The Portland daily press., 1891-04-04
A YOUNG WINTER.
a snort but Decidedly DIsagreeabIe
Storm.

FOR several days past 1t has been evident
tnat bad storm was brewing; for seven
days there had not been any precipitation,
and Tor the two days previous to them there
had been but two hundredths and eight hun
dredths OF an inch respectively. All Thurs
oay afternoon and evening the sky looked
piack and threatening, and the wind was
raw and damp, and in heavy gusts, from
the sea. About midnight occasionally great
blotches of snow would strike the pedestrian
then there would come a short, brief furry
and about O'Clock yesterday morning the
storm set in In earnest. 1t was southeast
er, brief and fierce. 1t piled the wet snow
up against window panes and in door ways,
and packed it in. Luckily the ground was
bare before the storm, and that was in Pc
destrians' favor.
The city horse cars put on four horses, and
the plows kept the tracks clear. This was
the case in town. The Deering cars had a
hard time. The damp snow chung to the
rails and clogged up in front of the wheels,
throwing the cars from the track at frequent
intervals, and the strength of the four horses
attached could not move the load. The male
passengers would get out and literally put
their shoulders to the wheel, lifting the car
bodily back on the rail. The delay was so
great that some of the passengers, who were
In hurry, concluded that they would foot
it, 1t was hard tramp through the slush,
and the fierce wind, sweeping across Back
Bay, almost swept the pedestrians from their
feet. Numerous wires running across Deer
ing bridge were down and dangling across
the roadway. Late in the morning the snow
turned to rain, and then the walking was
something fearful for time, for the plows
of the horse railroad had piled up the snow
OF street corners and made the slush all the
worse. The Street Commissioner deserves a
good word. While citizens were dilatory
about clearing their sidewalks, especially on
Congress street, the main avenue of travel.
Mr.. Randall had his men out and put the
crosswalks in good condition. He received
praise on every hand.
There was very heavy sea rolling In from
outside. The City of Richmond made har-
Dor at Rockland. No serious marine acct
dents were reported in this vicinity. The
fishing schooner Contest, owned by the IRE
fethens, got her chain fouled on the fluke of
her anchor, off Fort Preble. where she was
lying, and dragged ashore. Mr.. Trefethen
went out and looked at her, and said she was
not injured. but could be pulled off. The
tug Warren went out yesterday afternoon
| to bring her into the harbor The barge
Washington, at Fish Point. rubbed against
the Grand Trunk wharf and broke the pill
ing somewhat. The Clara Goodwin, at
NJ -
the piling of the wharf and stove her own
boat up. The Cornelia III. made her regular
trips Notwithstanding the storm.
The worst damage done by the storm was
to the wires, both telegraph and telephone.
The Western and Commercial Union had no
wires to the west, and but one wire each to
the east. The telephone company had about
hundred wires Frustrated. The fire alarm
struck pretty lively in the morning, but this
was caused by other wires fouling it. The
damp snow which loaded the trees and wires
while 1t made a pretty sight, did the injury
Early in the morning the school alarm struck
for no school. 1t was not cold storm, the
mercury being above freezing point all the
time. By 2p. m, the storm, so far as wind
and severe rain were concerned. was over.
No delay was experienced on the railroads
The highest rate of the wind was 36 miles
per hour.
The schooner Contest was got off by the
Express last night. She was leaking slight
ly.
The Boston boats ran last night as usual.
The Cumberland, of the International line,
from ST.. John, ran down to Portland in
great shape. but had to lay off Halfway Rock
couple of hours yesterday morning, wait
ing for the snow to clear so as to make her
way into port. 1t was rather hubby off the
Rock.
In Deering, several hundred feet of the
fence at the ball grounds were blown down,
and several telegraph poles. Many branches
| of trees suffered.
A gentleman who drove in town from
Scarboro said he had to lead his horse part
| of the way, for the binding snow made 1t
| almost impossible to see.
Nearly all the telephone poles on the west
side of Tukey's bridge were broken off dur
ing the storm.
The Western Union did no business wi h
Boston until the arrival of the Pullman.
when the conductor carried to the office
about bushel of messages that he brought
down on the train. He reported that nearly
all of the telegraph poles between Ports
mouth and Boston were down.