Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-02-12
THE ARCTIC WAVE /!
Ertreme Winter Weather-Tae Gold
est For Years, Both on THIS
Continent and Europe-1he
Local Severity Beats an
Preuioms Records.

The past week has been one uiarh-
ed by unusual winter severity DO tn
Mt home and abroad-snow, exceed
inply low temperature, winds and
drifting causing blockades, stagna-
ton of business and without doubt
much suffering.
All over the middle, northern and
western States the thermometer has
been below zero, and at many places
far below, the lowest Cos degrees)
being reached at White River, On
tario.
At Amesburg, Mass, the weather
was the coolest for fifty years.
So intense was the cold in the
Eud son Valley, N. Y, that ice har-
yesting was suspended.
For the first time in seventv-five
years Lake Champlain is frozen over
its entire length.
Bitter cold weather and snow
storms prevail throughout Europe.
Snow fell here again last wednes-
day night Thursday and Thursday
night, and being light and accompan-
led by heavy wind storm it drifted
rapidly. With the fall of snow it be-
came intensely cold. The railroads
and all highways of travel became
blockaded, and for several days we
have. except by telegraph, been
almost completely isulated from the
outer world.
On Friday there we're snow-bound
engines. some of them with passen-
ger trains, in the vicinity or within
few miles of Charles Town as fol-
lows: On the N. & W. one just north
of Charles Town and two in the
neighborhood of Berryville; and on
the b. & o. one near Stephcnson's
and six between here and Harper's
Ferry.
The N. & W, through express,
} southbound, arrived in this vicinity
! about daylight Friday morning, and
} got stuck in snow-drift short dis
tance north of the b. &c o. crossing,
} from which it was impossible to get
extricated, the snow drifting higher
and higher against the cars. The
passengers were taken off in the big
sleigh of the Hotel Watson, thanks
TO the courageous efforts of Mr..
John Elliott and his efficient assist
ants. Capt. C. W. Harris was in
charge of the train, with III. NJ.
Hickman engineer, John W. Wal
lace fireman, James Skies baggage
master, j. w. Long express messen-
ger, Fenwick fagman, and
C. NJ. Chinalt conductor of Pullman
car. On board were Miss Drake, of
Petersburg, Va. /; Edwin Fitzgerald,
: of Knoxville, Tenn, Traffic Manager
of the Southern Railway; L. S.
Davant, Gen'l Freight Agent of the
n. & w. r.. r.; B. f. Keller, of
West Virginia: Frank Tickling, of
Roanoke, Va; d. Gordon Harrell,
of Shenandoah, Va; E. A. Roe and
VIM. T. HolIingsworth, of Devon
shire, England; DR.. S. G. Staples, of
Washington, d. c.; c. j. Delonc, of
Hanover, Pa; r. G. BEDFORD, of
Raleigh, N. c.; j. G. Huntington,
OF Baltimore; Bayard p. Holmes, of
New York; John Watkins, of Bos-
ton; Capt. Jno. r. johnson, Of
Christiansburg, Va, counsel of N.
& w. r. r. A. P. Taliaferro, of
Roanoke Brown Burr, of New
York; and a. R. Wing, of Tennes-
see.
The last b. & o. train passing
here was the Winchester Accommo-
dation Thursday night, which got
stuck in a drift near Stephenson's
} depot. Work has been prosecuted
between here and Harper's Ferry,
! but broken pilot caused the derail-
ment of an engine near Halltown on
Saturday, cutting off further assist
ance and delaying matters consider
ably. The engine was finally run
further off, the track cleared and adj
ditional forces brought up TO the big
cut just below town, Trains, we
understand, were running between
Strasburg and Harrisonburg on Sat
urday, and to Staunton on Sunday.
In addition TO the snow, wreck on
the metropolitan Branch blocked
travel in that direction.
The work of shoveling the i'm
mensc drifts of snow from the rail-
road cuts has been prosecuted day
and night. Large forces of extra
men have been hired at fifteen cents
per hour, and Notwithstanding the
severe weather numbers were found
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