Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-02-04
STORM KING REIGNS.
HOLDS UNDlSPUTEO SWAY OVER
NEW ENGLAND.

All Business at StandstiIl for Twenty
four Hours-Railway and Telegraph
Communication Paralyzed-The Storm
in Middlebury and vicinity.
The ''oldest inhabitant' of the twen-
tieth century will have one more story of
weather with which TO discount those of
the future. He will tell about the biz
zard of Feb. l, 1898. Those of our peo-
ple who were not awakened by the howl
ing of the wind during the small hours
of Tuesday morning, were somewhat sur
prised when they arose to find that a
view of the other side of the street was
not to be had. Dooryards and streets
were banked high with drifts of snow,
and the air was one swirling, binding
sheet of the "beautifCl." When hour
after hour there was no cessation
of the storm, people began to think
that a repetition of March 13, 1883, was
in store for them, and resigned them
selves. Business was for the most part
suspended in the village. During the
whole day but single vehicle passed
along Main street, and even the sight of
pedestrian was rarity. Toward even
ing the wind and snow abated, and the
results of the storm became visible.
The blizzard evidently reached New
York city and southern New England
many hours before we caught it. No
mail was received from Boston later than
Monday afternoon, until Wednesday
night. The "sleeper" due here at ;2l
Tuesday morning got in at II 20, and
was stalled in the snow north of the viii
lage when it attempted to go farther
The Rutland local in the afternoon met a
similar fate.
The graded schools were closed during
the day, although few boys were hardy
enough to make their way to the build
ing In the morning.
No stages reached the village from
surrounding town on Tuesday, and those
that came in on Wednesday had an eX-
tremely hard time of 1t.
Snow plows were at work on the
streets bright and early Wednesday
morning, and paths were quickly cut
from residence parts to the business
thoroughfares. Gangs of men were at
work all day in leveling drifts and haul
ing snow from the streets, and the latter
were soon made passabe for teams.
THE COUNTY TOWNS.
The experience of Middlebury was the
experience of all nearby towns. Our
Ferrisburg correspondent writes as fol-
lows: TUESDAY was the worst storm in
years here. Several people lost their
way. One of them, Chas. H. Merrill,
started with horse and cutter to go to
B. w. Fields house. He lost his way
and finally had to leave his sleigh and
robes in meadow somewhere about a
mile south of his house and the same
distance from his road. He succeeded
in reaching home with his horse after
lots of hard work"
From Weybrlde comes the following
1.-THE storm of Tuesday was the hardest
ever experienced here. The air was
filled with snow and sleet and very cold
All travel was suspended, no teams pass
ing through the village, which never
happened during any previous storm
The mail made no attempt to make the
trip"
Ripton in the mountains had hare
time of it, too. Our correspondent a
hot cf nf L.
ult., eliminated in very near bliZzarC
on the lst inst. On the last morning goo(
Judges estimated that Is inches of snow
had fallen during the night, and proba
during the day, and perhaps more. II
one sheltered locality fully three inches
fell in an hour and a quarter, but II
most places measurements could not b,
depended upon on account of the wind
which during twenty-four hours blew
from nearly every quarter of the heavens
Perhaps we have had harder storu
since the great storm of March
it is needless to say that all roads ar
blocked and communication cut of
though the stage for Middlebury started
on time, but could not get through
turning back beyond East Middlebury.
From Bridport comes this report: ~
blizzard of unprecedented fury struc
town late Monday night. Snow fel
steadily until Tuesday noon, accOmpanie
by high wind, which whirled it int
immense drifts. The thermometer range
about ten degrees above zero, and livin
out of doors was well nigh impossible
Highways were more or less blocked
The cross roads are, for the most PAL
impossible, except as they are broke
out into the lots. All this in what wa
to be, according to our best prophets