Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-24
BEAUTIFUL SNOW.
A GENUINE SURPRISE IN PETERSBURG
SUNDAY MORNING.
Tho Largest Flakes on I,eccrd-Great
Damage to tho Telegraph ana
Telephone wires.

co,,,ina snrnrise TO the people generally of
ina community when they awoke yoster-
day morning to find the ground covered 10
a dentb of Eve or six inches with snow tho
trees everywhere bending and breaking De.
meath the weight of snow, and the AR stiii
White with the fast-falling fakes. THIS sur
nrise was all the greater because all Satur-
dav evening and night, up to or O'Clock
in the morning, there had been heaYysn an
Continuous fall of rain, which had tho-
ovahlv saturated the ground, and no one
snnnosed that a subsequent fall OF snow
would have remained unmelted'
THEY WE'RE LIKE RAGS.
Those who had occasion TO be out during
the latter portion of the night are unahl-
,nonslv OF the opinion that they never saw
The snow fall so fast, nor ever saw the
datea az large. Some declare that the
flakes we're of all shapes and sizes, varying
from that Of cotton-boll to half the size
Of a mans hand. They came down much
faster than the warm, wet ground could
melt them. For hours the scene was
almost binding and unprecedented IN this
section. The snow was a wet one ana
stuck wherever il touched. Up TO midday
Yesterday the snow continued, the flakes
being OF unusual size, and pretty well
stopping all out-of-door travel.
DESTRUCTIVE.
The scene was one of remarkable beauty
and vet ono of destruction. The trees
looked like huge pyramids until the weight
of the snow became so great that huge
limbs gave away with crash and tumbled
to the ground. All through the streets
and wards of the city could be seen, the
wreck of shade-trees. and great numbers
of beautiful magnolias were utterly dis-
fipured. Fruit-trees particularly suffered
severely. and in this respect, 1t is reported,
the destruction in the country ID very
serious.
TELEGRAPH LINES DAMAGED.
But there was serious damage in other
resnects. The weight and tension upon
the telegraph. telephone, ana electric
wires caused many scores OF them TO snap
in two all through the city and out along the
lines in the country, and during the day
telegraphic communication in all direc-
lions was completely cut oil. Both
the Western Union and the Postal
Companies suffered greatly in damage
TO their lines. North East, West, and South
the story was the same. Between Peters
burg and Hicksford on the south the Pos
tai had over forty breakages III its wires
and between here and Richmond half az
many more. Huge poles supporting the
wires in this city were snapped or sphn-
tered and some of those that did not tall
had to be strengthened with wires or
ropes. On Sycamore street near Ia0b a
large pole was snapped in half and the
upper part was suspended on the wires.
Others were broken of near the ground.
In many places the wires were twisted to-
gether by the wind.
REPAIRING PARTIES.
This morning both telegraph companies
sent out large forces of hands in different
directions TO re-establish the wires, and
north and south communication was cstab--
lished. About noon a circuit was obtained
with Norfolk. but as yet il has not been re-
stored westward. 1t will take some time
before all of the broken wires are put III
working condition.
The large shed covering Mr.. Haurahan's
wagon-yard gave way early yesterday
morning under the weight of the snow and
fell with a great crash. Nobody was hurt.
Several OF the large electric street-lghts
fell to the ground. IL was nearly midday
Yesterday before there was any street-car
service.
This morning scarcely remnant of the
snow is left. The fire alarm system was
badly dissrranged and has not yet been
righted.
Many sheds in the country were crushed
by the snow
PERSONAL AND GENERAL.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Leonard left on
the vestibule train this evening on visit
to Florida.
The Democratic City Executive Commit
tee Will meet tomorrow night to decide
the question of holding primary or a
convention for the nomination eli
treasurer.
The horse attached to one Of Messrs.
Roper & Co.'S draws ran away on Sycamore
street to-day and colllded with Mr.. Attlcus
Winfree's buggy. Both vehicles were
badly broken. son of Mr.. Winfree's and
a boy seated in the buggy were thrown to
the ground but fortunately escaped serious
injuries.
Mr. Montgomery West, of Richmond,
spent Sunday III this city, the guest OF his
uncle, Captain John Nj. West.
Silver Dale Lodge of Good Templars, in
Ettrick, has elected Messrs. George w.
Graves and T. }. Tudor as delegates. and
Messrs. William Moore and Gerge w. Tu-
dor as alternates to the District COnven-
ton of the order TO be held in Gainesville
in April. The order numbers about 1000
members in the State.
THREE NEGRO WAITS.
Inree TabEeu negro boys NeIe ldhtn
from one of the freight cars at the South
ern depot yesterday morning. They said
they had come all the way from Jackson
vile, Fla, and were going north in search
of work. They saw yesterday for the first
time in their lives the snow, and were
iokingly told that before it stopped the
snow would be up to their necks. Upon
being released they started on the tramp
back home, though the combined funds of
the three amounted to only eighteen cents.