Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-02-05
AN EASTERN BLIZZARD.
Traffic Suspended by Storm in and
About Boston.
VESSEL WRECKED, EIGHT LOST.

Schooner Charles L. Briggs Dashed to
Pieces on the Nahant Coast-Trainn
Unable to Proceed More Than Ten
Miles Beyond Boston.
storm, which set in on Monday and
ragged until yesterday afternoon. COM
pletely paralyzed all branches OF busi-
ness and street car and steam railroad
traffic. and shut eff the city from COM
munication by wire with all places out
side the citv limits OF Boston. The
storm was the most severe this city
has experienced In 25 years. and caused
the loss OF several lives. beside doing =
money damage OF hundreds OF thous-
ands Of dollars.
More than half the electric lights Of
the city went out. and in suburban
towns the fire alarm service was Grip
pied. In Newton broken wires falling
across others started q fro IN the elsc-
trio room OF the eleHant residence Of
Charles J. Travolli, the wealthy Fitts-
burg steel manufacturer, and in two
hours nothing remained Of the house
but ashes. Mr.. Travellrs family es-
capped In their night clothes without
saving anything. The loss amounts to
about 500, zoe.
Late Monday night the big three
mastcd schooner Charles T.. Briggs, Of
Bath, Me-. coal laden, was dashed to
pieces on the Nahant coast, and It Is
believed her crew OF eight men per-
ished. The body of one Of the crew
has been recovered.
The Boston and Albany road start
ed two express trains for New York
during the forenoon, but 81 was
o'clock before they were able to pro-
ceed beyond Natick. ten miles from
this city. The tracks were not only
blocked with snow. but masses OF
broken poles and wires scattered over
the road were encountered at many
/ points.
The city and suburbs are covered
with broken poles ana tangled wires
Many horses were killed I'm the streets
by stepping upon the ends OF telephone
wires which had fallen across the troll
ley wires. Last night the situation as
sumed such a dangerous aspect thai
Mayor Quincy ordered that none OF
the electric lights be turned on except
in districts where the wires are under
ground.
At Lawrence, Mass, the storm hal
paralyzed business and traffic. Stree
car lines are tied up and communication
with ether towns almost suspended
All tho mills were seriously affected b!
the storm. Many OF the operative
were out. and some of the mills wer
not running at ALL. Forty passenger
on train out OF Boston passed tn
night stuck fast in a snow drift be
tween Ballarvale and Lowell. withou
food. and did not reach Lawrence un
I'll late yesterday afternoon.
A dispatch from Gloucester, Mass
says: The storm at Gloucester was on
OF the worst in many years. and tn
damage which lies in Its wake will foo
up about t200. 600. About one thousan
fishing and other vessels were who'll
or partly wrecked. A dozen Of thes
were wholly wrecked Eighteen live
are said to have been lost, and ther
may be IL mere who have gone down
missing vessels.
At Waterville. Me-, small houses hav
been buried by 20 foot drifts OF snow
The Lockwood Cotton mills have bee
closed. the operatives being unable +.
reach the factory. Men In snow shoe
made their way through the street,
There has been no train over the MAR
} Central railroad for "a hours.