The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-02-28
A MEMORABLE STORM.

The storm of last Friday surpassed the
recollections of even the oldest inhabi-
tants The amount of destruction is
hard to calculate, for many handsome
shade trees that were utterly ruined pos
scssed, of course, only a speculative value
to their owners. 1t commenced early i'll
the morning with a slight drizzle, which
freezing as it fell, rendered walking diff
cult matter for pedestrians. The trees
soon became covered with the congealed
mass and telephone and telegraph wires
were also coated with ice. Rain conf
mcnced to fall much heavier in the after
noon and this froze also, rendering the
weight on the limbs of the trees and cleo
trio wires too heavy for them to bear.
First the smaller limbs commenced snap
ping off, then the larger ones, until in
denizens of the lawns and natives of the
forest were broken to the ground. Maple
trees were the worst sufferers, and as
these are to be found i'll profusion on al
most every lawn, the surroundings of the
houses look like d cyclone had been on
the rampage.
BY six O'Clock thatevening it was very
dangerous for any one to venture upon
the streets on account of falling wires
and breaking limbs. Main streets and
Broadway, which re shaded on both
dered impossible. The electric light cur
rent had been turned on, but, owing to
the danger of live wires, the plant was
soon shut down and the town plunged in
utter darkness.
Serious Inconvenience was suffered by
those of our residents who use the fluid as
an illuminant, and many of the houses
were lighted up with tallow dips. relics
of bygOnc days, which are only brought
out on rare occasions. Saturday morn
ing he scene was one of desolation, and
it was sad to see the havoc that had been
wrought by the slect. Workmen conf
menccd at once to clean up the broken
limbs and by dinner time the streets of
Bel Air were passable.
The electric light and telephone lines
Suffered the worst. All over the streets
could be seen broken wires lying in con-
fusion. MIR NJ. Atchcson Reckord, Gen
cral Manager of the Rcckord Manufacture
ing Company, which furnishes Bel Air
with electric lights, deserves speci al credit
for the manner in which he labored with
a corps of assistants to straightcn out
the electric light wires. BY night he had
rugged up the commercial current i'll the
business portion of the town and the
stores were lighted up tor Saturday ever-
ing's business.
On Sunday morning when the sun broke
through the scattering clouds the scene
presented beggared description. 1t seem
cd as if the earth, trees and houses were
covered with millions of diamonds. The
hidcousncss of the twisted limbs was lost
i'll the coverings nt the ice until the warmth
of the rays of old Sol commenced to be
people could realize what terrible wreck
had been left by the action Of the elements.
Since then, lincmcn have been busily en-
gagged in attempting to straighten out
the telephone wires, but with few ex-
ceptions the service is practically cut off,
and Bel Air is as isolated as it was before
the introduction of this wonderful il =
vention. The storm throughout the
county, especially i'll the upper portion,
was even heavier than here. Reports
from the different sections indicate that
both shade trees and orchards arc prac-
tically ruined, the only ones to escape
being the apple trees which have a tough
fibre that does not break very easily.
The rain of Tuesday removed a great
deal of the snow and many of the fields
are now bare for the first time in four
uerES