every street in the two
cities and so heavily was it bedded that II
was next to impossible for the city plOws TO
work through the drifts in some localities,
At one time to-day five trains were block
ed at West Biddeford on the western diyi-
sion of the Boston & Maiue. The first west
bound express, due here at 500 ran off the
track at Pine Point. and was idle there till
the wrecker got it back upon the rails just
before noon. 1t arrived at the Biddeford
station at 12.10. The morning mail train out
of Portland, due here at 924, did not get
in till 1.37. The first afternoon mail train
from the east put in an appearance at 3.13
| this afternoon. The two noon trains from
Boston came in. coupled together, at 143
| this afternoon. The five stalled trains were
| started at o'clock when train orders were
| received from Haverhill. The track Is now
clear but trains are greatly delayed: The
mail train from Boston due here at 7.20 Is
| over three hours late.
On the eastern division freight train got
| stuck in the snow near the Saeo station and
was ODlged 10 remain tnere 3ll nlgnI. rive
| Of the cars were loaded with cattle which
were provided with hay from j. w. Jose 5
| grocery store. The delay of this train kept
the passenger trains waiting till after the
| down trains were due this noon. Communi-
| cation with Boston was also cut of on this
| division and the trains could not proceed be-
| yond Biddeford without orders. SO the
| freight and the two passenger trains, the
| 2.35 Pullman and the $50 train, were still at
| the Biddeford station this evening awaiting
/ the arrival of the down trains, which at last
| accounts were stalled at Eliot.
Augusta's Experience.
AUGUSTA. March 13.-The storm in this
| city has not been so severe as at the West.
| Only about four inches Of snow fell on on a
level, but 1t was heavy, and was blown as it
| fell into drifts. Traffic about the city has
not been impeded. The greatest ineonven-
| ience has been caused by the delayed west
| ern trains.
New Hampshire.
FABYAN, March 13.-This is the seyerest
| storm known in the mountains for years.
| Twenty inches Of snow have fallen and the
wind is blowing a gale. All trains have
been cancelled.