Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-22
BIG SLEET STORM.
lContinned from flrst naee.l


city lines were the rails to be seen at
all In other places as for instance, in
the hollow" between Perkins street
and Adams square, the track was sub
merged beneath foot or more of
slushy water. In such places the
cars made only the slowest progress
The Minbury branch of the Worcester
and Suburban Street Railway Jared
finely through the storm. Only one
trip was lost during the day, and that
was on account of broken limb on the
Vernon street HILL The obstacle was
removed with little difficulty and after
that half-hourly trips were in order, as
upon the days when there is no ice
storm.
On the Leicester branch it was diff
ferent story. The trouble was not so
much within the track itself as at the
power house at Leicester. The power
gave out in the middle of the afternoon
and left the cars all along the line.
Three of them were within the city's
limits while the others were up some
where upon the Leicester hills.
Annoying as was the day to every
street railway Official they rejoice in
one thing. Instead of growing colder
at night, 1t moderated a trifie. Had it
come up cold, the water in the tracks
would have frozen. Then there would
have been trouble for everybody, for it
would nave effected a complete tie-up
of the street car system this morning
But colder weather did not come. For
which we should be duly grateful in the
midst of other climatic, vicissitudes.
In view of the condition Of the fire
alarm telegraph system, Chief Vaughn
| took every precaution to guard against
a possible emergency. The call men at
all the department houses with the ex-
| ception of hose 9, engine f. hose g. and
engine 6, We're ordered to report at
their various houses Monday night, and
| with the permanent men do patrol duty
in their districts. The same orders are
in force at the fire patrol.
| Arrangements have also been made
| whereby Clemence & Searles' whistle,
on Central street, will be blown in case
of fire. Supt w. H. Mcclure of the
| fire alarm telegraph has procured the
key of the Salem square church, 80
| that in case Of an alarm the bell may
be used in giving an alarm.
| In addition to these precautions, Chief
| Vaughn had a consultation with Chief
Of Police brennan, Monday afternoon,
In, consequence of which the officers Of
the o'clock relief were given strict or
| dets in regard to keeping sharp out
| Look for fires on their beats, and to no.
| try--the nearest fire department house
| oE communicate by telephone, II posi-
| bin Chief brennan also laid particular
stress on watching the wires, which are
liable to go down and get crossed.
AS early as o'clock Monday morn
| ing, soon after the first stray blow came
in, Superintendent Mcclure and a force
of men were out looking after the
| break, but no sooner was one circuit
fixed than another gave way, until at s
O'clock Monday night, out Of nine cir
cults but five were working, and 1t is
doubtful If these could be relied upon.
At p. m. six circuits were in working
order. The fire department telephone
system is practically useless.
BY order of the supervisor of wires, no
! electric street lights were run Monday
night, with the exception of those on
Main street, from the armory to Frank
lin square, Front, Waldo, Mechanic,
Foster and Exchange streets. Twelve
men were out all night patrolling these
streets to look after the system and pre-
vent accident
But three ineandescent circuits were
run, two on Main street, and one on
Front, and one power circuit ON Main Ia!
street. Superintendent W. H, Coughlin
of the Electric Light company said,
Monday night, that their lines were all
right, but it was thought best to cut
out all but those mentioned above IN
order to do away with possible danger
from amy of the lighter wires coming
down and getting crossed.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany reports no poles gone, and that
their service is not seriously crippled,
although they have been put to eonsfd-
cradle inconvenience by the amount or
business that has had to be relayed,
| through the local Office. Some of the
operators worked all night Sunday and
until late Monday evening. Manager
Dunn says that their principal trouble
lies between Worcester and South Spen-
Ger, where all the lines, so in number
are down. force of men was at work
all day Monday, but made little head
way. The poles outside are SO thiekly
coated with ice, it was almost impossf-
| Bile for the linemen to climb, and in
| cases where they succeeded in repairing
a break, 1t was but moment when an
other would take place. A special train
with a large force Of men and materials
| to use in reconstruction will be sent out
| from Boston Tuesday morning. and ev-
| cry effort put forth to put the lines in
working condition as soon as possible.
The Postal Company report but little
| inconvenience to their lines, but about
half of their district system is useless.
The American thermostat automatic
alarm, which is connected with many
places Of business in the city, is useless,
and the proprietors Of these places have
been notified to employ watchmen until
the trouble Is cleared up.
While the present storm. is full as Sc
we're as the one of u years ago, the
| effects are not SO noticeable, from the
| fact that at the present day the old
trees that lined Main street at that
time are out of the way, and there is
| but little Of the litter of broken
branches on the principal thoroughfare
that characterized the storm Of SO
| The steam roads experienced little in
| convenience from the storm, and for the
most part were running on time Mon
day
The large elm in front of the Hancock
| Club house, which has withstood the
ravages of many gales, gave up under
| it's load of ice and was badly split
| Early Monday afternoon big limb
of the elm that stands in front of the
| "Flatiron" building, broke off and fell
into the street, narrowly missing team
| that was passing.
| A limb from one Of the trees on the
common fell across the trolley lines on
Front street, yesterday afternoon, de-
| laying traffic for a few moments. The
wires were uninjured.
The police signal system came in for
its full share in the trouble with the
wires, and the lines which at best are
none too good, were several degrees
worse than usual
Many Of the letter carriers especially
those who had routes in the outskirts
Of the city, found 1t impossible to de-
liver all their mail, and had to return to
the post office with several undelivered
letters and packages They will be de-
livered today, when the carriers will
make but one delivery, on account of
the day being holiday.
AT THE COURT HOUSE.