The Republican journal., 1901-02-21
A SPELL OF WEATHER.
Snow Drifts ID Feet Deep, Mercury at or Re.
low Zero and Roads Impassable.

| low zero ana Roads ImD8a hla
While many here reckoned our recon,
severe weather from the snow storm which
begun Feb. 4th, it really dates back to Jan
2Sth, and from that time until Saturday
Feb. 10th, the mercury lowered about the
zero mark and did not get above the freezing
point. The Ice King held all New England
in its grasp, and even New York did not e.
cape. February 14th this cold period had
proved to be the most persistent spell Of
| OF weather that has occurred in the history
of the Boston Weather Bureau. Another
feature of this cold spell was the continu.
ance OF high winds from the north, northeast
or northwest; and they were most violent
at night, when calm ordinarily prevails. But
while these winds blockaded land travel.
filling in the roads and walks as fast as
shoveled out, they certainly prevented the
freezing up of the bay. Had these winds
ceased to blow, or veered to the southwest,
SO as to send the drift ice into the harbor.
our water communication would have been
shut off. The long continued and extreme
cold and the frequent snow falls must other
wise have brought about that result. AS if
was the harbor has frequently been skim
med over in the morning, but by night all
trace of ice would disappear. Through it
all the mail trains arrived and departed
with but slight delay occasionally, but the
freight train on the Belfast branch had to
be cancelled and the crew employed in
running snow plow to keep the line clear
The first freight from the west since Feb
4th arrived here Feb. 10th.
While our harbor and bay are free from
ice, Fox Island Thofoughfare is closed to
navigation; Boston docks were frozen up,
and New York last week had only the main
ship channel open, and one of the large
ocean liners was ice-bound in her dock. So
complete was the embargo that its effects
were severely felt in the New York markets.
Prices of meat, fish, oysters and vegetables
advanced at rapid rate. Large consign-
ments of produce for New York city from
Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois and the
Northwest section were either tied up by
the snow en- route or else badly delayed by
the ice in the North River, which crippled
transportation.
feathery flakes, but in hard granules, and
the wind packed it into drifts that in some
places would bear the weight Of a horse,
and upon which a wooden snow shovel
made little impression. When cut out in
blocks it resembled marble, but was far
whittier than any marble ever quarried.
From all sections of Waldo county have
come reports of great drifts, through which,
in many cases, it has been found impossible,
with the crews and teams available, to open
roads. A road broken out one day would
be filled in again level full the next night.
In the larger drifts the roads were shoveled
out to a depth of from to 10 feet, and the
crews found next morning that their labor
was in vain. The snow would drift in dur
ing the night, filling the cuts level full and
solid enough to bear the weight of man.
One section of road leading from Waldo
Station to Swanville was fenced out. The
drifts were heavy and extended far out into
the fields so that it was impossible to get
around them, as was done in most other
cases. Last Thursday but three mail stages
arrived here, those from Camden, Centre
Lincolnville and Stockton Springs. Some
of the mails were brought in and taken out
by the postmasters of the nearby offices,
who came on foot, or by single teams over
the short section of road, while the stages
were unable to get through the drifts be-
yond.
The road from the Hayford district was
shoveled out through drifts 10 feet deep
Wednesday, Feb 18th, but Thursday morn
ing the cut was filled in level full. The
farmers in that neighborhood had guam
tity of produce, including 200 pounds of
cream for the creamery, which was promised
to be delivered in the city. The produce
was placed in a big dry goods box on the
forward runners of a horse sled and seven
men started with it over the drifts for the
city. Thetrip from S. V. Philbrook' farm to
the creamery, distance of over four miles,
was made in less than an hour. The crew
was S. v and F. NJ. Philbrick, True Hay
ford, Thos. j. Brown, Chas. Simmons, Ed.
Park and Rufus P. Hills, Jr. After dispos-
ing of the produce and loading the sled with
supplies the party started homeward While
in town the outfit attracted good deal of
attention and was generally christened the
Klondike team. F. 7. Chase took snap
shot of the party in post Office square.
A day or two later True Hayford came in
from the Hayford farm with single team.
He carried rope 40 feet long and when he
came to a big drift he embarrassed the
horse and led him through or over the drift,
then attached the rope to the sled and had
the horse draw it over, when he reharness-
ed, repeating the operation at the next
drift. In this way he reached the city,
For eleven days not a team had passed the
Hayford place.
Many who enjoy cold weather in winter
were forced to admit this time that there
can be too much of good thing; and when
Saturday came in with the mercury 20
above and the sun shining brightly there
was general feeling of relief Even the
strongest had found the long continued colo
weather trying, and the prevalence of the
grip, or severe colds, and the partial sus-
pension of business, tended to depress the
spirits of almost everyone.
Saturday, Feb. 10th, the mercury got up
to the freezing point, 800, for the first time
since Jan. 25th, d period of % days. During
that time the mercury reached zero but
80 40 1N1.,