The Somerset reporter., 1900-03-08
The Last Blockade.

The month Of February gave us sever
al disagreeable and blocking storms, and
was only one day late on the worst OF
the winter,-which arrived Thursday,
March 1st. After raging storm lasting
all day storm of hail succeeded 1t, and
for several days thereafter the country
roads were impossible to travel.
The schools were closed Friday and
the country roads for miles aroupd were
| impossible. The Somerset Traction
Company was blocked but began run
ming local cars at noon. The frat train
on the Maine Central, Friday, arrived at
Il O'Clock noon, having been seven hours
out from Waterville. The snow pillow
was derailed in the narrow cut mile and
half from town, where the snow was
over three feet deep and packed so hard
| 1t would bear mans weight. A great
deal OF difficulty was experienced IN
getting the pillow on the iron, which as 1t
blocked the way caused the delay. The
morning train was run as special TO
waterville, leaving here at one O'Clock.
Many of the delivery teams were dis
pensed with and men on snow shoes took
their places. Telegraph wires were
down in many places. The Masonic ball
was postponed one week to March 9th,
to the disappointment of many people.
Caterer Fairbrother had turkeys and
meats already cooked and strawberries
and many other perishable goods ready
for the banquet which he was to serve
By his enterprise, however, he was able
to dispose Of the entire lot of these
goods.
Many people in town experienced con-
siderable difficulty, Friday and Satur-
day, in obtaining milk. Only two or
three milkmen were able to cover their
routes and consequently many people
were obliged to do without this neces-
sity. Saturday, it was impossible to
buy eggs 10 town after the few that the
dealers had on hand were disposed of.
Butter, also, was very scarce.
Stage connections with the up river
towns were entirely cut eff for several
days. The first stage to South Norridge-
wock went through Monday. Mails
for Athens and Cornville were carried
from here, Sunday, for the first time
since Thursday afternoon. The roads
for miles around are badly drifted and
nearly every foot of them has to be
shovelled. The snow is very heavy to
handle and there Is from one to five feet
of 1t in the drifted places.
The crust was so hard 10 many places
in the highways in this vicinity that
axes were used to cut it preparatory to
shoveling 1t out of the Travelled way, and
we hear of one instance where cross
cut saw with one handle was found to
be convenient tool to saw the way
through drifts or feet deep.
Wednesday, the greater part of the
country roads were in passable condi-
tion although the travelling is extremely
difficult. The Athens, Canaan and Nor
rIdgewock stages are running on regular
time, but the South Scion and East Mad
ison stage failed to make train 'connec-
tions Tuesday. The Somerset Traction
Company got Its first electric car
through to Madison. Thursday forenoon.
A great deal of shovlling will have to be
done to get the road In running condi-
ton again. Tuesday, for the first time
since the storm the farmers In the out
lying districts began to bring wood into
town. Many people who were not pre-.
pared for the storm have suffered con-
siderable Inconvenience from the lack Of
wood up to this time. *