Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-03-21
WORST OF THE SEASON.
A Snow and Wind Storm on the. Atlantic
Coast.

Snow and Wind Storm on the Atlantic
Coast.
A New York dispatch Of the 18th says:
The hardest snow storm of the year by
far is raging in New York City. 1t be-
gan early this morning and at s O'Clock
there was foot or more snow on the
ground. The high wind caused drifts
which, III the upper part of
the city, were three and four
feet high. Traffic was almost sus-
pended. Thousands of passengers
were blocked on the elevated roads.
Horse cars were entirely unable to
move. People who left uptown by
elevated roads were unable to get
further than Eighth Street by the road.
Many OF the more venturesome de-
scended to the street by ladders and
walked the rest of the way down town.
People in suburban towns found it al
most impossible to reach the city so
severe were the drifts. The storm is
general IN New York state, Connecticut
and points south. From all the sur
rounding country reports come of the
severest snow and wind storm in years.
The embargo on Geographic communi-
cation is almost complete, the South be-
ing entirely cut off.
A later telegram says: Up to 9 O. clock
this evening there was no abatement in
the storm. The thermometer has fallen
to degrees above zero. Frozen ears
ana feet were never so numerous. The
drug stores have been filed with pa
tlents all ay and all evening. A woman
absolutely froze to death tonight at the
corner of Broadway and Fulton Street,
popularity supposed to be the busiest
four corners on the earth. In hundreds
of streets loaded wagons were aban-
doned and horses were taken to the
nearest stables. The state of New York
is absolutely showed under. The oldest
persons never saw its equal. Not one
train was dispatched by either the Erie
or Central to-day, something entirely
unprecedented. kilograms from dis
tances of 200 miles have the same story
to tell, namely, cts the worst storm
ever known here"
Old rivermen say that no such night
has been known on the river since 1854.
The waves were running very high and
the wind forced the water in many in
stances over the docks. Several canal
boats were sunk at their mOOrings at the
North River pier. From four to six feet
of snow have fallen on the Delaware and
Hudson Canal Company's road and
drlfted much higher. Owing to the gale
there have been no arrivals nor depar-
lures from this port. Navigation has
been almost wholly abandoned on the
rivers and harbor.
Advices from Washington are received
to the following effect: The storm yes
terday was one of the most remarkable
known for years, in fact, the capital
seemed to have been the center of a
miniature cyclone that brought with it
binding succession of rain, snow,
wind and cold. In the early hours of
the day the cutters ran high and in
many low places the sewers were
blocked, thus flooding the streets. The
heavy rain continued until about 5 P. NJ,
when it turned to binding snow, which
turned to ice. AS night fell the heavily
laden telegraph wires began to come
down and in many cases streets cars
had to turn around and make partial
trips. The police wires were out OF order
to add to the discomfort of the night the
electric lights began to fail. By mid
night the city was almost in darkness
save for a few feeble gas jets that flicker
ed through the storm. At the signal
office to-day it was learned that the
storm was the result of the splitting of a
storm-trough that on the day before
yesterday extended south from Mich
igan. OFF. Cape Henry the wind
was blowing fifty-fve miles
an hour. The railroads lead
ing into Washington have been block
AIDED by snow, fallen trees, telegraph
poles and wires SO that the movement OF
trains has been greatly impeded, if not
altogether abandoned. No attempt at
regularity in running time was made.
Hardly a single telegraph wire is work
ing, so that such trains as may be out
west creep along without orders. The
wind has kept mp high velocity all day
and at O. clock tonight had not abated
The sky is now perfectly clear and it is
growing colder. The morning and even
ing papers Of to-day appeared without
| telegra phic information.