The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-03-16
THE GREAT BLIZZARD!

The severe storm which commenced
in this section on Sunday seems to
have prevailed throughout the Atlantic
states, and was the greatest that has
been known for many years. A fierce
gale was kept up and the mercury in
the thermometer driven down TO Zero
The heavy snow of Sunday and Sun
day night was drifted on the railroads
like mountains, thus obslructing the
roads in every section. Thousands of
laborers were put to work Monday to
clear the road, but with little success.
A telegram dated at Philadelphia,
Tuesday March 18th says:
The railroad lines made but little
effort to-day to operate their roads,
and with the exception of few SUBJ
urban, and train or two from the
main line of the Pennsylvania railroad,
little or nothing has been done. The
Day express, which was due in this
city yesterday over the Pennsylvania
road from the west, reached this city
at 11;30 this morning, ard Chicago
limited, due here at s o'clock last
night, followed it fifteen minutes later
These trains were far more successful
in reaching their destination than
were two trains which were dispatched
for Harrisburg and the west this morn
ing, but which were stuck at Wynne-
wood, suburban town. After this
failure no Effort was made to send out
through trains, or in fact any on the
main line. Three trains were sent out
and the same number arrived on the
Germantown and Chestnut Hill branch,
the last of which brought in large
gang of laborers who bad been 6gh'i, g
The elements all day. No trains we're
sun on the central or New York divi-
sions. The New York division is
completely closed and the newspaper
train which left New York at 4:5O
Monday morning has not yet reached
this city. 1t is reported here that It
is laid up near Princeton, with several
others beyond it. From this end
trains have gone as far as Bristol
where they still remain. Large gangs
of men are being sent out tonight on
the different branches of the road 10
relieve those who have worked all day
and Pennsylvania railroad official
said tonight that as the company had
got the line cleared to within a short
distance of Trenton, the New York
division would probably b. opened up
for traffic tomorrow. Tie same Of
tirial said that tie company had very
few passengers t. send out az the ar
rivals were 30 light in numb and
that uotil the company we're advis d
that the load was clear no further ef-
fort would be made to dispatch trains.
On the main line the principal trouble
is between Paoli an ParktsbuJg, a dis
tance Of between twenty and thirty
miles and the condition of affairs on
that pisc Of the road is described as
the worst ever known in the history of
eastern railroading
! Another despatch from Reading, Pa.
dated Tuesday the 18th says. There
il no abatement in the force of the
storm now raging Throughout this sec-
ton. No stages or teams OF any kind
came into town to-day, and no mail
was received from or sent 10 outlying
country districts. The coal and freight
traffic on the railroads is at a complele g
standstill, aud the business in this city
is quite dead. With the aid of an ex
ira engine one passenger train came
in fr m Harrisburg, one from Potts
vile aud three from Philadelphia,
While from forty to fifty come and 20
every day. Those that did arrive were
generally from ten to eighteen hou s
late. About dozen passenger train.
are snow bound bstween Reading aud
Philadelphia, Some snow drifts on
the railroads are from ten 10 twenty
feet deep and in the country the roads
are as high as fences. The East Penn
Heading and Columbia, Wilmington
and Northern, Schuylkill and Lehigh
all centering in Beading, arr complete
| ly blockaded and no train has passt .
over them -ince early yesterday. The
storm of tonight threatens to stop a
traffic on the main line Of the Reading
b, morning. The Perkiomen, Cole
brool dale and other branches are undel
snow from five to fifteen feet. A mum
her of industrial establishments or,
closed because their employees are
showed in at their homes A numbel