The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-03-10
SNOW IN SAVANNAH.
- Novelty Which Almost Made tho Poo
pie Wild Ono Day Last Month.

pie Wild Ono Day Last Month.
When the mantle Of snow was spread
over the city that Friday morning in
February, tho people did not know Just
how to take it at first. Then they turned
In to have fun. All day tho city was
practically in the hands Of merrymak-
crs. The people went wild over the
snow 1t was worse than three years
ago. Thon, on the occasion Of n very
slight fall OF snow, some merchants got
outside their stores and began snow
oalIlng each other, and q policeman in
tertered With the sport. They turned
on him and made it so hot Tor him that
no was glad to retreat, at first slowly,
but afterward at double quick, and ho
nnaliy broke into q run and was chased
TO the barracks, q distance of about 1 -
miles, by a bowling mob of q thousand
men, women and children.
Tho school children were dismissed
Tor The day after roll call in tho morn
Ing, so they joined the throng on the
streets. Staid and sober business men,
oankors, lawyers and clergymen went
along the streets with tightly packed
balls Of Eno in their hands ready to
peit acquaintance, or, in fact. anybody
that made n good target. BangI and
the silk hat worn by a banker or lawyer
would leavo~the head Of woarer and
Land far out in the street. AS tho owner
attempted to capture it volley Of snow
balls would come from another direc-
ton. The electric cars wero u mark for
q largo portion of the merrymakers,
aud conductors and motormen were
tl4eRted as targets put up expressly for
the SNOWFALL sh~arpshooters. The con-
Nuctors hid themselves inside tho cars
most of the time. Along in the after
noon, when the fun had become moro
furious and the SNOW was SO soft that
1nowballs could be packed like solid ice,
the motormen, after leaving ono street
crossing, would 60 inside tho car and
stay there until the next crossing was
reached, thus escaping the bombardment
directed at the cars.
The women, both young and old,
were not far behind the mon in the
sport. Tho height of tho excitement was
teached late in the afternoon, when an
smproyised sleigh turned from one Of
The side streets into Bull street. 1t was
followed by about so men and boys, but
once'on this principal t%horouRhfare the
crowd increased tenfold and tho noise
correspondingly. Tho sleigh went up
the street and down again. Every man,
woman and child wanted o sleigh ride.
The frail conveyance was swarmed with
passengers all the time, and the horse
v q we'll nigh exhausted by drawing the
load and being pummeled with snow
balls. Tho breaking of windows became
a favorlte pastime. On many street cars
not q whole pane Of glass would be-
Found when they returned to the car
house, 30 the order was given to haul
of the closed cars. and after that only
open cars were run, and the conductors
II motormen alone were left as tar
gets. No passengers ventured to ride in
the open cars. At tho Scrovan House
several large plate glass windows were
broken, and i'll other parts of the city
damage of a similar nature was report-
cd. Requests were sent to police head
quarters that tho snowballing bo stop
ped, but no attention was paid to them,
tho police remembering tho experience
of three years ago.
There were q few serious accidents.
Ono man was struck i'll the eye with u
enowball i'll which was q small stone.
Tho eyeball was injured, aud loss of
eight of Il eye may follow.-Savannab
Letter.