The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-03-17

A RAIN STORM TURNS TO SNOW AND A
BLIZZARD FoLLowsoGREAT DE-
sTRUCrIoN EVERYWHERE. COLD IN
TENSE.
REPORT OF THE STORM HERE AMI
ELSEWHERE.

REPORT OF THE STORM HERE AND
ELSEWHERE.
During Saturday night rain began fall
ling, and continued all day Sunday, until
about 8 o'clock in the evening, when the
wind veercd to Northwest and snow be-
gan falling. Wind increased and before
day break the wind was bowling and
tearing along at tornado speed. The
cold was intense and fine snow and wind
made walking almost impossible. Snow
had drilled very deep in sheltered spots,
and travelling along the public highway
was abandoned. The destruction caus
ed to telegraph and telephone commu-
nication was enormous. The lines along
the tracks of the p, W. & B. r. r. were
badly damaged. In many places 30 and
40 poles were down. Some broken off
even with the earth while others were
pulled up. Travel on the Pennsylvania
and b. & o. Railroads ON Monday and
Tuesday was almost abandoned. In fact
not train passed over the b. & o. road.
The destruction will amount to many
thousands.
Newark was virtually cut off from the
larger towns and cities. Daily papers
were sought after eagerly. One Balti-
more paper served several families. For
the time being Newark was, like town
isolated. In some places snowdrifts
were deep, but travel was not so bad.
There was no damage done here; il was
reported that the steeple of the Presby-
terrain church swayed considerably be-
fore the force of the wind.
All day Monday the wind was very
high, and bitter cold. Fine snow flying
made travel almost impossible. During
the night the wind was very high and
many were frightened at its violence and
were afraid to go to bed.
Tuesday was the counterpart of Mon
day except that snow fell and Mondays
mail matter arrived. Outside of this
there was no change in the weather. The
storm was one of the severest that ever
visited this section. We were at Elkton
on Monday and the telegraph wires
were hanging about the depot like spi-
der webs. Mr. B. NJ. Wells, the agent,
who has been there over so years, said
never in his recollection, had he ever
seen such destruction of telegraph wires.
At the Newark station it was the same,
and Mr.. j. G. Shivler said it was the
worst storm he ever saw. All COMMUNE
cation with the outside world was cut off
and Tuesday night was very cold, with
high wind.
The storm ragged and the wind howled
all night. Cold was very severe. On
Wednesday morning snow was falling
which continued until after o'clock In
the early part of the day a sudden warm
change was perceptible. Snow and ice
began to melt The mercury slipped up
the tube and was close TO 500 at noon.
People began to stir about and Newark
assumed her wanton activity.
ELSEWHERE.
All Geographic communication enter
ing Wilmington was cut off, and the city
was isolated from the outside world.
There was no railroad travel northward
until Tuesday. All trains entering the
city were several days late.
Reports come from Lewes that % YES
sells had gone ashore, and that is sailors
were frozen to death in the rigging of the
crafts. A tug was blown ashore and gone
to pieces the wooden pier at Lewes was
broken in three pieces.
From the daily papers the storm was
widespread. There is miles of snow
drifts on the railroads between Philadel-
phia and New York. At the postoffice
in Philadelphia was seven ton of mail
matter. The storm extended all through
the Eastern States The storm will be
remembered in this section as being one
of the severest ever known.
A passenger over the Canadian Pacific
railroad named John Matson gave the
following particulars of an accident at
North Bay. His information is not
direct, but he has every reason to be-
lieve that it is true. He says a train of
six coaches ON the Canadian Pacific was
precipitated down chasm 700 feet deep