The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-09
THE SLEET'S
RUIN0US WORK.
The City Uttered from End to End
With Debris.
ALL SYSTEMS DIS0RGANIZED.
The Fire Alarm and Telephone Ser
vices Go All To Pieces Street Cars
Temporarily Tied Up-Work of
Repair In Progress.

Old citizens who keep themselves well
posted on weather conditions, and re-
member what 1t has been at different
seasons for years. say emphatically that
II has been a decade since Richmond was
visited by such conditions as have pre-
vailed during the past few days. Indeed
they declare that the sleet Is almost I'M
precedented.
The clouds broke away yesterday
morning, then they gathered again, and
it showed "a little. but later on there was
another clearing up. and the mercury
began to drop, until it went TO twelve
or fifteen degrees below freezing point,
md the mask OF ice which covered ali
mature became hard as iron ana II Was
with the greatest difficulty that pedes-
TRANS could. make their way from one
place u another.
Uttered WITH BRANCHES.
The city yesterday morning presented
an appearance OF desolation. From one
end to the other it was Uttered with the
limbs OF trees. and in, some instances,
whole trees had fallen, while many tele-
phone poles were PROSTATE, ana broken
wires lay around In prOfusiOn.
In the Capitol Square the work OF de
struction had been greatest. Scarcely d
tree had escaped mutilatiOn, and many
OF the older ones were totally ruined.
when the sun shOne out for while
yesterday the scene was "A beautiful one.
The trees, laden with ice, glistened ana
glittered I'm the sun ike a diamond be-
spangled forest The trees bent beneath
state Library were visible from the win
dows OF The Times editorial rooms, and
the grove presented the appearance OF
having been decapitated by the sweep
OF sword, welded by some giant arm
The trouble with the wires OF every
description, which began with the COM
mencement of the sleet grew worse. ana
reached its climax yesterday. In the
morning the Main street cars became
stalled on the steep hills and traffic twas
seriously interfered with for some time
Superintendent J. w. Wilbur, was up
nearly the whole of the preceding night
and made strenuous efforts to get things
in order.
MANCHESTER LINES.
The Manchester lines were in the most
deplorable condition for the greater Dor-
ton OF the day.
On the Fourteenth street line the tele-
phone poles went down, and the wires
became entangled with the trolley wires.
10 was after u o'clock before tranic
could be resumed. The Forest Hill line
was not I'm much better plight early In
the morning, but the trouble was more
quickly repaired. Numbers Of people
having business in Richmond were COM
PEELED to walk over yesterday morning,
and the young ladies' employed In this
city had a great deal OF trouble in get
ting over
The best schedule was given by the
Traction Company. which by the use Of
sweepers and By running its cars night
and day. managed 70 make very good
time.
The telephone systems suffered espec-
tally and although the linesmen were out
all Of the two preceding nights and days,
but little had apparently been accom-
plishcd last night and scores Of phones
were reported "in trouble"
Several poles, laden with wires. fell
AT the corner of Cary and Belvdere
streets yesterday much 20 the detriment
of the phones I'm that section.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.
The Fire Alarm system was totally dis
arranged, and the regular linesmen,
strongly reinforced, have been working
night and day since the sleet began.
Fortunately only one FIRE had occurred
up TO late last night, and that a small
one.
For the guidance Of the public Chief
Fuller OF the Fire Department, has given
out the following.
owing % the neavy sleet on the wires
il will be almost impossible TO get an
alarm for fire through the telegraph
system and | would respectfully ask the
citizens 10 be careful, and If a fire Is dis
covered TO report 10 the nearest engine
house Immediately
The telegraph companies. also, suffered
severely. particularly the Postal but the
energetic linesmen had accomplished
wonders by last night, and messages
were being received and sent
The Western Union, also, had consid-
cradle trouble. but no messages were de-
clined. although some had TO be sent by
circuitous routes.
In spite of the unfavorablec ondltions
the street force under Mr. Jackson Boil
ton, began yesterday morning 10 clear
away the broken trees and general debris
and by last night much had been re-
moved. Forty men and twenty carts
were employed I'm the work.
So much snow and rain having fallen
lately. n Is apprehended that when {.
thaw sets I'm there will be a considerable
rise in the river
The new Review Will be an Anglo-Amer-
lean affair. The FIRST act viii be lsid m
New York and the second in London.
II will he in the nature OF a burlesque