The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-28
LAST YEARS BLIZZARD.

Inc Secunu plS storm VI inc uSNe'N0
came last February. Inc snow pesan
falling Monday afternoon ana aa a. not
let up until noon OF the 1otlo"lhs Jay =
Unlike the blizzard of 1888 and the
storm of yesterday 1t visited worcester
in the heart OF winter, ana Tor that fea-
son, was expected.
Had 1t not been Tor that tremendous
display OF the power OF the elements IN
March, 1888, the snow storm ana gaze
that ushefed IN last Fepruaty' "oulu
go down as the biggest STORM OIL the
last quarter or the 18TH century;
During the "a hours, or TO be more
exact the 70 hours and W minutes 1or
that was the time the weather RECORDS
at CITY Han snow the storm was IN
progress, over two rect OF snow rel on
the level an average OF an men an
hour
The snow IN TINS storm, as III the
more recent blizzard, was accompanied
by wind. 1t was a strong northeast
gale that swept the snow INTO dritts OF
heights varying from TO 10 rect.
WITHIN the city proper the DRIFTS dld
not assume the proportions OF those IN
some OF the surrounding country
towns.
In some OF the more exposed villages
OF the county the residents always as
sert that the storm hconVenlenced
them more than did the blizzard ten
years ago Aside from the amount
OF snow Jhst lell' Whlch Oh lIseH was
suHlcleht TO cause the storm 10
go Gown IN the weather "a
nails OF the century as bliz-
zard' the snow was accompanied by the
coolest snap OF the winter and that
maze II all the more severe. Even the
sheltered standard thermometer which
slts llke a pigeon roost Just outside the
WINDOW OF the city engineers ONCE In
CITY Han, shrank It's column OF mer-
curry down below the zero mark. More
exposed oulps IN the outlying portions
OF the city ana SO away from the latent
neat OF Dig city BLOCKS, recorded a tenn
perature varying from 70 Il degrees
below zero But as the storm pro
sfessed' the Thermometer rose, and "a
hours later the same thermometer at
Guy Han showed temperature OF
a
1t was the seVerest storm the street
railway companies have had to cope
with since the Introduction of electric
ity upon their lines. Then, too, in the
80 blizzard, there were no suburban
lines, for neither Spencer Millbury nor
Marlboro was connected by means of
the trolley lines, but in the storm of
FEBRUARY, 81, there were about 40
miles of outlying track to be looked
after.
Electric car tracks are always the
first to feel the effects of a severe
storm. and so il was last winter dur
ing the February snow 1t was not
upon one line, but upon every line cen
trail and outlying, that difficulty was
experienced The Boynton street, the
Grant square and the Grafton lines
We're early tied up-the I3OyntOn street.
as usual. taking first place. the last
car in either direction moving about
$50 o'clock. The other lines followed
suit with amazing regularity, and by
10 O'clock even the Main street linz.
which is generally the last to sue
cumb whenever the elements are rag
ing. had succumbed. The street railway
traffic was at an end-at least for TWEEN
tv hours or so.
1t was utterly impossible for the con-
ductors and motormen to get their cars
down into the car houses at Market
street. The cars were stalled here.
there and everywhere. Out at Green
dale was a long line of Ouinsieanond
cars, each one of which had pushed
through in the hopes of being moro
successful than it's. predecessor. ONLY
to find that a similar fate awaited it.
Down at the lake there was another
bunch of cars while ont New Worces
ter way. out at Newton square. and in
fact on every line and in every section
| of the CITY were these stornboi1nd cars
Some were released from bondage
Tuesday afternoon or early Tuesday
evening Others did not move until
late Wednesday night. John Akarman
said the storm of last FEBRUARY was
| the worst Worcester had ever expari-
enced since electricity had been used
as the motive mower in this citv-and
| John ought to know
| OF course the steam railroads felt the
| effect Of the storm. They could not helm
it. With twenty-sfx inches of snow "
! ing upon the tracks in sheltered nIacae
/ and with drifts Of half as MANY feel
| in sDots where tbe wind could car,.,,