The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-03-16
BLIZZARD ANNIVERSARY.
IL Years ago Monday when the snow
Drlfted Twelve Feet High

Last Monday was the anniversary
of the great blizzard of 1888, it being
just twelve years since the most severe
storm on record made life burden
and locked Morristown in grip from
which it took several days to extricate
itself and then did so by pulling itself
together on the installment plan. The
storm centered over the town as it
were, for three days and during that
time Morristown was as buried city.
The weather prediction on the Sun
day previous was light snow and
clearing, but that S where the prophet,
as he eventually discovered, was off.
With Monday came the snow, wind
whose blasts showed the mercury
down to zero on Tuesday morning.
Morristown commuters started off as
usual on that historic Monday to at
tend to their daily routine of business,
but not until noon of the day follow
ing did they reach Newark For three
days there were no trains run from
New York We had no mail from
Saturday night, or daily papers either,
until Thursday afternoon. At
Hackettstown several trains ran of
the track and were forced to occupy
berth in snow bank. In one of
these accidents, an engineer. Charles
Baker, was killed. At the Morristown
round house only one engine was
stalled and there was hardly enough
fuel on hand to run that. Our streets
were piled with snow which ranged
from two feet to twelve feet in depth
and in many instances, it was i'm
possible to enter a store. No vehicles
ventured out excepting a milk and
bakers wagon and the owners OF
those were sorry. The driver of the
former left the top of his wagon along
the road, while the wind lifted tx c
top from the lattor wagon and carried
it over nearby fence. In Morristown,
accidents were numerous. A window
| in the steeple of the First Presby-
terian Church blew III and the town
clock was prevented from working on
account of the swaying of the steeple.
Two windows in the tower of the Bap.
tist Church were broken, a portion OF
the roof of st. Hilda's School was
blown off, part of the Court House
roof blew off and landed in Court
street, and the roof on the Mansion
House was also damaged, besides an
innumerable number of chimneys
being wrecked. Huff's brick stable
was badly damaged and horse that
was given shelter there was killed.
The wind carried the roof up against
another house and badly damaged that
building. Trees all over the city were
blown down as were telephone and
telegraph poles and wires. Business
was at complete standstill and oc
casionally one could hear the remark
that: This is the bliz that knocks
ont biz - Stores remained CLOSED
Monday In travelling it was safer
to go in pairs than singlely.
Ham, bacon and mackerel replaced
dainties, and fine cuts and condensed
milk was in demand. Tuesday was
election day and in several places hats
and cigar boxes were used in place OF
ballot boxes. Trains were stalled
along the line and the passengers
were forced to pay fifty cents piece
for sandwiches. Several persons braved
the storm and walked to Dover and
from South Orange to Morristown,
thereby running great risks. Among
those who accomplished this feat was
Hon. Mahlon Pitney, who at that time
was located in Dover. Fire Chief
Freeman got a sled and filled it with
hose and other utensils for fire fight
ing and kept four horses on hand,
ready for an emergency. The Mend
ham stage arrived in Morristown after
many upsets and difficulties one of the
horses dying as the result of the ex-
posure and from sheer exhaustion.
The snow drifts in front of Adams &
Fairchild's store was such that Gus
toners entered from sleighs through
tunnel to the store door.
Incident after incident could be re
lated and still after other places had
been freed from the grip of the bliz.
zard Morristown was locked up in the
impenetrable snow and the memory Of
the "oldest inhabitant" was snugly
entombed in the drifts.