The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-14
Abandoned Cars as Means
Of Self-Preservation.

Leicester, Feb. 19.-Blizzard by the
square miles is what Leicesterites have
experienced today. The wind howled
the snow blew. the mercury hung close
TO the zero mark, and pedestrians had
hard work to keep from perishing with
the cold. Never before since the ia
nous blizzard of 'SS, has there been
such frightful storm as the present
and the indications at this writing are
that even the record of 'SS will be bro
ken. The November blizzard sinks
into absolute insignificance in compar-
ison, and tonight all is storm and des-
olation.
cars have been abandoned on tracks,
as the workmen were frost bitten, and
were nearly frozen to death while at
tempting to shovel them out. Those
who were obliged to be out, took to the
electric car tracks, as the only possible
means of locomotion. and at this writ
ing, these avenues of escape are nearly
filled up, and Leicester and Cherry Val
ley are literally showed under. In
many places huge and insurmounta BILE
drifts are piled high, ranging from 6 to
10 feet deep.
a town official told a Spy man this
afternoon that it would cost the town
fully $4,000 to remove the snow from the
various town highways, which will be
III excess OF any amount previously ex-
pended Tor a similar purpose.
Electrlc car service is tied up. and
mas been practically all day. Early
TINS forenoon the Spencer end of the
suburban road was piled high with
snow and tonight drifts many feet deep
are reported all along the line. Traffic
noon.
On the Worcester end, traffic Jared
nearly as bad, and the last car ceased
moving about II this noon. The town
mas peen without a mail since morning.
Inc worcester mail was started away
at the usual time, but the car became
stalled. ]. w. Snow caused a team 10
De hltched up, and Jerry Manning
mounted the seat, and succeeded in
oellVerlng the mail in the Worcester
post Office shortly past three O'Clock
this afternoon.
Two cars and a pillow are stalled on
Paxton street; a salt car and sweeper
are stalled on the Winslow avenue
switch; one on "break- neck" hill. and
another on the Hope cemetery division
superintendent John B. German tele-
phoned the car house this afternoon.
that one car was plying between Salem
square and New Worcester.
Gangs of men worked shoyellinf, IN
the car tracks until 8 O'Clock This az
ternoon, when the freezing winds and
unDreathable atmosphere literally
drove them to shelter On Paxton
street a gang of men attempting
to shovel out a car, endured terrible
hardships. Motorman Dennis Keefe
had one side of his face badly frozen
while shoyeling. Inspector D. l.. Beau
lieau had an ear frozen, an6 many 9th
ers had fingers, ears and noses nipped
by the frost. Late tonight the town
presented picture Of desolation never
before seen in this town.
The concert which was to have been
given tonight in Smiths Hall was
postponed, and will not be given for
at least two weeks.
The funeral of Mrs. Erastus Burling-
ham, which was to have been held
Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, has
been postponed to Wednesday after
noon at 2 o'clock, and if there is no
abatement in the storm, there will be
further postponement.
The selectmen were 20 have given a
hearing this afternoon, on the Waite
street question, but owing to the bliz-
card, it was postponed until Wednesday
afternoon. There is much interest in
this question, and the board of select
men propose to give every person in
terested full opportunities to be heard.
William N. Seaver has returned to
Harvard College.