The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-18
Drifts from Six to Twenty-Five Feet
Deep. and Trains stalled at
Number of Points.
TROLLEY LINES ABANDONED
AND MANY PERSONS IN CITIES IN
ABLE TO REACH THEIR HOMES.
Schools Closed, Navigation Hazardous
Mails BeIated and Business
Almost ParaIyzed.

NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-THE eastern part
of New York State. from this city TO the
Canadian border. was swept by a blizzard
to-day such as had not been experienced for
fourteen years. Up TO midnight reports
showed that sixteen counties had received
in full force the effects of the gale and the
accompanying fall of'snow. These counties
were Dutchess. Orange. Ulster. Albany
Schoharie, Schenectady, Montgomery. Sar-
atoga, Essex. Columbia Rensselaer,, Wash
ington. Clinton. Oneida. Onondaga and Che
mung. Thus it will be seen that all the
eastern tier of counties caught the storm.
and that il did not extend to the western
portion of the State. although it was ex-
pecteG there before morning There is
sameness about the reports from the up
State towns. Anywhere from four to eight
cen inches of snow. wind blowing at
hurrican rate. drifts from six to, in one in
stance. twenty-five feet deep are among
the features. while ther is iteration and
reiteration OF delayed trains. impeded or
wholly abandoned trolley service and i'm
passable country roads. The latest reports
indicate that the worst is over. for the wind
IS abating and in many places the snow has
ceased falling.
IN NEW YORK CITY.
In New York city the storm was the
severest since 1883. Beginning soon after
midnight the storm increased rapidly
until by daybreak the whole city was
completely showed under. The rising
force of the gale piled the snow in great
drifts that for time almost suspended
traffic, except i'm the main thOroughfares,
where the tracks were only kept open
by the constant use of snow ploughs and
sweepers.
Communication between Manhattan and
Brooklyn was subject TO long delay The
ferry boats with difficulty made trips across
the ice-choked rivers. and the work Of tug
boats lighters and shipping generally was
almost at a standstiIl. So heavy the
snowfall that the loading of vessels was
stopped, il being impossible to keep the
matches open. Two steamers which arrived
during the night struggled as far as quar-
antfne. where they came to anchor. Sew
eral steamers are supposed to be off Sandy
Hook waiting for the storm TO abate before
attempting TO enter the port.
Tonight the local weather bureau reports
that the worst of the snowfall. which began
TO abate in the afternoon. is probably over.
The fall up to o'clock p. m. was 9 $40
inches. This afternoon hurricane warnings
were hoisted at Sandy Hook and New York.
and many vessels are detained in port
MAILS DELAYED.
There was considerable delay in the ar
rival OF mails. The Chicago mail, due at
4:45 p m. did not get in until 7:45. and the
Washington mail was an hour and a quar-
ter late. The local deliveries of mail were
hampered by the difficulty OF driving the
wagons through the snow-incumbered
streets. All outgoing mails were closed
from thirty minutes TO hour before the
usual time. Mails on the New York Cen
trail were from two to three hours late and
all mail service between this city and
points on Long island was practically sus-
pended. The trains on all the lines ter
minating I'm Jersey City were hours be-
hind time during the morning. but to-
wards evening the schedules were more
nearly maintained. On the New York Cen
trail through trains were being moved
nearly on time by taking off many of the
local trains.
The congestion OF traffic on the Man
haitian street-car lines was severe during
the morning when many of the avenues
were blocked with long lines of stalled
cars. On Broadway wheel traffic was con-
fined to- the narrow lanes between high
snow hills, and along these cabs. trucks and
cars crawled at a snairs pace From other
thoroughfares truck traffic disappeared al
most entirely In the shopping district the
blockade was so complete that several of
the great department stores closed at
O'Clock.
-Four thousand men were set TO work TO
clear the streets OF Manhattan early In the
afternoon. OF these half were engaged in
opening cross walks. while 1900 men and
300 trucks were employed TO work all night
clearing the main streets.
On the elevated lines there was consider
able delay in the early hours. but by the
evening rush hours all trains were run
ming on time. although enormously over
crowded owing TO the interruption OF the
surface lines.
CRUSH ON THE BRIDGE
The Brooklyn bridge was kept clear of
snow from the time the storm began. but
both the elevated anc trolley cars were
crowded TO their utmost capacity. although
many thousands OF Brooklynites preferred
: the perilous passage OF the ferries TO par
ticipating In the crush on the bridge
Throughout Brooklyn the blockade was
even more general than In Manhattan.
and little progress was made by the streez-
cleaning department beyond opening cross
walks on the principal streets Coney
kIand. Fort Hamilton and Canarsie were