The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-29
TWAS A BLIZZARD.
Over a Foot Of Snow Tell Here
| Yesterday.
AND WIND BLEW SO MILES AN
HOUR AT ONE TIME.

AraiHs were DeIayed-Xhe ELECTRIC hOaus
Were Crippled and it was Almost an
Impossibility to Move About the
Streets-The Storm Was Felt in All Its
Severity Along the Water Front-The
Harbor was Terribly Rough and Some
Damage was Done to Vessels in Port.
Just a year ago yesterday Portland
was visited By the first severe snow
storm of the winter. Yesterday's bliz-
gard was in commemoration Of the storm
a year ago, only it was more so.
1t began about Q O'Clock yesterday
morning and by day break it had settled
down into ripping, roaring, old-fash-
Toned storm with the wind blowing from
90 to 30 miles an hour and very cold too.
BY noon the streets were filled with
drifts, the streets railway tracks OBJ
stluctsd In places and the electric road
people were having hard time to run
their carsssat all, to say nothing of run
ming them on time.
The Westbrook cars probably had the
| worst time of it on the Portland street
railway system. and sthe snow plcws
and big crew Of men had all they could
do to keep the road s.open. BY 2 O'Clock
things were in better shape on this line,
but as the snow contin ued to fall ut in
teryals and the wind, now shifted around
to the north, blew as hard as ever, big
drifts would pile up on the tracks and
give the street railway people all they
could do to keep the cars moving.
On the lines in the city, considerable
difficulty was experienced in keeping the
tracksfolear, but the electric road people
did excellent work and OH the whole
furnished good car servics.
| Probably the Cape eleotrics had ths
| worst stime Of it, taking everything into
consideration. The early morning cars
were run, but were a little late. During
the forenoon the transmission rope on
Knightviile gave way and carried away
an exhaust pipe. This delayed the cars
while the accident was being repaired
and at noon when thay started to run
again the road was almost hopelessly
blocked. But Superinten dent Mcleod
got on big crew of shoyellers and by
| the aid Of the snow ploW, had the road
cleared by O'Clock and the cars moving
nearly on time.
| 1t was not cold when the snow began
| to fall, but as the gale freshsned the thar-
inometer droppedsand the storm soon as
| sumed all the characteristics of bliz-
gard. 1t was most uncomfortable for PEG
| Il T. r 4, oe+no Sc nor
! they turned their faces northeast the
wind drove the fine particles of snow
against their cheeks with great violence
and the singing cold was hard to hear.
By noon considerable snow had fallen,
drifting as it came.
! Business was almost at standstill, SO
far as out of door operations We're con-
serued. The worknen at the new elevator
and new theatre did not begin opera
tions yesterday morning. Hardly q
truok team, was seen during the day, but
the grocery pungs got about the best
they could. The schools were not in ses.
sion forenoon or afternoon. Yesterday
was pay day, but very few teachers pre-.
sented themselves at the city treasurer's
offioe for their money. The policemen
huddled in sheltered corners, for there
was very little for them to do. The fire
department teams were out all day keep
ing the MIGRANTS clear of snow. Evident.
IL Chief Eldridge does not intend to be
caught mapping, even in snow storm.
The railroads were well prepared fol
the storm and handled the drifting snow
without much difficulty. The noon
train from Boston over the Eastern, was
a5 minutes late and the train over the
Western division was 35 minutes later.
The Moline Central train from the east,
due here at noon, was about half an hour
| ate. On the Mountain division the trains
were delayed about an hour, caused, il
was said, by fraight train off the track
beyond Bartlett. The storm in the noun
tains was very savere and the evening
trains were very late.
All of the Boston & Maine freight
trains leaving Portland for thu west
last night were cancelled, as were also
many of the Maine Central frei ghts
The PortIands& Rochester trains from
the west were about an hour and hall
late, and it was reported that the storm
in the interior had been one of the worst
in years.
The Grand Trunk met with little diff
Guilty in moving its trains. None of them
vera very late and no accidents were re.
ported along the lines.
The telegraph and telephone services
were not interfered with very much.
An attempt was made to reach the Two
Lights life saving station during the at
ternoon, but no answer could be OBJ
tanned. although the line seemed to be
all right.
A gentleman who resides near Stroud
water, started about II. 30 O. m. from
the post office to go to dinner. When the
car got just beyoud the overhead bridge
at the Vest End, the car stuck ano
wouldn't 60 ahead or back. Pretty soof
the plow came along and exerted LII
forces in pushing, while the car motor
man put on full current Then the cal