Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-22
A BIG SLEET STORM
Trees and Wires Brilliant in a
Covering of Ice.
STREET CAR LINES TIED UP.
Telephone and Telegraph Lines
Down in ALI Directions.
Many Narrow Escapes From Falling Limbs
The Sewers Go on Strike and the
Streets in Shocking Condition.
STREET CAR LINES TIED UP.

NOI since tne great Ice storm OF 1886
has Worcester experienced so much in
convenience and actual damage from
the coating of ice that formed On every
thing exposed to the elements, as in the
urday night with a gentle sprinkle of
rain, followed by a steady downpour
during the night and Sunday, changing
Sunday afternoon to sleet and later to
rain again, which continues at this
writing. The rain freezing as it fell,
formed mantle Of ice over everything,
causing great damage to the overhead
wires and shade trees.
Although the storm will do thousands
of dollars worth of damage, there is
much in connection with it that ap-
pealS to ones sense of the beautiful The
trees on the common and the other
parks and in the suburban districts
have a specially artistic appearance, al
though many of their branches have
broken off from their weight of ice and
sleet. The dropping branches of the
elm, form an especially good foundation
for the accumulation, the slender twigs
and tendrils glisten beneath the electric
lights like threads of tinsel, while the
wires have the appearance of ropes of
silver in their covering of ice, OF of fairy
railways.
There was no other redeeming feature
in connection with the storm. The rain
was cold and penetrating, and the
streets were never in forse condition.
Catch basins everywhere We're filled to
the street level with an accumulation
of slush that effectually checked any
opportunity for the surface water to es-
Nj Zoo e.f,s nd
cross-walks literally to swim in water.
At Harrington corner this was especial
ly noticeable. There were one or two
miniature islands en- the crossing that
furnished solid footing, but the remain
der of the distance across Main street
could be travelled to good advantage in
a boat. As for the Pleasant street cross
ing, it was simply a lake. Many not
accustomed to this state of affairs in
this locality started fearlessly across,
the slush that foated on top of the
surging current beneath giving a de-
ceptive appearance of solidity. To such,
the passage was an occasion of regret,
for the salt ice water mounted high
above the ankles. All over the city this
state Of affairs exists on the principal
crossings, and few wise persons, except
ing those whose business called them
out, We're abroad Monday evening.
In all directions the trees are broken
down, big limbs swapping off on every
hand. coal wagon being driven into
a dooryard on Woodland street, Monday
night, was struck by q falling limb,
fully six inches in diameter which
caused the driver to jump from his
seat with an expression on his face that
gave evidence that he thought his last
day had come. A wire leading from the
John street engine house to a residence
in the vicinity, is attached to CHM
ney. The weight of ice on the wire was
more than the support could stand, and
the chimney went over about z o'clock
Monday morning.
One of the officers reported at police
headquarters Monday night, that East
Central street, between Mulberry and
Summer, was impossible, by reason of
the broken branches that filled the
street.
sergt. George H. Hill, of the police
department, was a passelS,er in an cleo
trio car that narrowly escaped damage
from a falling limb Monday morning
The car was coming down Lincoln
street. and when it arrived at Har-
rington avenue a large limb crashed off
an elm on the east side of the street
and fell over the car. The trolley wire
broke the force of the blow, and fort
unately was not snapped by the strain.
The car was not damaged.
street
was blown down.
The clock in the tower of the new
city hall stopped at 2.4O o'clock this
morning. About $50 pounds of ice had
frozen on the great hands, and there
was not power enough in the ma
chinery inside to swing the weight
around.
The roof of the three-story brick
building at the corner of Norwich and
Mechanic street, owned by w. H Saw
yer, caved in early Monday morning
from the weight of water, and the oc-
cupants were thoroughly wet down.
The building is occupied on the third
floor by W. A. Lytles work room, on
the second floor by the American bill
lard hall, and on the ground floor by
Brigham's grain store. All the occu-
pants will suffer considerable damage
from water.
The west side got its full share of the
storm. Wherever the trees were thickly
placed, the effect of the mass of glazed
branches was exceedingly pretty. But
the effect did not end with this. From
noon till late at night the trees and
branches were cracking and swapping
sptefully, and boughs were falling so
rapidly that for a while walking seemed
actually dangerous. Three men within
the reporters observation had narrow
escapes from falling limbs that were
their thick coating of ice to do damage
IL they struck a person. West street
was lined on either side with large shat
tered boughs and was half-carpeted
with twigs. At least three times the
car service was obstructed by fallen
limbs and the big branches had to be
removed before the car could proceed.
There seemed wood enough on the
street to fence it in, and other streets
were in like condition. There were no
electric lights at all and the district was
in darkness, except for the moon that
shone through the clouds and here and
there a struggling Welsbach burner,
but a few of these were lighted. 1t is a
long time since that section of the city
has seemed SO gloomy, desolate and
devastated as ii did last night.
without doubt. the New England
Telephone & Telegraph Company are the
principal sufferers in the storm. Both
local and trunk service is greatly inn
paired. The company had not fully re-
covered from the effects of the recent
blizzard. and by the statement of the
local management it appears that Wor-
cester.5s in fully as bad shape as before
lf notsStorse, from the fact that the local
service as well as the out-of-town is in
trouble About 125 lines are down, in
addition to those grounded and other
wise disabled, which means that be-
tween 200 and 800 subscribers at least
are without service. OF the long-dis-
tance lines. there are two Boston and
,asfxro Providence. which were got through