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

in the season Nevertheless it was u
record breaker, compared with which
even the storm of Saturday evening
and yesterday must take a back seat.
There We're many similar features in
the two storms, however. Neither of
them was expected. In the So biz
Yard people had begun to think Of
spring and Easter bonnets for March
was nearly half over. When the frs,
flakes of that storm-big, wet flakes
they Were-came floating through the
air as people were coming out of
church, Sunday evening, March H. the
man who had predicted a blizzard or
even heavy fall of snow would have
been stamped a fool. Nobody expected
anything more than a light fall of wet
snow. followed almost Immediately by
the inevitable thaw and nasty walk
ing.
In the storm of yesterday. everybody
had set it down as being altogether
too early for a storm of serious pro-
portions. Years ago New Englanders
looked for snow and seighing on
Thanksgiving day, but of recent years
those who \delight in sleighing have
considered themselves fortunate if an
opportunity is offered by Christmas
time to shift from wheels to runners.
So late Saturday afternoon as the
electric lights We're being turned on and
the first fine flakes came scurrying
along into peoples faces, who thought
of a blizzard? Or even of the likelihood
of enough snow for sleighing? People
we're not prepared for a snow storm
and because they We're not prepared
they did not believe it would come
How s0rely these same people xere de-
luded was seen as the night advanced
for by . O'Clock it became evident that
the snow was really out for Business. A
few hours later, ii was not a question
as to whether we We're going to have
real snow storm. The query was rs the
blizzard Of 1888 to be repeated in 1898?
Certainly it looked that way
And now just a word regarding the
storm of 18SS--fOr who is there that
did not talk blizzard Sunday as he sat
about the family fireplace smoking a
good cigar or a favorite pipe with a
copy of The Sunday Spy half perused.
IN his lap? The snow that began falling
that Sunday night in 'SS continued until
about o'clock in the morning and
then changed to rain. Suddenly there
was a change in the temperature The
thermometers began to creep down and
soon 1t was freezing instead of thaw-
ing After a. let up of about an hour or
two 1t began showing again This time
the fakes were fine and hard-iust the
kind to be expected when a blizzard is
a.
ton of hostilities early Monday morn
ing was only false alarm, a sort of
resting spell between the slxirmish and
the real battle, an adlmonition that it
sometimes SHOWS in March, after all.
The no-school signal blew that Mon
day morning, and for once the child
rem found that there was not only too
much OF a storm for school going. but
too much of a storm for street rowing
By noon the storm had become really
serious. There is always a certain degree
of pleasure in a busting snow storm.
But there is a. limit, time when the
huTnor which comes from Interrupted
travel ceases, when the public is
brought face to face with stern reali-
ties, and that time came about noon.
The wind, which had been rapidly in
creasing all the morning, bowed a. gale
by noon, and the streets were rapidly
becoming impossible. The street cars
those were the days when horses fur
nlshed the motive power-were soon
mixed up and We're finally compelled to
give it up altogether, for the first time
since the road was opened
The steam railroads. too. commenced
by noon to feel the effects of the CON
stantly falling snow and soon trains
began to get late. They kept getting
later and later, but still the storm
continued. All through that Monday
afternoon it ragged. The snow coming
down almost straight and lodging in
the most inconyenient places imagin-
able. By midnight on Monday the
fury of the storm had been spent. But
what havoc it had wrought, How those
snow flakes, each one innocent enough
in itself, had succeeded together in
stopping about every phase Of human
activity.
In many places the snow had drift
1ag4rr
and this right in the heart of the CITY.
In the outskirts the situation was even
worse. Roads had wholly lost their in
diViduality, a broad waite mantle
oyerspread farm and garden. Not a
street car Of any description was run
ming by night-much less at midnight.
The city's Jehus who generally stay
around JUS so long as there is any
chance to make a dollar, for a wonder,
nearly all went home TO roost almost
with the hens. The steam railroads
We're at SKIES and seVens. From early
in the evening Monday until some
where about nine o'clock the following
day. not a train pulled into Worcester.
Down at the deep cut every train that
went out from Boston after 100 o'clock
in the afternoon was stalled. Desper-
ate efforts were made 10 convey the
passengers to this city, but the best
that could be done was to supply them
with sandwiches and coffee party
of five walked in from the deep cut
about midnight. But that walk is one
that will never be forgotten by those
who took part in il. Hackmen, in a
few instances, tried to reach the cut
but failed Hackman Sorrell was
among the number, and to this day he
tells the story about how he took four
horses and covered sleigh and start
ed for the deep cut. He got as far as
the black fiat and there he came to a