The Penn's Grove record., 1899-02-17


house to church. During part of the
day only Il very fine snow mist fell.
$50 all night long the storm rayed on;
The morning broke without a sun;
In tiny spherule traced with lines
OF Natures geometric signs,
In starry fake, and pellicle,
All day the hoary meteor fell"
Sunday and Monday mornings the
storm came from the northeast and
blocked all the roads running North
west and southeast.
Monday afternoon the wind shifted
to the northwest and a heavy gale
made the snow binding at some places
and blocked the roads running north
east and southwest.
''All day thy gusty north-wind bore
The l%oosening drift its breath before;
Low circling round it's southern zone,
The sun through dazzling snow-mist
shone.n
Sunday vas slightly warmer. Mon
morning the mercury was GO, and rose
to 12o at 1 P. NJ. Tuesday morning
the sun rose clear and cold, tempera.
ture 10, to melting in The sun, at noon.
"And when the second morning shone,
We looked upon a world unknown,
On nothing we could call our WIN.
Around the glistening wonder bent
The blue walls of the armament,
No cloud above, no earth below
A universe of sky and snow!
The old familiar sights of ours
Took marvellous shapes"
Snow was banked fence high and
higher. With difficulty men waded
through snow knee deep in the middle
of the road. Each man had to ditch
from his door to the middle Of the road.
To clear a foot path in the middle oil
the road two double teams were driven
loose ahead of the foot path scraper
pulled by two horses. On Wednesday
men ditched all the foot paths out and
a scraper eight feet wide was made and
a path wide enough for a wagon was
plowed.
School was not held on Monday moi
Tuesday.
On Wednesday of last week two tugs
with difficulty took a scow with cars
from Penn's Grove to Wilmington,
since which time the town has been
ice bound.
"Motionless became the river,
Hard as stone became the water.'
On Wednesday Boone Il Co. gathered
ice 125 inches thick from PIickett's
pond.
Occasionly an ocean steamer was
seen to go up or down the western
channel. None was seen Tuesday.
Superintendent Green did not at
tempt to move a locomotive on Mon
day. On Tuesday three were started
up the railroad and after butting snow
for half a day got as far as George
Strengthens, below P%erkintown station.
Canvas was put over the cab and ten
der to keep out the snow. After a
hundred yards start the locomotive
would plunge into the now deep enough
to cover her like a mole.
Wednesday morning was very cold,
50 below Zeru, but the temperature
rose to melting in the sun. After
working with three locomotives the
Delaware River Railroad was cleared
and Woodbury. reached at 4.l5 p. NJ.
The return train reached Penn's Grove
at G. As. bringing three days mails and
Penn's Grove was no longer snow
bound.
AT Prospect there was a drift 400
yards long and Is feet deep. AT Ram.
DO near Gibbstown, the snow vas high
err than the cars. The schoo! house at
Gibbstown was completely covered with
drifting snow.
$50 days went on: three days had passed
Since the great world was heard from last.
The Almanac we studied Ger,
Read and rereard our little store;
OF books and pamphlets, scarce a score;
One harmless novel, mostly hid
From younger eyes, a book forbid,
And poetry Tor good or bad
A single book was all we had
Where Elwood's meek drab-skirted Muse,
A stranger to the heather Nine
Sang with q somewhat nasal whine,
The wars of David and the Jews.
At last the foundering carrier bore
The village paper to our door"
"Welcome to us its week old news
Its corner for the rustic Muse
It's monthly gauge ofsnow and rain,
Its record, mingling in a breath
The wedding knell and dirge of death;
Jest, anecdote, and loye-lorn tale,
The latest culpit sent to Jail,
Its hue and cry of stolen and lost
Its vendue sales and goods at cost,
And traffi calling loud for gain.
We ielt the Stir of hall and street,
The pulse of life that round us best;
The chill embargo of the snow
Was melted in the genial glow;
Wide swung again our ice-locked door.