Evening journal., 1893-02-20
ICY BLASTS FROM THE WEST
fleRcELY A BLIZZARD BEARS DOWN
UPON THESE REGIONS.

Heavy Winds Blow Awnings, Swinging
Signs, Trees and old Buildings TO Pieces.
A Freight Car Completely wrecked-No
Communication with tho Breakwater.
Without a moments warning a fierce
blizzard from the West struck Whining
ton about 10 30 o'clock last night in a
sudden furry of snow and a wind that
surpassed in force aud fierceness any.
thing known since the cyclone. Pedes-
trians, caught unawares, made a lively
rush for cars and cabs
A gale Of wind with driving hail and
snow was reported TO be raging from
points as far north as Central Maine,
down TO Cape Charles, Va. and inlaid
for at least 400 miles. Telegraph wires
and awnings were twisted, broken or
torn out, and with the dawn of to-day
things generally presented delapidated
aud post battle appearance.
Shortly after midnight the tempera-
ture began 10 fall, aud It became appar-
ent at once that winter had renewed its
powerful grasp and that little Delaware
was in for it again in the shape Of
another cold wave. If the ground hog
himself is not frozen up, the theory that
I
bly, never be thawed out again except to
be used as piece of history The
snow accompanying the icy winds last
night ceased to fall after / o'clock but
the fine snow that had fallen was car.
ried in dense clouds that blinded man
and beast
Mercury Gets Down 30 Eight.
At z o'clock this morning a thermom-
eter on the Fifth street side Of Bay.
nard store, registered degrees above
zero At the same time Temperature
indicator" on the Market street or pro
tected side registered IS degrees A
thermometer carried against the fierce
aud piercing wind that was blowing at
that time showed that the temperature
was not over degrees.
A Train Snow-Bound.
The snow at Waynesburg Junction on
the Wilmington aud Northern railroad
was seven inches deep this morning The
high winds drlfted 1t so badly that the
train over that road due In this city at
8 10 was snow. bound at that point.
Train No on the same road, due st
1890. was twenty FIVE minutes late The
II 06 south bound over the r.. w. & b.
railroad was delayed twenty minutes on
the New York division.
A Car Roof Blown TO Atoms.
At Townsend, Del freight car from
which a cargo had just been discharged,
was wrecked by the gale. The roof was
lifted up bodily and carried
away to a distance of several yards. The
roof was blown against the ground with
such farce that 1t was smashed to splin
ters.
Havoc with the Wires.
The wind played havoc with the wires
Telegraphic Communication was only
maintained with Philadelphia and few
Pennsylvania towns
u Lewes, Elkton and other towns coulC
not be reached by telegraph this morn
/ ing.
A Large Sign Falls.
A large sign in front Of Cummings
3 photograph gallery was blown down thi
J morning. The sign extended the ful
width Of the building and hung higl
4 above the streets. It is one of the larg
Z est signs in the city and has stood Tn
I storms for many years. Many smalle
signs and several awnings on Marke
. street were also torn from their fasten
{ ings and blown about the streets.
Storm Notes.
The roof OF the stable OF Enoch Jeffei
son, colored, at No 230 Union street
was blown of by the heavy wind las
night.
The fence surrounding the new brio
houses at Sixth and jackson streets, wa
5 blown into the middle Of Sixth stree
The steps Of the houses were also tor
from their positions.
g School children we're sent home
y many Of the teachers in the city tn
IS morning owing 10 the low temperatui
. Of the school rooms.
d Third street bridge was blown fro
its fastenings last night during Il
n heavy gale A yawl boat was put
a service to enable the draw to be put
q its place again.
The spouting was blown of Of King
8 wood Church during the gale last nigh