Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-28
THE FIRST sToRm.
ASmalI Blizzard Delays Sunday Trains and
Affects chu. Oh Attendance.

the season, and for,aa starter it was
pronounced a good one. 1t is true
that there was a snow storm, nearly
two weeks ago, but that was merely a
little spring fall of snow drops com
pared with the small blizzard that
visited Maine, early Sunday morning.
and continued with undated fury al
day.
when the business men went to their
homes, Saturday night, after CLOSING
thelr shops, they smelled snow in the
air. The moon could be seen yainly
trying to peek through the heavy
clouds, the wind blew very freshly all
night and when the snow began to
fall, at about 100 A. NJ, it was closely
related to the winter Winds When the
people awoke, Sunday morning. they
saw the earth covered with a mantle
OF snow that was made restless by the
heavy winds. The scene resembles a
small blizzard and many a man thank
iully turned over and again went to
sleep, thinking he would take a yaca-
ton from church.
The church bells rang for the people.
but in few cases did the congregations
respond. In some of the churches the
services was dispensed with.
The Electric cars did not run until
nearly II in the forenoon and then
only to bring up few shovelers who
cleared part of the track. The Maine
Central service was also greatly m
terfered with. The first train which
brings the papers from Boston, due at
9.l5, cid not arrive until 1245. The
train due to leave Augusta at 1926 for
Portland was 40 minutes late. The
snow plows were kept running all day
over the road. The delay was NOT so
much on the Maine Central as on the
Boston & Maine. The afternoon ex-
press from Boston did not arrive but a
train came through from Portland
ABOUT o CLOCK.
Some of the signs and awnings We're
badly shaken by the wind. The streets
were deserted save for short time, at
noon, after the paper train came in,
when some ventured out for their
usual Sunday papers. The 1O-cent
teams We're few and they had but lit
tie to do except al time in the mid
die of the day.
Augusta was more favored in the
way of snow than Bangor, where the
snow began. to fall four hours later
than it did here. This accounts for the
much greater delays to the trains from
the West, than to those from the East
All the while that the snow was
falling and the wind blowing, the mer-
chants were sitting peacefully at
home and telling how it was going to
help trade. 1t is an i'll wind that blows
no good.
The Boston boat was due to arrive,
Sunday, but did not leave Boston, Sat
urday night. and will not do so until
the weather clears.
Sunday evening was one of the Wild
est on record. The policemen said the
wind was the most terrific they had ex-
perienced in years. 1t was very fortu
Eately not very cold, the thermometer
being only 20 degrees above zero. The
streets were piled high with the seven
or eight inches of snow that had fallen
by that time, and though there were
places where the pavement was wind
swept other places would contain drifts
city was the bridge across the Kenne-
bee. 1t was ii task to cross it. The
board fence creaked and groaned under
the terrible pressure of the northeast
gale. and the velocity of the wind as it
whstled about the place, would nearly
take one off his feet.
The II o'clock Pullman from Bangor.
Sunday night, was on time. having two
engines. No. Il. the Pullman train that
passes through here at LIS "A. NJ, was
not neld in Portland to wait for the
Boston train. the latter being hopeless
ly late This train was sent out from
Portland on schedule time and arrived
in Augusta but little delayed.