Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1902-02-17


weather man. Several days ago he
prophesied that there would be snow.
1t failed to arrive on schedule time.
and there were some people irreverent
enough to say that the weather man
did not know any more about the
quirks and vagaries Of the weather
than common mortals.
Now, as to average them for their
temerity, comes this snow storm, and
it gives every indication Of becoming
full-hedged blizzard. The weather
man says that storm warnings are dis
played from Boston to Hatteras but he
gives hope of a cessation, expressing
the opinion that tomorrow will be fair.
Reports from down the State are to
the effect that the heaviest storm since
the blizzard Of 1899 is raging there
The snow already has fallen to a depth
of three feet. and that trains are not
able to run. 1t is also reported that
coal and wood dealers have sold out
their stock. and that people are suffer
ing from the cold.
In the city the snow began to fall
about 10 o'clock last night. The tenn
perature took a descent of about three
degrees, and the flakes came down in a
determined sort of way, that spelled
business to Those initiated i'm weather
lore They came so thick and fact that
about . o'clock the Wilmington City
Railway Company had its sweeper out
clearing the tracks, but it was not long
before they were again covered.
ADD STORNIM
BY noon today the city streets were
covered to a depth of four inches.
while in some places the drifts were
two feet Oeep. Walking was made a
difficult feat. for aside from the resist
ance offered by the snow, the wind
blew the snow into the faces of pedes-
trians with such force as to almost
blind them, and umbrellas were almost
useless
Street Car Travel lmpeded
Street car traffic was badly impeded
by the storm. Suburban lines suffered
most. and at some points conductors
and motormen left their cars to clear
the tracks with shovels and brooms.
Despite the use of the sweeper all day.
trolley traffic in the city was slowly.
and at one hour this morning there
were four Delaware avenue cars going
down Market street at a snail-like
pace A Newport car was detained for
half an hour at Folly Woods, and all
lines are running behind schedule
time.
Trains on both the Pennsylvania and
Baltimore and Ohio railroads are run
ming late, Delaware road train No. 90
arriving here at 10 o'clock, being an
hour and a-half behind time.
Along the River
Traffic along the river was suspend
ed today on account of the storm. The
tug Meteor. of the Bush and Warner
Line. was the only boat that moved in
the Christiana. all the others being
tied uD at their wharves. Steam was
kept up on all the tugs and the crews
ordered to remain on board.
All the shipyards are affected by the
storm and most of them are shut down
entirely. The tugs Jansen and Laura
B. yesterday afternoon put the bark
France Marie in the Harlan and Hol-
lingsworth Companys drydock, but
the snow this morning prevented the
men from going to work on her. All
of the men employed in the yard were
put to work shOveling the snow off the
materials used in the construction of
new boats.
Railroads Are Blocked
Notwithstanding the heavy fall of
snow, many trains on the p, w. e. B.
railroad are running on schedule time
All of the Southern connections out
of Washington, however, were from
fifteen to forty minutes late, and came
into the station looking like huge snow
banks. Dispatcher AydOn said: Near
1rr oil
are having very little difficulty in
keeping them So The snow is not go
ing to interfere very much with rail
road traffic unless il continues all day.
"All the dOwn-State trains are late.
however. The 1915 train was a few
minutes late but the one due here at
II o'clock was an hour an a-half be-
hind time"
All SOuth-bound trains also were
late. Superintendent Barnard explain
ed that the delay was due to snow
clogged switches in the Jersey City
yard of the company
All of the engineers had orders to
proceed with the utmost caution, as
the steam mingling with the snow
made it almost impossible to see a
cars length ahead.
The Philadelphia and Reading and
the Baltimore and Ohio companies re
ported that all of their trains were on
time and that the cuts in the formers
road were being kept clear by the sec
tion gangs
All of the men in the F., w. & b.
shops were put to work early shoveling
the snow from the tracks in the city
and with the assistance of the snow
plOw. soon finished their task.
Work on the elevated abutments was