Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-13
RAIN, SNOW, AND WIND
DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF THE STORM OF
SUNDAY.
Miles and Miles Of Telsgraph-Wires Thrown
to the Ground-Trains
DELAYED.

March is maintaining its reputation
for fickleness
Saturday was fair day and the tenn
perature was very pleasant. Sunday
weather was combination of rain, hail
snow, ana wind, AMI of the change the
barometer gave no indication. The Sig
nal Bureau prophesied rain and easterly
winds, but did not prepare the public
fer the days display. Yesterday was
clear, cold, and windy, end there were
no crowds OF idlers found standing OF
sireet-comers talking politics or anything
else, for the wind came from the north
east keen, cutting, and saucy.
Within those three days we had sam
Piles Of all that March has ever been to
us in the past all that it promises to be
to us 10 the future.
Yesterday our streets were clear, and
a few tumble-down signs aud fences and
broken limbs from trees lying in the gut
terra were all the exhibits OF the storm but
businessmen, telegraphers. and journal
lists knew that outside of the city there
had been serious damage done.
DOWN WITH THE WIRES.
The telegraph wires connecting the
Western Union oiiee in this city with
Washington and northern points worked
very well until about p. N. Sunday.
Then tronbe began to be experienced,
and before morning they were cut oil
from all communication with Washing
ton by the usual route
The wires ladened with sleet were
snapped by the winds in many places
worse than that the winds rooted up
poles by scores and threw them and
their great bundles OF wires across the
tracks.
The Western Union Company have
thirteen wires along the line of the Fred
ericksburg road. All of these were dis
mantieI.
Tie worst Of these breaks were be-
tween Quantico and Alexandria, near
Milford, and between Hanover Junction
and Milford.
Superintendent Tree Sunday night
called in two large construction forces
from the neighborhoOd Of Danyille, and
early Yesterday morning sent them up
the road to repair damages. They were
diligently at work all the day, bat were
unable to restore even one wire from
Richmond to Washington. They may,
however, succeed to-day.
CIECUTOUs.
The only telegraphing between Rich
mond and the North yesterday was ria
the wires along the Chesapeake and Ohio
road to Cinciunati The Chesapeake
and Ohio wires escaped serious injury,
but between Cincinnati and New York
and Washington thc storm had deranged
nearly ell the lines.
Last nicht the Western Union Com
pany established communication with
Washington ria Lynchburg and the
Midland road.
On this one wire with quadruple1 in
strumcnts Richmond worked two opera
tors and Augusta, Ga, two, and it could
not DO tenth Of the business. The
Richmond Office alone employs twenty
two operators, and most OF them were
idle all day yesterday aud until late
hour last night.
DELAYED TRAINS.
II hes been many years since Rich
mond was 50 completely cut off from the
nolthern world as on yesterday; for not
only were the wires down, but the trains
were delayed.
The train due here at 10:39 A. NJ. did
not arrive uutil p. NJ. and it brought
no mail from points north of Washing
ton. The fast mail did not come in at
ali. During the day train was made
up in Washington in place OF it, and ar
rived here at ) p. NJ. with - letters
for Richmond and few papers.