The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-03
All Telegraph Lines Down.
Railroad Traffic Suspended.
Both Telephone Systems Greatly
Damaged.
All the Streets Were in Dark
ness.

Norfolk is IN the damp icy clasp of
King Winter. y blizzard Of unusual
severity, ushering In what promises to
be one of the greatest storms known In
this section In years. swept down upon
the country yesterday at noon, and ever
since this city and section has been the
scene of battle royal between the
raging elements, In which neither man
nor beast was spared.
IT'S FIRST APPEARANCE.
1t was the first snow Of the season
and II began falling yesterday, shortly
after noon, continuing uninterruptcdlA
Tor five hours, when n light rain fell and
made very disagreeable slush. The
rain was followed by n heavier snowfall,
and throughout the night the carth's
white mantle was made thicker and
thicker, and the pedestrians feet would
sink through an inch OF white crystals
and Into the inch and Il half OF slush un-
dcrneath. The flakes became larger and
larger. EARLIER in the day they had been
beaten into minute particles and driven
gale, but now, like big, downy feathers
they fioated to earth during the lulls
or piled up royalty IN drifts on the north
ern sides OF the buildings.
SHIPPING WARNED.
At 4:3O o'clock Observer Gray. at the
Weather Bureau, received orders from
the Chief Signal officer at Washington
TO hoist hurricane signals and warn
shipping to stay in, port.
The storm was then central off Will
mington, n. C., and moving slowly
Northward. This, II was predicted.
would cause hurricane velocity off the
coast between Wilmington and Nam
tucket.
Immediately after the receipt of this
warning the two red and black hurri-
cane flags were thrown to the breeze
| above the Weather Bureau.
ROCKET SIGNALS.
AT o'clock the night rocket signals.
warning vessels TO remain in port on nc-
count Of dangerous gales outside. were
sent up. a s these flaming messengers
Glove the air. leaving their golden fur
rows upon the blackness. each one
dropping Its bright red ball of fire, from
a great altitude, their flight was watch
ed by many of the curious and anxious
shipping men who had vessels outside
or laden and ready to leave port: with
mingled emotions of relief or dread
The captains of the big bay
boats merely looked knowingly AT
the wihZzlng fireworks and bent
on their northward course under re-
duced speed. None of them remained
in port. All sailing craft, of course
forty schooners arrived with the gale
in search of shelter.
CAPE HENRY ISOLATED.
The Government wire to Cape HATTIE
ras and the life saving stations along the
coast. in consequence of It's exposed po-
;ition. running along the beach, was the
first 10 go down before the gale, Short
~ aftcrward, or at 4 o'clock the line to
Cape Henfy was prostrnted and con-
NJ e Of dI=1 & n fl sh N
ping cannot possibly be learned for some
time, as IL IS next to impossible to repair
the wires during the gale.
CUT OFF FROM COMMUNICATION
This city Is cut off from all communi-
cation by wire with the outside world
the telephone system to Portsmouth
even having been crippled.
Last night at Z o'clock the Postal and
Western Union Telegraph Companies.
both press associations. and all railway
companies lost every wire leading out of
Norfolk. thus leaving the city entirely
isolated, so far as communication with
the outside world Is concerned. After
futile attempts to secure connection, the
night force of both offices became dis
gu:,ed. closed UP early, and went home
10 the delight Of the messenger boys.
who snowballed each other TO their
hearts content.
When called over the Southern Asso-
ciated Press wire, just before 1t went
down last night, both Charleston and
Savannah failed 10 answer. This causes
the cotton market reports TO be incom-
plete.
There is little chance that even
roundabout connection may be secured
to-day. and some thirty-six or forty
eight hours will be required to get the
lines into even fair condition. The
teleg,a aph companies have never seen
anything like II since 1885. when they
lost nearly every wire. Even during
the terrible storm of last October both
lines were able 10 dispatch business by
roundabout routes. but this morning
they have not a single wire left.
MAILS LATE.
The arrangement of the railway tele-
graphic system caused all trains to be
late and some of them failed TO arrive
at ALL The Chesapeake and Ohio trans
fer steamer Louise, due at p. M, did
not come over from Newport News.
Up to the hour of closing the Nor
folk and Western train from the West,
due here at l0:40 p. M, had not put In.
an appearance.