The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-14

For the last eleven years the biz-
zard of 'SS has been the local might ~
| the big wind" but from this out il will
have TO be content to share it's distinc-
| tion of being an epoch maker in the
| storm history of Scranton and vicinity
The storm that has been with u.s.
with varying severity, since last We'd
nesday, developed yesterday in fu-
| rlous blizzard. Snow began to fall
| heavily during the early hours of the
morning and with it came terrific
wind. When daylight came everything
| was covered with a foot of snow and
| in exposed places there We're drifts
| four and five feet high.
1t continued all day long and at
| o'clock this morning was still un-
abated. At noon, according to meas
| urements by Weatherman IL. l.. Paine,
! fifteen inches of snow had fallen. BY
6 o'clock p. m. it had reached a depth
| OF twenty-one inches. AS the night
progressed the fail of snow decreased
! somewhat but the wind continued its
| fury. At midnight there wasn't
| wheel moving on any railway serving
! this city, with the exception of the
| Delaware, Lacawanna and Western
and on that road all except first class
trains were abandoned and these were
running way behind schedule time.
The thermometer registered about
degrees above zero during the day and
also up to midnight. varying but little
at any time. Business was practically
at standstill. as nobody, scarcely,
came out who didn't have to. In many
of the stores a good portion of the fe-
male help, particularly those living in
the suburbs, We're unable to get to town
and in not a few instances those who
did come found it next to impossible to
get home.
SCHOOLS CLOSED.
Public schools Nos. 16 %, and II
| had no sessions and in the others the
teachers wisely dismissed the pupils
early, when the increasing intensity Of
the storm made itself apparent.
Places of amusement were very Slim
ly attended and not few events sched-
uled for last evening were postponed.
AS told in another column the state
! convention of master plumbers, which
was to begin here today was indefinite
/ ly postponed on account of the dele
gates being snowbound en- route. Only
one member of select council and five
members of the school board reached
city hall for the sessions scheduled for
those bodies last night.
By way OF precaution Chief Hickey
| placed extra horses at various of the
fire department houses, it being almost
an impossibiity for one team to draw
a heavy piece of apparatus even on d
level.
The COllieriCs We're nearly all, if not
all. compelled to shut down owing to
the inability to get cars. Housekeepers
who allowed their coal bins to become
empty, had to borrow from the neigh
bors as a rule, as it was very difficult
to have an order filed.
RAILROADS BLOCKED.
1t was nearly 3 o'clock p. IN. when
the first train got through from New
York over the Delaware, Lackawanna
| and Western. 1t was the milk train,
due at 10 o'clock a. m. Two other milk
trains followed soon afterwards, and
then came the morning express, five
hours late. Train No. 3, which should
have arrived at 5.35 p. M, did not reach
here until 1890 p. m. Other trains from
| New York We're reported from various
points along the line as being from
|
Buffalo were making almost schedule
time as far as this city. They shared
the fate of the west bound trains. how
ever, after thew left here. The Morris
and Essex division was quite as badly
blocked, it was reported, as the route
over the Pocono.
General Manager Halstead and
superintendent Garrett Bogart spent
al nd ba
night in the dispatcher's office direct
ing the battle against the elements.
Seven hundred men with shovels were
sent along the southern division in
charge of Trainmaster George NJ. Hall
stead to help the snow plough. but they
We're called in at nightfan, when it was
seen that their efforts were of little or
no avail.
The wind on the mountain was blow
ing at the rate Of forty-nve miles an
hour and as fast as the snow would be
shoveled off the track it would be blown
back again
All except first-class trains were
abandoned. Other trains that had been
stalled along the road We're gotten into
the nearest switches and deserted, the
crews making their way home as best
they could with the engine and caboose.
\ big force OF men will be ON hand at
G o'clock this morning to take advant-
age of a possible abatement Of the
! wind.
ON THE ID. Il H.
The Delaware and Hudson company
kept its passenger trains moving as best
it could during the morning and af-
ternoon, but when night came with its