Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-12-27
A Wild, FURIOUS STORM.
Pittsburg Shut Off from Communica.
ton with the Outside World.
shipping and Railroad Business Rem
dered Difficult and Dangerous, Havoc
Wrought by w Ind md SNOW.

dered Difficult and Dangerous, Havoc
Wrought by Wind and Snow.
A despatch from Pittsburg. Pa says: Pro-
baby never in its history has Pi,tsburg been
more completely in the grip Of the Storm
King. As the result of a continuous snow
storm for over twenty.four hours, all railroad
traffic Is interrupted, electric street railways
are stopped, electric lights are out, and com
mnnicatien by telegr phi with the outside
world is almost entirely broken Off Several
persons have been injured by contact with
electric wires, and half dozen horses have
been killed in their tracks By the same deudy
current
SNOW began falling lightly in the morning.
and at night became very heavy, reaching a
depth OF twelve inches. This is the heaviest
fall since January 1856, when eight inches
tel. here in two hours.
From the start the now was of heavy,
damp character, ard it turned to a drilling
rain, which weighted wires and roots TO Their
utmost, and added to the interruptions and
dangers ten fold.
The most startling feature Of the storm was
its effect upon the electric wires All over
Piesburg and Allegheny the telephone, tele-
graph, electric light, and street railway wires
were down. The fast fatality occurred before
day light Two black stations owned by
George Biehl. were being driven up Third
Avenue, when suddenly an electric light wire
snapped in twain, crossed street railway
wire, and then dropped over the heads OF the
two stations.
The magnificent rutes fell in their tracks
Joe Hildorfer, the driver. and his companion.
were thrown b adlong out into snow bank
by the shock. The horses were not instantly
killed. Their flesh began sizzling and brol-
ing and from the fore hoois of each animal
httul streams of FIRE shot in bright flashes.
Fifteen minutes of this agony ended in Il ath.
Two men were badly shocked BY this same
wire, but not severely hurt. During the fore
noon another electric wire fell on a team Of
horses, burning the animals 50 badly that they
had to be shot. Two other horses met
similar fate later in the day
All the steam roads entering Pittshurg had
great odds to contend against Passenger
trains have heeu from half an hour to Fl We
hours late. Freight and coal trains have been
held whenever possible. On the Fort Wayne
aud Pan Handle Roads the snow is from six
TO eighteen inches deep.
In the mountains two feet Of snow are re.
ported with complete blockade of the lum-
Der business along the Blue and Laurel Ridge.
West Virginia and Eastern Ohio have suffered
greatly, and there, as here, the tuution is
growing wor e. Present indications are that
former records will be completely eclipsed.
The average fall is rapidly nearing the two
foot line.
Apologies have been sent out by postofice
and railroad departments 10 the effect that al
mails will be several hours late Millions of
tons of coal are lying in the back water from
the dam, and should a rapid thaw ensue tho
greatest damage will be along the rivers. The
thermometer registers two degrees above
freezing.
NEW YoRK-A whirling dervish of a
cyclone from the Wild West whisked across
this city. 1t first struck the city at 430
O'Clock A. NJ. A fierce northeaster rushed in,
bringing with it chilling rain. Such an
cratic blast has not been lelt hereabout for
many day.
The storm seriously interferred with river
and harbor business Several canal aud
smaller boats have been sunk at piers, in both
the North and East Rivers and the high tide
and the gale have combined TO make il dbl
cult for the many ferryhoats to run into their
slips safely. Many Of the out going passenger
steamers are ut anchor in the harbor
ROANOKE, VA.-The blacksmith shop Of
the Roanoke Machine WORKS brick build
ing 240 by 50 ieet, eaved in beneath the great
weight of snow on the roof Edward Linken.
hacker, a young man in charge of one OF the
large steel hammers, was instantly Killed;
Matthew Tiplady had leg and arm crushed
so that the latter had to be amputated and
several other serious cuts and bruises about
the head and shoulders. The building, which
is total wreck, cost S25, goo
The scene during the cary morning h6uis
beggars description. Buildings creuked he.
meath the great mass OF snow on ne roots, and
once in while would fall with a crash. Two
large livery stables, uith several thousand
dollars worth OF yehiC,.s and the skating rink,
III which the were two stores are wreck.
Later in the DAY the pump house which
supp les the city with water tell, destroying
two fine new pump. and damaging the engines.
Snow fell for twenty four hours and is packed
tightly to the depth Of thirty-tao inches.
Travel on the railroads aud street car lines
has been suspended.
KNOXVILLE, TENN.-Upper east Tennessee
has from four 10 eight inches on The ground,
the mountains twenty miles north of here are
covered to about the same depth, and the
mountains along the Tennessee aud North
Carolina boarder have from six inches TO two
feet of snow. None of the Norfolk aud
Western trains are running on time and re-
ports received here say that the road is buried
in from one to three feet of snow.
BRISTOL TENN--A blizzard is raging here
The snow is one foot deep on a level, aud in
places is drifted four feet deep, trains are
having trouble to get through.
BALTIMORE MD.-The storm was very
heavy here. The wind registered forty miles
an hour and was accompanied by rain The
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company reports
snow ten ebes deep on the Harper's Ferry
d Valley Division six inches in the vicinity
of Altamount, on the third division, and five
inches in Martinshurg The telegraph SER
vice OF the company is ba Wy crpp ed. Bay
steamers arriving report the widest kind Of
weather on the Chesapeake.