The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-31
THE STORM.
The Hardest One Since March of Last
Year.


1t was one of the toughest storms to be
out in that can be imagined, not on ac-
count of the cold, for the temperature
was comparatively high, but on account
of the tremendous wind, and the fine
ness and dampn ess of the snow which
completely filled the air. and poured into
the clothing almost like rain.
The signal Office observer said that at s
q. m., the barometer was down to 2S OF
with the wind blowing at the rate of 81
miles an hour, and the storm was in
creasing. At 1915 a. m. the storm centre
was at this city and the barometer indi-
Gated 2S.65 the lowest for years. The
wind was blowing a tremendous gale,
although it came more in fierce squalls
in the streets, than a steady blow. The
snow had piled up to about foot in
depth, and was still falling.
Out at the life saving station at Cape
Elizabeth, Captain Trundy reported a
fearful gale and tremendous sea but no
signs of any trouble as far as could be
discovered when the weather lightened.
The wind was northeast, so there was
not such pounding of surf on the
southeaster sets in.
In the harbor there was a great sea
running, but we hear of no danger of
Importance, except the sinking OF a
small "pinkey" between Long wharf and
Commercial wharf, the dragging of
op,I orc. .1,v tho rohoopor II opo bury 1vipo
off Long wharf and some little chatting
by vessels at the piers. The ferry boats
bobbed about as if they were out at sea.
The tugs were all in port as there was
no call for their serv ices. The Merry
coneag made her trip down the harbor
Monday night and had hard time on her
return trip yesterday morning. Owing to
the heavy sea she made only three land
ings coming up.
The Vancouver of the Dominion line,
from Liverpool and Halifax, was off
Cape Elizabeth Monday night waiting a
chance to run in.
Commercial street was virtually de-
serted, the merchants and clerks keeping
we'll housed.
The horse cars ran on their scheduled
time all day. but the electrics out to
Westbrook and Woodfords had hard
time of it. They ran sort of "go-as-
you-pleasen schedule. Manager Newman
had lots of men out, but the snow would
blow in as fast, almost, as it was
shovelled or plowed out
On the steam railroads the morning
trains were not much delayed. The
Maine Central was on time and SO was
the Rochester. The New York train
didn't connect with the Rochester at
noon, and the train that arrived at that
time was from Rochester. The morning
train over the Ogdensburg was about an
hour late. The trains from Boston were
delayed about half an hour. The MORN
ing train on the Grand Trunk was one
hour and half late, and many of the
freights were little off schedule time.
Only one pillow was sent over the road
early in the morning. Up to eleven
O'Clock the storm had not got much be-
yond South Paris.
The Maine Central train due at noon,
was about an hour late.
The afternoon trains were delayed
about the same amount of time as the
morning ones. The train due at p. m.
from Boston however was ahead of time
by three minutes. The Pennington
train over the Maine Central, due short
~ after six o'clock, got in about 8.30 p.
m. The afternoon train over the Ogdens-
burg was 1-2 hours late.
The Grand Trunk suffered the worst
during the storm of yesterday. Railroad
ing among the mountains was anything
but pleasant. The cuts were filled up to
the top, and with some OF them that
meant considerable depth of solid snow
that resisted all attempts to keep the
track open. The drifts at Pownal
averaged ten feet, and effectually
"stalledn the west bound train for two
hours, of course OBTAINING the eastbound
train SO much longer. All freight trains
were taken off, and passenger trains
made the best time they could, preceded
by pillow specials. The wind was very
high, and drifts piled up rapidly.
The train from Montreal, that in the
words of one of the men "was shovelled
out of Montreal Monday night at 10
O'clock" pulled in here in rather dis
pirited sort of way at about the same
hour last evening, and the passengers
looked tired, as we'll they might. At
noon yesterday, 143 miles had been made.
From that point to Portland, the train
made the best time it could subject to
constant detentions.
If freight service is not fully resumed
before late this afternoon that will mean
a loss of about one hundred trains. In
the meanwhile there is freight enough
in the yard here for the steamers.
One of the most unpleasant results of
the storm was the taking off of train
that seventeen of the Yarmouth wit
nesses in the Prawda trial mad expected
to take for home. They tried to get it
for their accommodation, but "very
sorry, but it can't be DONE" was the
reply. Some of the ladies had little
children to look after, and most of the
men had cattle and horses to feed, but
thew made the best of it. John L. Carter