The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-19
ROANOKE VA, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 49, $780,

escaped without any injury save the
knock In the head from the plaster,
but 1T was hair-breadt tn escape
Engineer S. III. Stormfeltz did not
fare quite so we'll. He had Just started
tho new pump to work and stepped to
the telephone and talked to central /,
lew moments about the storm, when tho
building, which had received an ad-
dltlonal jar from the starting of the
pump, collapsed
The steam from tho broken steam
pipes came Surging into the room from
Inc boiler room and almost smothcred
Mr.. Stormfeltz, who ran to u window in
the northeast corner of the room and
essayed to raise it. Being short of
stature, and the window down tight, he
failed to get it up.
Being by this time almost sui coated,
nc knocked hole in Il pane or glass
with his hand and stuck his head ont to
get air. Then after two more :,ttom,ts
he got the window open and threw HIM
self out.
Thcold building being the moro sub
startal stood its ground. ana the ROOF
directly over his head not falling. saved
the engineers life. All the southern
part OF the room came down.
inc walls OF the southern and latest
built part of tho room were o inches in
thickness. Tho upper portions did not
seem to be as substantial rs might be.
the mortar being apparently OF an infe-
rlor quality. Tho two pumps Il, work
greatly Jared tho building, and the
TACT that the crash came shortly after
the second pump WAS put in action is
almost lncontrorcrtablc evidence that
tho jar, together with the weight of
snow on the roof, caused tho calamity.
The reporter climbed tho hill to the
Reservoir which is entirely empty The
water supply for the hills gave out ut
1880 o'clock Wednesday, and by & o'clock
tho Reservoir WAS empty.
Tho bottom Of the Reservoir is as clean
rs whistle. there being only 4 few
leaves here and there on the bottom.
There Is no need to buy Baltimore.
Phaladeluhia or New York paper to fiud
the news. BY subscribing for THE TIMES
you can have it served to you every
morning at your breakfast table twelv O
hours in advance of tho Northern papers.
SNOW STORMS OF THE AGES.
What Happened Whom the Old sIcn We're
Young.
Tho traditional "Oldcst Inhabitant,
was in his glory yesterday. In the
lobbies of the hotels he held forth to
bodies of amazed listeners, who heark :
ened with eager interest to tales of the
winterof 3s, when Big Li9k was buried
out of light by Il snow storm which
dwarteu tho one then engaging the time
and attention of the people outside oven
as the Magic City of 1850 cclipscs the
village OF 1850.
This particular "Oldest Inhabitant,,
had many rivals and us they contested
for honors they added inch upon inch
to'thc snowfall OF some particular period
until it assumed an aspect alarming
even i'll retrospect.
Many of him tstrctly grammatical in
this sense delighted to dwell upon tho
healthful and prosperous aftermath of
any year that bchcld white" Christ
mas or particularly heavy snow storm.
Then he would lugubrously shake
his head and tell of the fatal summer
OF ls?o throughout the country. recall
ing names of persons who h:.d died
(many Of them were Sairy Camns, no
doubt within his knowledge, until one
sympathetic Youngest inhabitant was
led to sorrowfully remark: "Ncs. that
is true; people have died this year who
never died before"
The tremendous stories that arc re-
lated to the people in times like this
make one fearful that when the present
rising generation has its locks silvcred
ny the SHOWS of time, each recurring
Christmas the young ones of those DAYS
Will be RECALLED with the vivid accounts
or how, III the winter of 1870, snow fell
upon the then thriving village OF SIX
iect or more and arrayed about that
story VIII be many frills of fancy which
VIII be rudely dispclled when tho back
files of TIE ROANOKE TIMES are ex
hulned and the full account in the
issues of this week are read to verify
the statements.