Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-18
CLARKE COUNTY.
Aftermath of the storm-'oh"'''"'
az the Rouds.

BERRYVILLE. VA, February H.
(Special)-In common with the rest Vi
the country, Clarke county has suiiere"
for the past week from an unpreceue'''e"
cold spell and snowfall seldom, IL ever
equalled i'm it's history. From SunuaE
morning until Wednesday night no trains
entered the town. the cuts on the Na"'S
branch of the Norfolk and western ran
road being almost filed with snow anu
the only means Of cleaning them on,
being 10 throw the snow out Dy nan"
and then TO force the way open with en-
gines, as no snow-plows were accessiDie'
For four DAYS and nights this h8ht
against the snow blockade was wased
before the road could be cleared. The
heaviest drifts on the railroad were be-
tween Hagerstown and Riverton, the
road south Of the latter point being very
little driftcd. The depth of the snow
here was over three feet on a level anu
some drifts were as deep as ~ ieet. All
country roads were impossible Tor -FOUR
DAYS. Nobody could get from the coun-
try into the town, physicians IN the
town could not get into the country 10
visit their patients. and even farm
houses in sight OF each Othcr were pre-
vented by the Intervening drifts from
communicating with each other. All
business was suspended and churches
closed. Potatoes. apples. and turnips
have been frozen i'm spite OF the most
strenuous efforts to protect them STOCK
Of all kinds have suffered. the heaviest
loss being i'm lambs, numbers OF which
were born only TO be frozen TO death in
few hours. This will be great loss To
the farmers. as thousands Of dollars are
l., lfT
the sale of lambs for the city markets.
Hunters fear that partridges and phea-
SAINTS have been almost eXterminated.
and even rabbits have been frozen in
large numbers In the town there has
been so far but little suffering. either
from lack or fuel or provisions, but it Is
feared that when reports come in from
the outlying districts Of the county a diff
ferent story will be told.
Mr.. w W. Hook, leading citizen,
living near the old chapel, died on Sat
urday last, and at this writing il has
been impossible TO inter his body. \ num-
Der Of deaths have occurred among the
colOred people Their bodies await inter
ment. and from the present outlook it
will be days yet before interment can be
made The Shenandoah river is frozen
from bank To bank. During all this ter
rible blizzard. with the wind at times
biowing forty miles an hour, the Their
mometer has Rugged closely the zero
mark. The oldest inhabitant reviews in
vain the history of the past 10 find
parallel I'm his memory TO this spell Of
weather and il is safe 20 predict that
the winter Of 1899 will go down 10 history
as a record-breaSer for cold and snow.
So deep are the drifts on the county
reads that II is estimated that i'm order
to make them passabe the expense
entailed would be many times as great as
the annual levy made 10 keep them I'm
order for the whole year. Volunteer
shovel brgadcs and teams of horses have
been at work for days, but have made
little or no impression on the drifts, and
II is believed that attempts 10 clear the
snow away will have TO be- abandoned,
and that persons viii have 10 coniine
themselves 10 horseback travel until the
snow melts. The turnpikes will be open
ed for travel I'm a few days.
DR. Thomas VI. Iippett son or Dr. {.
T. Ifppett. of this county, who rs AN as
slstant surgeon I'm the United States
navy has been ordered 10 Manila. Clarke
county can now boast of having two OF
her sons serving their country IN the
philippines. as DR. John +. Page. Of this
place. is passed assistant surgeon on the
OLYMPIA. Admiral Dewey's flagship.
Rev. Edward Wall returned Sunday
morning from Trenton y. j., where ne
has been visiting relatives.
Messrs. Charles Balthis. Of Shenandoah
Junction. and George G. Shepherd, Jr, OF
Cumberland, Nd, were in Berryvllle TINS
week.