The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-23
A FIERCE BLIZZARD.
The Hardest Storm in Portland
Since 1857.
Wind Blows Gale All Day-Trains Much
DeIayed-Streets Almost Deserted. +

Wind Blows a Gale All Day-Trains Much
DeIayed-streets Almost Deserted. +
Monday Portland experienced biz
card. Yesterday it endured another and
worse one. A storm that had developed
in ting Mississippi valley swept down on
New England without any previous warn
ing. The wind was northwest in the ear
ly morning and the snow had fallen to
the extent of several inches when the
barometer fell four-tenths lower-or the
lowest record of the winter-the wind
whisked into the northeast and blew at
the rate of 30 miles an hour.
At that time, about IL o. clock, the cen
tire of the cyclone was removed little
distance from Portland, but was fast
preaching the city. Later the wind
blew almost 40 miles an hour, but by 5
o'clock it had dropped to % miles and
the signal officers considered the cyclone
was gradually blowing out. About ten
inches of snow fell. The mercury [dur-
ing the day indicated about 22o.
The day being a holiday most of the
stores were closed and Commercial
street was almost deserted in the after
noon. 1t was hard work getting about
in the snow. The electric railway kept
its cars going, but they didn't pretend to
make schedule time. The horse plows
ran to keep the street tracks in the city
in fairly good coodition for the horse
cars, all Of which had on four horses
each.
The telephone service was very good
notwithstanding the blow and that was a
great help.
In the Harbor.
In the harbor a similar scene to that CT
Monday was presented. The air was full
of snow so as to make objects scarcely
discernable at arms length. The waves
beat agai nst the wharves and the vessels
strained at their moorings. The Forest
City of the Boston line reached Boston
at 1890 a. M, while the fremont reached
OIUlduQ dUOuO du uOuI 4AC OOnto
of the Maine Steamship Company re-
manned at their docks in each city.
The life saving station at the Cape re-
ported a terrible day but no wrecks.
The schooner Lillian, Capt. Norwood,
arrived from Boston in ballast. She re-
ports having a rough time in the gale,
carrying away her maintopmast and
portion of her rigging.
The schooners B. L. Eaton and S. NJ.
Porter, both of Calais, shipped a crew
and are in the stream ready to proceed,
but were prevented by the gale.
The bark Anita, from Philadelphia,
came in with a cargo of coal to G. R.
Milliken. Capt. Riddle reports hard
passage and considers himself fortunate
in getting in before the blow:
The E. F. Willard succeeded in making
port with cargo of 10000 pounds of
fish. Capt. Robinson says Monday night
was very tough. He lost yesterday his
jib and tore his foregaff to pieces. The
fish are worth five to six cents.
The ferry boats made their trips to the
cape, but with difficulty.
The schooner Albemarle, which put in
to the harbor shortly after daybreak,
scudding under bare poles, reports see
ing a three-masted schooner heavily la
den, ssprobably with coal. The coaler
had made two attempts to make this
port, but the third time she was blown
off to sea and gave up the attempt. The
Albemarle dragged her anchors and for
while drifted about the harbor. Her
bowsprit tore hole in the ssmainsail of
fishing schooner that was anchored near
Fort Gorges.
The floating ice smashed the dories of
seiner into kindling wood.
Even the Small Boy Yields.
The sound of the tin horn was more
noticeable yesterday on account of its
absence than for its frequency. For
once the small boy found the weather too
much for him.
Travel on the roads was light yester-
day and the hotels didn't put many
names on the registers.in consequence.
There was no session of the Municipal
Court. One man was brought in drunk,
who tried to make disturbance on
Commercial street. The officers pulled
their boxes every hour instead of every
half hour.
The Railroads.
The storm was particularly hard on
the railroads, especially the electric
road. Coming right on the heels of the
great storm of Monday it found the road
already well-nigh walled in by great