Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-03-16
A Great Blizzard and Its Effects.


years is the one that swept over the
Eastern States this week. In fact, it
can well be considered rival of the
Dakota billiards about which we read
so much and which the East appears
to have escaped until now. The
trouble began last Sunday. In this
place rain began to fall before day
light, and as the day wore on snow
began to get mixed up with the rain.
Towards evening the snow had the
field to itself and fell rapidly for some
hours. Sunday night old Boreas en-
tered the arena, and the wind just let
itself loose. 1t howled and roared
and tore and swept in way that
would put Bombay simeon to shame,
and caused all sorts of discomforts to
those who were obliged to be out OF
doors. The thermometer likewise en-
tered into the spirit of the storm by
sending the mercury as near the zero
mark as it could possibly get
But while the storm was disagreed
BILE here, it was much more disastrous
in its effects to the east and north OF
us, where snow fell in large quantities
on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday,
and drifted in manner unparalleled
Railroad and telegraph communities
ton between Washington, Baltimore,
-.
Philadelphia, New York and other
cities was completely cut off, and the
newspapers were almost entirely de-
void of telegraphic news. The COIN
paratively short and magnificently
equipped line Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad between Baltimore and Phil
adelphia was blocked to such degree
that no trains at all could be run.
Baltimore and Washington were cut
off from the North by rail, telegraph
and water. In the harbors of the two
places the fierce gale drove back the
water to the sea, and left the vessels
stranded in the mud on the bottom.
Hardly single telegraph wire is IN
working order, the poles being blown
down by the hundred, and lines tan
gled up like the patent bustles. III
will take weeks to get them in proper
shape again.
In Philadelphia terrible condition
Of affairs existed Travel of every
sort was stopped, trains showed up III
great drifts, occasionally smashing
into each other, and business almost
brought to standstill. Only meager
reports are obtainable of the damage
along the coast, but from Lewes, Del,
comes the report that two tugs,
wrecking steamer and score of YES
sells are wrecked near the Breakwater
and twenty-five lives lost. The Della
ware river at Philadelphia was SO
! shallow that the ferryboats could not
run. and ten thousand Camden peo-
pie doing business in Philadelphia
were unable to reach their homes. In
New York and vicinity the effects OF
the storm were most disastrous. The
damage at Coney Island will exceed
half a million dollars. The sea was
tremendous, sweeping the beach with
awful destruction. Brighton Beach
Hotel. valued at $3.50 600, was demol-
ished and the ruins carried away by
the mighty waves. The East river
was frozen over, and in New York
city the snow is piled up several feet
| high in the streets. On the Hudson
River and Harlem Railroad forty
trains are showed up along the lines.
! A milk famine is threatened in New
York. Nearly all the theaters in that
city were closed George ID. Barry
more, prominent importer, was
| found frozen stiff in a snow drift .on
! Seventh avenue. 1t is believed that
when the great snow banks IN the up
town streets of New York are cleared
away, more persons will be found TO
have persisted. Such horrors happen
ing in the great metropolis seem
almost Incredible During the height
of the storm on Monday two elevated
railroad trains ran into each other,
causing the death of one or two per
sons and injury to a number of Others.
As reports come in from points that
in the early part of the week were cut
off, tales of great damage and suffer
ing are told. In Northern New York
the snow reached depth of four feet.
OF course all the roads were blocked,
as the high winds drifted the snow
into impossible heaps. 1t is feared
that when the tidings are heard from
the sea that great loss of life and
property will be. chronicled.