Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-02-18
STORM STAYED.
Whole Atlantic Coast Swept by
a Blizzard.
SOUTH GETS RECORD BREAKER
New England's Generous Share-The
william Lawrence Wreck-Ger.
manic Goes Down - Long List of
Wreckage and dStorm-Wromght Dam
age,

manic NOeS DOWN - Long list Ol
WreCkage and storm Wrought Dam
age.
Boston. Feb. 14.-At the Boston
weather bureau. J. w. Smith. the local
forecast official, stated that the con-
dition of the weather in the United
States at the o'clock observation yes
terday morning was unprecedented in
his experience, and, so far as he knew.
With the exception of Il strip along the
Pacific coast, the entire country is in
the grip of freezing weather while in
the south the cold is intense.
Some idea of the conditions prevailing
there may be gained from the statement
that at the morning observation the
readirg of the thermometer at Mont
gomery. Ala. is II degrees colder than
1t was in this city, with corresponding
temperature through that section, even
New Orleans being only six above. The
line of zero temperature traverses the
weather chart in a direction almost
never seen before. AS a rule it of course
runs approximately east and west, but
yesterday it began at a point near the
mouth of the st. Lawrence and run about
south by west. some distance from the
Atlantic seaboard, to point near the
coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In fact it
f. not definitely known that it does not
extend to the gulf. as. Oh account of the
storm. reports are wanting from points
farther south. but it is known that the
zero line goes at least as far south as this.
From there it turns and runs about
northwest to Okla and from there
almost directly north to the Canadian
border Thus the belt of weather below
zero, instead of being spread across the
United States from east to west as is
ordinarily the case, runs almost directly
north ard south through the center of
the country.
In the southern portion of this belt
they are usually planting their spring
crops at this time of year. while now the
cold all through it is more severe than
it is in New England. All through the
southern states the suffering Is intense,
as there are 70 facilities there for with
standing such severe cold, while there is
no doubt but that the destruction to
crops. especially to the orange orchards
in Florida. must have been very great
On account of the storm some reports
are wanting, but with the zero line not
far from Jacksonville there Is little hone
but the cold weather record there has
been wiped out, and the destruction of a
few years ago more than duplicated.
Tho main storm began at an early hour
yesterday morning, and since then it has
showed inccssantly, while the north
east gale at times reached velocity of
over SO miles an hour.
The steam railroad companies wres-
lied all day with the great drifts,
and not being equipped with modern
western machines for handling such
vast quantities of snow the train SER
vice became badly crippled, and by
night was practically suspended
throughout New England
The electric car lines. except in Bos-
ton and one or two other large cities,
gave up the unequal fight early in the
day, and not one of the suburban COM
panies moved car after 10 o'clock in
the morning.
Except for this condition of affairs in
the south. the cold is not remarkable in
any part of the country. indianapolis
has it 16 degrees below, Cincinnati 10 de-
grees, st. Louis degrees, st. Paul IA de.
grees. Milwaukee 6 degrees, Rockiffe
(Can.) - degrees, and White River
(Can.) "a degrees below.
The storm covers the whole Atlantic
Geaboard. including Florida. A good deal
of snow has fallen, especially in eastern
New Jersey and Maryland. where there
l,n 10, i,,nl
level.
At noon the gale here was increasing
in force, and the wind was blowing 40
miles an hour outside the light Reports
from Sandy Hook state that the wind
there is blowing go miles an hour and
high wind velocities are also reported
from Block island and Nantucket. AT
Highland Light it Is feared that the gale
will be one Of the worst for many years,
although no casualties have yet been re-
ported.
The storm, following the severe cold
wave of last week seems to have been
a fitting climax for the severest winter
weather that has been experienced in
this region for many years. On sea
and land the inclemency OF the weather
has been the one great feature, and suf-
fcring has been intense, not only among
seamen. but with all trainmen and es-
pecially the poor of the great cities.
While many business men and vast
army of shopworkers found it COM
easy to reach the cities yes
terday morning, it was an entirely diff
ferent matter in getting home, and Il
large number in nearly every one of
the great manufacturing centers were
either obliged to remain all night at
their places of employment or seek ho-
tells, which became crowded at an early
hour last evening.
Few dispatches We're received from
along the coast, but the meagre news
that did arrive forecasted a tale of suf
ferng the details of which will prob
ably arrive today and tomorrow. 1t
will probably be some days before New
England can shake itself clear of the
great masses of snow and the deep
drifts which are now a prevailing fea
ture of the landscape.
Thousands of people who are accus-
toned to go to the suburbs to spend the
night and hundreds who were anxious
to reach distant cities were obliged to
remain in Boston last night. owing to the
complete tieup of every railroad running
out of Boston. All the different divis-
ions of the New York. New Haven and
Hartford We're blocked late in the after
noon by great drifts, the short suburban
service being as much affected as the
through trains. Only five miles out of
the city three engines were stalled and
relief train had to be sent out. but 1t was
a late hour before the engines were pulled
from the drift.
There We're no trains to or from Cape
Cod during the afternoon. and the Provi-
Daniel Came to Judgment.