Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-03-19
BLIZZARD IN BRITAIN.
TERRIFIC STORM OF SNOW AND
WIND.

Many Lives Lost by Marine Disasters--
Railroad Trafic Throughout England Al
most Blocked and Communication with
the Continent Suspended for Thirty six
Hours.
The severest storm known I'm the Brit
fish Isles, and ON the adjacent seas, for
twenty years, ragged for two days, re-
sulting In the loss OF many lives, the de-
struction OF vast amount of property.
and an unexampled blockade of travel.
In London traffic was impeded, the
streets piled up with snow, and the wind
blew hurricane, Railways were
blocked and telegraph wires down in all
directions. The snow covered the south
of England in some places to the depth
Of eight feet. From Plymouth, Dover,
Sheerness, and ports along the east
coast as far north as Newcastle, come re-
ports Of wreck and disaster. Five fish
ing smacks have been wrecked of
Hastings, and three persons drowned.
A coast-guard boat, while attempt
ing to effect the rescue of
the distressed seamen off Sandgate cap
sized, and seven of those on board were
drowned. At police headquarters sew
eral persons were reported missing, and
1t is feared they perishcd in the snow.
drifts. A rumor was In circulation that
a channel steamer had gone down be-
tween Dover and Calais, and that all on
board were lost The Channel service
was suspended, and no communication
was had with Paris for thirty-six hours.
The tremendous force of the waves
preached the sea wall which supports
the tracks of the Great Western Railway
between Dawlish and Exeter, I'm Devon
shire. An engineer who left the loco
motive fast in a drift and attempt
ed to reach a place of shelter
was almost frozen to death before
be was discovered and rescued. The
blizzard extended from the Channel TO
the North Sea. Several manufacturing
establishments were compelled to shut
down on account of the SHOW blockade.
All field work was abandoned, and the
loss to farm stock will undoubtedly be
immense. The banks OF the Thames
from Richmond down were inundated;
the wagons In Covent Garden Market
were so showed up as to be inaccessible,
and in consequence supplies became
scarce. In the poorer quarters OF the
city this caused serious suffering. On
the docks work was partially suspended.
The yacht Sapphire, from Flushing
for Harwich, while making tho latter
port at midnight, struck on rock, and
Mr.. Macharr. OF Glasgow, her owner,
was washed overheard and drowned.
The steamship Victoria's passage
across the Channel was q memorable
one, and the weather was the worst
known in the history OF the stormy
twenty miles of water which separates
France from Dover. Forty-nine Dassen-
gers were booked to cross from Dover in
the Victoria, but of these twenty-eight
determined to remain on terra frma
when they saw the sort OF night 1t was.
Among these passengers wero her royal
and imperial highness the Duchess OF
Edinburgh and Lody pvSlIscnIIu AS
soon as the steamer left the harbor she
began to experience the full force OF the
blizzard, while the snow, as it whirled
around, was almost binding. The storm
rose rapidly and the huge seas which
swept the decks reached even as far as
the ladies' cabin. To make matters
worse, the officers lost their bearings,
and the engines were slowed down, as
the Victoria was then believed to be near
Cape Grisnez. Suddenly she grazed a
sandy bottom, although the soundings
showed that she was in fifteen fathoms
Of water. The engines were continued
running slow until in the morning, when
the blizzard was at its height, and the
anchors were cast. Shortly after this q
mammoth sea broke over and flooded
the ship, which remained at anchor un-
I'll the weather cleared and IL was found
she was near Calais. The. passengers all
suffered severely from the cold