Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-04-04
P|TTSBURG THE CENTRE
Of REMARKABLE STORM.
SOFT CLINGING SNOW THAT REM
DERED ELECTRIC WIRES TOO
WEIGHTY FOR THEIR
SUPPORTS.
TROLLEY LINE KNOCKED OUT.
FOR HOURS THERE WAS NOT A
TELEGRAPH OR TELEPHONE
LINE OUT OF THE CITY.

PITTSBURG, Pa, April 3.-Pitts-
burg was to-day the center Of a snow
storm that began early in the morn
ing and continued with great force un-
til after l o'clock in the afternoon.
doing thousands of dollars damage,
rendered practically useless for a time
every electric light wire in the city.
suspended all street car travel, and
in the early hours isolated the city
from the outside world. A heavy
rain fell before the nov came, and
all reports from up-river points tell
of rising streams which may bring
about a flood here and below.
The losses cannot be fixed tonight,
but conservative estimates place the
amount at between $3.50, 900 and $780,
900. Telegraph and telephone COM
panies are the heaviest losers by reas-
on of the fact that their lines Alch
every part of the storm district.
Early in the morning a heavy wet
snow began falling. 1t chung tena-
ciously to everything it touched, and
by 8 o'clock every wire in the city
was coated with snow, so that they
were twice their normal size. The
trunk lines of the central district were
the first to give way, and most all of
the other troubles that followed are at
tributed to the failure of this service.
The poles were heavily laden, carry
ing $50 telephone wires and two cables.
Wherever a pole gave way, long
stretches Of poles went with it. They
fell owe into the street, breaking troll
ley and electric light wires as though
they were threads.
On Ellsworth avenue from Amboison
avenue to Craig street, the wreck is
complete, every pole being down. Five
consolidated cars were caught in this
district and were held there until after
8 O'Clock tonight. Center avenue from
Penn VENUE to Craig street Is in al
most as bad shape as Ellsworth.
Forbes avenue from Craft avenue To
Craig is also PROSTATE, and Frankstown
avenue for a long distance was a mass
of poles and wires. All of these streets
are traversed by the Consolidated
Traction Company, and where the fall
ing wires failed to break the trolleys,
they completely blocked travel, and
from 9 O'Clock until 1870 not a car
moved east of Brady street.
BY dint of hard work with a large
force of men street car travel was re-
sumed on the Fifth avenue line at 1870,
the other branches following rapidly
until all except the Ellsworth avenue
line were open by five p. m. The tele-
phone company has a large force ut
work and say they will be in opera
ton within a day or two. Tonight,
however, at least one-half of their
phones are of commission. The
Pittsburg and Allegheny Telephone
Company suffered but slightly because
their wires are mostly underground.
The storm passed eastward and all of
the suburban towns in that direction
suffered proportionately with this city.
Williamsburg, Braddock, Homestead,
Duquesne and McKeesport all report
business at a standstill for a good por-
ton of the day, caused by the prostra-
ton of the wires. Allegheny escaped
with comparatively little damage. a
landslide at the head of Federal streets
which brought tons of earth to the
street, covering the car tracks to a
depth of five feet, being the worst hap
pening. Mt. Washington and the other
hill tops suffered severely. All railroad
trains from the east are hours late,
having encountered in the mountains
snow to the depth of twelve and if
teen inches. which was so wet and
clinging that nov plows could not
clear the tracks. For a time it was
feared there would be a blockade on
both the Pennsylvania and Baltimore
& Ohio roads, but tonight all trains
are getting through, but not on any
thing like schedule time. The West
ern Union and Postal Telegraph Com
panies suffered heavily, the former not
having a wire on its regular eastern
routes up to a late hour tonight. and
the latter having only two as far east