The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-01
COUNTRY SqORM-SVEP7.
Rival of the Blizzard Of 1888 Strikes
the Atlantic Coast.
WHOLE SOUTH FROZEN UP.

An Avalanche of Snow Descends, Hur.
ricane Sweeps the Coast. and the Bit
ing Cold Extends Over tho Whole
Land, Bringing Death and Disaster
Eastern and Southern Cities Tied Up
NEW YonE CITY CSpeciaD.-The entire
country from Florida to Maine and 1OO(
miles inland was swept by the blizzard o.
1899.
The storm extended from New England
20 the Gulf and as far West as Oregon at
the North and Texas at the South. The
dispatches received from the various Sec
tions OF the large territory affected show
intense suffering and general delay oi
traffic.
The South has not been spared, and
Washington in particular has suffered Sc
verely. the fall OF snow there having
reached more than twenty inches. The
mercury there, however, did not fall so
low as at other places further south.
Some thermometers In Kentucky registered
as low as thirty degrees below zero.
Pennsylvania Is suffering much, and the
impediment to traffic In the coal regions, 1t
IS feared, may result In serious coal
famine. Trains are delayed on all roads,
and in some instances all effort to get
trains through ceased for time.
The snowstorm that began so gently on
Saturday evening and continued at inter-
walls during Sunday developed Monday into
the severest storm that has visited the
sountry since the blizzard OF 1888. As the
day advanced the high wind took on the
force OF hurricane and piled up the snow
in such a manner that. almost alkthe rail-
roads leading into the city and into Jersey
City practically suspended the running Of
trains by nightfall. The surface cars and
the elevated trains managed to keep run
ming at uncertain intervals, but all the
other traffic was ut a standstill. The city
was practically isolated before night came
ID.
Stories OF the effect OF the blizzard come
In from all along the Atlantic slope. Early
Monday evening, after much delay through
,ut the day, train service on the railroads
,entering at Philadelphia and Baltimore
snowfall had reached almost foot and a
half, and business was practically para
lived. The snowfall In the mountain re-
gions of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir-
ginia was even greater, and with the severe
temperature caused much suffering.
The storm extended as far South as Mo-
bile, and in the South Atlantic and Gull
States much loss OF early vegetables and
fruit was caused, and the cold was severe
Iy felt.
Danger OF coal famine was reported
from a number Of Virginia cities and at
Pittsburg.
Train wrecks, due to the cold and storm,
occurred near Pittsburg and near Lancas-
ter, Penn, with the loss OF the lives OF an
engineer and two flremen.
The steamer william Lawrence, OF the
Merchants' and Miners Line, OF Baltimore,
vas wrecked of Port Royal, S. c., and a
number OF lives were lost.
In Washington the storm was the most
severe ever known. The city was cut OF
from railroad communication with the rest
of the country, and coal and provision
famine Is feared.
Three State Legislatures. those OF New
York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, we're
left without quorums.
The Ohio and Mississippi rivers arc
down them to waiting cities. Death, SUI
ferIng, destitution, prlvation and discom.
tort are more general than at any peaceful
time in the history Of the country.
Through the northern part OF the couI-
try the blizzard was merely severe trial,
'entatlng great deal Of Inconvenience and
some suffering; in the South it was unpre-
,edented disaster and ruin. Not only did
the snowfall in the Southern cities paralyze
Traffic and suspend business, but the low
temperature breaking records all over that
part Of the country, has probably ruined
the general fruit crops and has made 1t
almost certain that the orange groves are
frozen. What the damage to the orange
p,vf1 fa 10 fp,,, fO r N
at present, but the indications are that it
will 80 far into the millions.
From every Southern point In telegraphic
communication with New York City came
Dad news OF the storm. In Delaware the
coast patrol has been abandoned, railroads
ran on short schedule or not at all, tele-
graph lines are down, and in the cities the
:rolley lines stopped running. Virginia
reported blocked roads and lack Of sup
plies. In Norfolk there Is fifteen inches Of
snow, the harbor is filled with ice and
business was practically suspended. Rich
mond is also having a hard time and Is
worrying about necessary fuel. Baltimore
Is buried twenty-one inches deep and the
trolley wires are on vacation. Savannah,
having had only five snowstorms in thirty
years, was inclined to regarl this one as
Joke at first, and everyhody9turned out to
SNOWFALL his neighbor. When the tempera-
ture dropped to eight degrees, thereby
establishing new record, the joke wasn't
80 evident, and the jovial inhabitants re-
tired to their houses to embrace the stove.
The coal supply is scant, business has
stopped and labor Is huddling under
blankets and declining to be tempted by
double wages, on account OF which ship
ping is at a standstill. Atlanta also
stopped business aad devoted all its
energies to keeping warm.
Mobile reports tho destruction OF the
fruit and vegetable crops, and probable
ruin for most of the farmers OF that Sec
tion. Chattanooga has new record, ten
degrees below zero, also six inches of
snow. New Orleans, full Of shivering
strangers in light clothes specially con-
structed for the occasion, celebrated Mardi
Gras with its toes and noses and fingers
nipped IN a temperature OF six degrees
above zelo, the coolest snap by several
degrees ever known in that sunny city.
How New England Fared.
BosroN, Mass. Especially With the ther-
mometer standing at about twelve degrees
above zero the heavy snowstorm banked
up great masses Of snow, delaying traffic
in spite OF all efforts to keep the lines
clear. Reports from various New England
Dojnts show TINT thera have bean an az