Evening journal., 1897-01-28
GREAT SNOW STORM.
Wilmington Covered With a
White Mantle This Morning.
TRAVEL IS SOMEWHAT IMPEDED
CITY RAILWAY SWEEPER WAS
KEPT BUSY ALL NIGHT-DELA-
WARE RAILROADTRAINs EQUIP
PED WITH TWO ENGINES.

PED WITH TWO ENGINES.
The heaYiest fall of snow that has
been seen in this city since 1895 is that
which came last night and this morn
ing. The storm started in shortly after
neon yesterday and continued at brief
intervals until about o'clock. Then il
begaa to come down to some purpose,
falling in clouds.
The earth was dry and the cir crisp
and cold enough to permit the fleecy
flakes TO lay. The snow continued
without interruption all night and the
greater part Of the morning, the fall
being about seven inches.
In many places the wind had formed
huge drifts to the depth CT three to
four feet
Early last night the Wilmington City
Railway Company found 10 necessary
TO put its sweeper in operation, and il
was kept going all night on the tracks
Of the various lines TO prepare for
travel to-day.
All precautions were taken to ex-
pcdite travel and avoid accidents Yet
owing to the slippery condition of the
rails, many accidents were narrowly
averted 10 was almost impossible to
stop the cars on a grade, aud passcn-
gers frequently had to plunge along
through the drifts for half a block on
the Fourth. Front and Eighth street
hills before they were able to catch a
car.
A motorman on one Of the cars said
this morning.
"a snow like this is almost enough
to turn a mOt0rman's hair gray.
Though people know that IL Is almost
impossible TO stop the cars they will
persist in walking between the tracks
on the hills. and they refuse to get out
until the car is nearly on them. de-
spite the persistent ringing Of the gong.
/ AS the space between the tracks is
cleaned by the company's sweeper II is
a favOrite place for walking, and
thought several times this morning
that | would hurt some of the daring
pedestrians.
The keepers Of the livery stables
who fer several Winters have been be
wailing the hard fate which has denied
them snow enough to make sleigh rid
ing pleasant, were all smiles this
morning
They were kept busy getting out the
! sleighs. which have been stored away
for two years, and hiring them out tC
impatient gleighers. They are hOpefu
of a continued period Of good slelghing
Along the river front the beauty o
the storm was brought out with grea
/, effect. The Christiana was frozen har'
from ghOre to shore. and the deep snoz
fall made a very realistic Arctic scene
The storm delayed many of the rail
} read trains. The sOuth-bOund midnigh
, Delaware railroad train was taken on
by two engines last night 10 enable
to 90 through the drifts down tn
state. The nOrth-bo Delaware rail
road train arriving here early thi
p morning also had two engines at
tached.
The railroad company's sweeper wa
brought into service in the city las
night and all the tracks here wer
cleared.
The p. W & b. railroad station wa
crowded from IL o'clock until nearly /
o'clock with passengers who were walt
ing for delayed trains The 11.04 o'cloc
! express was thirty minutes late
and the Delaware railroad section G
! Il had to be taken out by two lOcomo
tiyes, owing to the heavy drifts whic
at the Delaware and Chesapeake cans
reached over four feet in depth.
Delaware railroad train No. So ais
had two engines attached, but th
ncrth-bound Delaware railroad trai
arriving here at l1.25 o'clock had bl
one engine She was thirty-hve mir
% utes late In the lower part OF the stai
e 1t is said that the storm was even wOr.
{ than IL was in the city.