Evening journal., 1900-03-16
SNOW ALL DAY,
HAIL ALL NIGHT
City Wrapped in Sheet Of Snow,
Which Fell for Nearly
Twenty.fOur Hours.
SHIPS PUT BACK FROM SEA

A THIRTY-KNOT WIND CARRIED
A WARNING TO CAPTAINS WHO
sCURRIED BACK TO THE
Observation-Disclosures DELAY
ED BUT LITTLE.
over the city yesterday swept the
most severe storm OF the season. snow
falling from. early morning until al
most daybreak today.
In the evening. however, a fine hail.
accompanied the snow, which beat
against the pedestrians face unmerci-
fully.
The snow. on reaching the ground.
packed solidly, and as IL increased in
depth clung tenaciously to a persons
feet, making walking extremely diff
cult.
Little difficulty was experienced by
the railway company. as three sweep
ers were kept busy all day and night
to prevent the storm from blocking the
tracks There were no drifts, although
stifi wind sprang up after nightfall,
but the steady fail OF snow and hail.
which, together, presented the appear
ance Of white sand. would have been
sufficint to block the tracks.
Trains ran on schedule time until
midnight, when they were somewhat
delayed.
Little damage was done. the only
case recorded being the fall of Bay
nard's awning. at Fifth and Market
streets which became so heavily laden
with snow and hail that il collapsed
under the strain. II broke loose from
the poles, and for a time the bulk win
dow was draned with icy canvas.
MARCH's FAMOUS BLIZZARD.
On March 13, 1888. twelve years and
three days after yesterdays storm a
blizzard swept the Eastern Atlantic
/ States. Communication between the
| leading Eastern cities was cut on. suf-
| fering and death followed in its wake
Yesterdays storm had pronounced bliz-
zard tendencies, and fatalists every
where prOphesied another visitation OF
weather more severe than the bliz.
zard Of 1883. 1t will be remembered
that in that blizzard Roscoe Conkling
of New York, lost his way. was chilled
caught pneumonia and died
IT'S LAST YEARS RIVAL.
In February Of last year the creates
i blizzard Of which there is any recorl
in Wilmingtons weather annals oc
CURED. In the nine days from Febru
ary 10 13, inclusive snow fell OF
seven. On the 9th of February tn,
mercury stood . degrees above zero
and on the 10th dropped to Z degree.
below zero. The highest velocity o.
the wind was on the eliminating dal
of the storm, February 13, when it wal
Thirty miles an hour and the direction
north, the thermometer Z degrees above
zero and the snowfall 1875 inches Thl
total snowfall of the storm period wal
32.1 inches. which is equal 10 a frac
! tion over three inches of water, an,
! three inches is about the average
monthly rainfall in this section Of thi
country.
NAVIGATION DELAYED.
Navigation in the Delaware river an,
bay was practically brought to a stand
which was accompanied by a stronl
Mllu. LNtu III llt nhl uoA llAllt III III
lway Of commercial transportation wa
accomplished. At o'clock in the morn
ing, at the Delaware Breakwater tn
wind was blowing from the east at tn
rate OF eighteen miles an hour. which
lby 2 o'clock in the afternoon, had in
creased TO thirty miles. while at
o'cIock the wind then coming from tn
northeast. the velocity was thirty-si'
miles. The barometer steadily fel
from the morning. it being at o'cloc
? 30.14; at o'clock in the afternooI
3002, while ct o'clock it was 29.9C
u Several steamers which had passe
down at certain points put back som
J distance, where a better anchorag
, could be obtained. Grain laden steam
er L. II. Carl DAM, for Limerick
] which passed New Castle at 10.5
b o'clock in the morning, returned to
point above that station and anchored
where she was as late as 3.15' o'cloc
in the afternoon. Philadelphia Trans
atlantinc Liner West Point. for Lon
don, was at anchor all day off Marcu
Hook.