Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-14

The immense snow drifts which have
completely blocked travel over the Della.
ware railroad since last Thursday, have
been removed sufficiently to allow trains
70 pass over the single track, and the frs.
train TO go down since last Thursday morn
ing left this city shortly after noon Mon
DAY una reached Delinar late Monday
evening without inishap
The Norfolk train due here at A. 10 D, m,
made the run for the first time since Fri
day, and the late evening train, which
also Drought Pullman coaches from Nor
ioik. made the trip, but was about two
hours late All trains began running OF,
regnlhr time Tuesday morning.
The south bound track, which goes as
Jar south Us Ginn's, is covered with snow
fnly two'thirds OF the way, and in many
places the, drifts are fully 10 feet deep.
Men nave been working night and day to
clear this track, but IL is not likely that it
VIII DO ready for travel before to-day.
THE FIRST TRAIN SOUTH.
The Norfolk train which left Whining.
Monday at noon was the first train down
Tue Delaware road since last Friduy morn
Ing. II was in charge of Conductor Hitch,
Win Engineer Harrison and Fireman
Ford, ana consisted Of three coaches and
TWO combination mail ana baggage cars,
Alarge humber Of people from down the
state who have been snow-b0und here
since last Friday were among the pas,
sensers, and also number OF people who
nave been waiting since Friday for an
opportunity to reach Norfolk and points
south and ON the Eastern Shore. At
various points on the road
HUGE DRIFTS WE'RE SEEN
on both sides of the track and the passeu
gers had an excellent chance to Judge ms
to what the railroad men have had to cou
tend with.
At Kirkwood the train was held over
two hours, until the drift in the deep cut
between the canal and Mt. Pleasant could
be cleared away. The wait proved very
unpleasant, as but few OF the passengers
mad eaten any dinner, and the stores af
tordeh practically nothing in the way of
1000 put what was. to say the least, rather
unpnlatable. Collector OF the Port Comekys
W. X. Reynolds ind Z. X. Clayton OF
Middletown, who had been snuw-buund
here since Friday. started out and walked
TO Middletown, u distance OF eight miles
IL took them two hours, and they arrived
probably ten minutes ahead of the train
During the wait gentleman asked Eli
glpeer Harrison II he thought 1t likely
they would get through, adding that his
sister and himself had started from Boston
20 visit their home in Virginia, where they
had not been for five years. lie had ONLY
been allowed one weeks vacation, and
four days OF that was gone already. The
they were not likely to leave Kirkwood
that afternoon,
1t was after o'clock when the tram pro-
ceeded, and few hundred wards below
the canal bridge were seen tho immense
snow drifts which have withstood the as
sanlts OF nearly dozen locoin olives and
over one hundred men for over three days
and nights. As the train went through
snow was piled on either side
EVEN WITH THE CAR WINDOWS
and in many places high above the coaches
themselves After the first big drift,
which by the way, is the one which Con-
ductor Hawkins aud his train first ell
countered last Friday morning, is an open
space OF perhaps 100 yards and then there
isanother drift nearly half mile long and
from Q to II feet deep.
The four engines and 300 men which had
been at work here trying 10 clear the
north. bound track got out of the way Of
the Norfolk train to allow the latter to
pass. The snow was still several inches
deep in places and it was not certain that
Conductor Hitch would pull through.
The passengers crowded to the windows,
and as the train pulled through the deep
banks of snow, the men in the cars waved
their hats and cheered, and the workmen
on the banks and the engineers and crews
of the locomotives on the sidings joined
in right heartily.
AT Ginn's, the drifts which had delayed
Conductor Parker and his train hud been
cleared away, and as the train passed
through, the drifts reached even to the
windowsTh were of considerable length,
but not near so large Ms the ones between
Mt. Pleasant and the canal.
WILD SCRAMBLE FOR PAPERS.
The Norfolk train made the run all the
way down, and stopped at nearly every
station along the Delaware road Ii carried
the first mail, as well as the first news
papers that have gone down since Friday.
There was crowd at nearly every station
along the route and a general scramble en-
sued for the daily papers when tney were
thrown out. Last Fridays and SATURDAYS
papers were read as eagerly as il they had
been printed less than two hours before.
The people were apparently starving
every day seemed like Sunday without
them" There was general demand for
EVERY EVENING and the newsboys all
along the road were on hand to receive
their papers.
PUBLIC ROADS BLOCKED.
The public roads down the State have
been blocked as completely as has the
railroad. and 1t will be days yet before
they will open for travel. Farmers who
want to reach the towns are Obliged 10
cross fields and tear down fences 1t is
thought that travel on the highway
throughout the State is now more COM
pletely blocked than ever before, the biz-
zard of 1888 not excepted.
BRANCH ROADS CLOSED.
Both the branch roads at Clayton, the
u. d z. and the ChestertOwn branch were
closed to travel Monday.
THE STORY OF a PASSENGER.
J. A. Booker, with Harvey & Sisler of
this city, and one of the passengers held
up by the drifts at Mt Pleasant, tells a
very Interesting story Of the affair Il was
just l2.45 Friday afternoon when the train
came to q standstill below the canal bridge,
The wind was blowing gale and the snow
drifting furiously. There were three ladies
and nine children in the 40 or more pas.
sengers on board, and while the cirenm-
stances were far from pleasant, the utmost
good humori prevailed. Among those on
board were N. 7. Clark, wife ana four
small children, from Ohio en- route for
Cambridge, Md, and J. d. Williamson,
wife and three daughters of Salisbury,
Md. who were returning from the funeral
OF Mr.. Williamson's mother in Baltimore,
and r. y. Merritt, wife and child of War.
wick. Mr.. Merritt left the train on Satur.
day and walked to Warwick, distance of
IS miles.
a DANGEROUS JOURNEY.
Brakeman Fred. A. Ross and Baggage.
master II. j. Mifflin, soon after it was seen
impossible TO get out of the drift for some
hours. faced the terrific wind and snow
and walked buck to the signal tower this
side Of the canal bridge to telegraph for aid
and also to send messages to friends or
relatives OF the passengers OH board. The
trip was during and exceedingly danger
Gus one. When crossing the canal bridge
the force OF the wind was such that II re-
nuired avery pffnrt nf thA man ~ kaa,,