The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-22


from the seyr est storm known III
this section Tor wears and loday
the people are iuhilant that 10
loss OF life has been reported II
could be far worse although the
situation is bad. Cool lnolra
men at the head of the complnie,
in Wilmington took the situation
in and used means to prevent
accidents.
| In no part Of the city wer" Tie
poles and wires damaged to such
an extent as they were along Fast
Fourth and part Of West Fourth
street. 1t must not be imayinel
however, that this was the only
part OF the city where poles sue
cumbcd tu the undue strain pllc-
ed on them.
Shortly before 5 o'clock ycster-
day afternoon there was Il terrific
crash along East Fourth street
and in succession practically
every telegraph and trolley pole
from Walnut street to the Christi
and river went down. There was
CONSERVATION in that vicinity.
Not only on one side but on both
sides of the thorougllfare was the
telephonic, telcgraphic and trolley
service crippled at one full swoop.
1t was Il pretty sight, and viewed
by many persons, as the dozens
Of wires cnvelopcd III ice and slect
res 4mbling Il silver sheen twisted
and contortcd themselves into
graceful curves and then snapped
in twain as they fell athwnt the
streets.
Many pedestrians and drivers Of
horses had 'narrcw escapes from
injury aud death when the street
became cloggcl with wires and
poles. Persons fled when the
poles began to crack and sought
places Of saiety in houses and /.
stores. Police Sergeant Tucker
was ON the street and he fled up
Il side street to escape the metallic
strands that fell. |
Drivers were not SO fortunate
however and in several places
horses, drivers and wagons were
hcmmcd in by the wires. The
electric and trolley wires infused
a dangerous current into the other
wise harmless telegraph and tclc-
phone wires, and persons feared
to touch them. The horses that
were caught within the electrical
corral we're unhitched from the
wagons and then stripped Of harm
ess. Boards then were obtained |
and wcrc laid across the fallen
wires. Along these improviscl ;
pathways the horses then were
conducted from within the danger
circle to places Of safety. Tho {
wagons were left standing in the {
Along West Fourth street, too, I
there came near being repetition , ,,
Of the destruction that prevailed !
on the East side. Several poles c
between Market and Monroe street a
either cracked or fell and wires r
honeycombed the streets. !,
At Fourth and Washington c
streets an immense pole gave IN L
ominous groan in the evening and t
ell aslant of u lower and stronger .
;rolley pole on tho south west |
corner. c
While the heavy wires of the T
Wilmington City Electric Company !.
1eld up undcr the storm on accout +
If their great weight and size and L
he strength of the poles which v
re in most cases shorter than 8
hose of other companies the line + +
aen of that company had all p
;inds Of trouble. The company b
ost no wires Of its own bat it II
1as seen early in the afternoon e.
hat it would be dangerous to a a
urn on current with telephone oi
nd other wires hanging down in e|
IL parts Of the city and before t .e
le current wa> tlrncl on last ~
ight close inspection OF the ie
hes was made and every wire