The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-06

The storm which eliminated in fury
last night, was one OF the worst ever seen
in this part OF the country. 1t was gem
uine northeaster, aud played sad havoc
with electric wires everywhere. The tele-
phone service was seriously crippled, but
the telegraph service, especially, was
completely demora lied and at 10 O'Clock
this forenoon Ii was impossible
to send message either by the
Postal or Western Union Companies.
Neither of these great telegraph compa-
nies had single wire at its dispo.al, out
OF the thousands of lines they operate, and
both stated that the most that could be
looked for during the day would be
"patch" wire TO Boston.
Old telegraph men said that 1t had been
the worst storm for destroying wires in
% years.
The two places down town where the
destruction could be best observed were
on Exchange place, where great
cables were twisted all out
of shape, and in front OF THE NEWS edi-
torial rooms ON South Water street. At
the latter place, wires hung down every
where, on the streets, sidewalks and
into the river The wind alone
could not have done all this damage, say
the telegraph men, but the coating OF
sleet and snow weighted and froze The
wires together
Mapy poles were blown down in the
more exposed parts of the city.
The electric car service was practically
useless on account of broken trolleys and
feed wires. The Westminster street
cars stopped running entirely
about midnight and passengers
were transported in barges all the fore
noon. Other lines were disabled, but cars
managed to run occasionally.
The cars OF the Union Railroad Com
pany were completely stalled for the
greater plrt Of the morning, but aloag
toward noon il was found possible TO
start the Cranston street, Elmwood and
Prairie avenue cars as far as the Narragan-
sett Hotel.
Mount Pleasant car was stalled in
the square in front Of the City Hall and
has remained there all day. Between the
city and Olneyville the broken wires,
encased in the coats of sleet, are festooned
IN graceful fashion across the street, and
now and then broken pole entangles the
wires in a disagreeabe fashion.
The spectacle on Harris street Is we'll
worth viewing. Tall poles were broken
off close TO the ground and broken wires
everywhere abound. Broad street is al
most as bad. and the same might be said
of dozens of others.
The police signal system suffered with
the rest and at headquarters IL was re-
ported that many circuits were burned
out by crossed wires and the service other
wise crippled.
the others and similar complaints were
frequent?
The long distance telephone service,
usually the last to give out, was useless
this morning. Linemen began work on
the wires at o'clock and work hard, but
at noon time no apparent progress had
been made.
An official stated that in months time
the damage TO the telephone wires might
be temporarily repaired, but that j: will
take year to put the lines in their former
condition.
1t is estimated that the wind blew about
80 miles an hour at least during the fury
of the gale.
At fire department headqua arters this
morning the deputy said that there was
uot a fire alarm box in service in the city.
The Friendship street line OF cars were
running this forenoon as far as Dorrsnce
street.
There was great danger from falling ice
as we'll as fallen wires and all the fore
noon pedestrians found 1t difficult to
divide their attention between lodging
the missiles from above and picking their
way through the slippery s.ush below.
The train service OF the Consolidated
road was in working order at 9:4o O'Clock
this morning.
A live wire connected with a dead tele-
phone wire in q house at No. Adelaide
avenue caused a fire in the back room OF
the house.
A large telegraph pole at the corner of
Lester and Pearl streest was blown down
and IL smashed in the front of large
dwelling house on the op 'osite corner.
The snap photo" fond was in his or
her glory today.
A gentleman who came from Boston
this forenoon said that the storm had APP
parently vented its spite on Providence
and vicinity.
The freight steamer Pequot, of the
Providence line, arrived al its dock IN
this city two hours late, and Captain
Penn reports that the storm wss one or
the most severe in the history OF his sea-
faFirg life.
Shortly after noon repairs had been
made TO trolley wires sufficient to permit
the running of the Fall River and Bristol
cars, Mt. Pleasant, Riverside, Geneva ave-
nue. and Broad street lines, and motors
furnishing power TO several establish
mCnts.
A palice reserve is at the City Hall and
will toe for some time to come.
LcSnder pawley, one OF the oldest tele-
grGrh men In the city, says that he never
knew of storm that would equal this
one.
The "Flyer" on the Consolidated that
leaves New York at 10 O'Clock arrived p
minuter late.
Never before has the Police and Fire
Departments been disable by storms.
The hurry up" wagon went into com
mission March "a, 1890, and today Is the
first day that IL has not had call.
BY 10 O'Clock last night the center OF
the " blizzard had reachdd the eastern
cosst OF Long Island and passed New
York in the early morning.
Continued on Pago3)