The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-02-15
VOL 30
THE LATE BLIZZARD. SOME OF
ITS DAMAGES.
The Older Ones Set to Thinking About It's
Equal. Younger Ones Say Il Was
the Worst they Ever Saw..-They Are
Right About n, no Doubt.

On Thursday evening February 9TH,
1906, a terrific snow and wind storm,
the nearest approach to the western
blizzard that this section has yet ex-
perlenced, set in, and it seemed to
have come to stay. Though not the
genuine western blizzard that defies
man or beast, and that freezes all
clothing as stiff as board in less than
Is minutes, yet it pied the pure
white and poetical snow so high in
the pathway, the roadway and on all
the railroad tracks, as to temporarily
check all manner of traffic and loco.
motion. 1t was for time difficult
to discover the poetry the unknown
author found in "the beautiful snow"
In fact the weather was such as to
somewhat endanger the life Of man or
beast exposed to it for any great
length of time. Like the western
cyclone that sometimes visits us in
summer, we are now beginning to
have an occasional touch of their
winter Billiards, though as yet they
are somewhat tempered to the shorn
lambs Of this latitude. 1t is grow.
ing condition admonishing all that in
the midst of life it is we'll 10 prepare
for death, in winter and summer both.
But if we are entirely too spiritually
Indifferent for that land fear we are)
let us at least try to break the coal
combine somewhat so that we don't
freeze to death for want of cornered
fuel when the billiards strike us.
The Insignificant and temporary
trolley tie up in Brooklyn was as moth
ing compared with the blizzard tie. up
in the greater part of the United
States-north, south, east and west.
All the suffering and death resulting
from this fierce wind and cutting sleet
has not been told and never will be.
If wealth covers a multitude of sins,
honest and modest poverty don't ad.
vertise all it knows and feels in winter
or summer if it did there would be
more practical and less theoretical
effort among home missionaries and
theoretical workers in the moral vine.
yard VITO find themselves comfortably
housed when the fierce and biting
elements howl and pierce and shrek
the mimicry of pain inflicted upon
the highly civilized and christianized
at home.
The storm in this vicinity was pro-
nounced the very worst we have had
for many years, stopping all traffic
and communication temporarily from
near and far. Where cellars were
not thoroughly banked and closed,
fruits and vegetables stored therein
froze, the thermometer ranging lower
for continuous period than it had
for years. The railroads centering
here found it impossible to make
schedule time, and in fact they found
1t necessary to abandon all effort to
do so, after persistent endeavor had
proven the futility of the attempt. All
of Thursday night, all of Friday and
Friday night, and all of Saturday and
Saturday night, may be included in a
continuous period more or less
blizzardy and blustery, and during all
of which time it may be said to have
been positively dangerous to be out,
as the reports of freezing now fully
confirm.
Reports from the south, where
little Or no precaution is taken against
freezing, indicate even greater loss and
suffering than the first cold wave en-
tailed upon that section. The ruinous
influence of the storm is said 10 have
been more or less felt throughout the
south and southwest as well as in the
north and northwest.
As for country roads it will take
weeks in some cases for the farmers
to make them pas.able for the public
TESTIMONY FROM ABROAD.
Williamsport.-The blizzard struck
this place most severely of anything
We have had for years. 1t was ter
ror from any standpoint. People
home by warm fire were glad of it.
All rail and other traffic interfered
with. Thermometer three degrees
below the lowest. The shivering poor
relieved by orders drawn to get them
coal, &c.
Lewisburg. -Thermometer ranges
from 10 to I6 belew zero. No at
tempt can be made to raise blockades
until the fierce wind abates its fury
Men will not, cannot work in 1t.
Wreck crews tried but failed in all
manly attempt to stand it. The Erie
mail train was buried in the snow.
All trains are from one to three hours
late.
Allenwood.- wrecked. Two
engines, a baggage car, and two pas
senger cars thrown off the track into
The snow. Passengers escape, but
Engineer Enrich and his fireman
Scalded and seriously hurt.