Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-02-27

West Eighth street and Delaware
avenue lines were Kept open and run
I ming until nearly o'clock, and then
the West Eighth street line was blocked
by telephone pole which fell across it
/ at Eighth and du Pont streets. Cars
were stopped at various points along
| the system. Some OF the passengers,
! rather than venture out in the storm
remained in the cars. Some STAYED
there as long as an hour. Then find
ing that there was little hore of get
ting the line in operation, they got out
and made their way the best they
could through rain and slush, dodging
broken wires. Men were sent to Eighth
and du Pont streets to clear the OBJ
struction, but before they got finished
Il tree and another pole was reported
to have fallen across the tracks east of
the first obstruction. The Delaware
avenue line, by heroic effort, was kept
open and was in operation until after
midnight. Trees and large branches
of trees fell across it at several points.
but large force of men was kept at
work, and with some delays the line
was kept in fairly good condition.
The Peoples railway was forced to
abandon operations early in the even
ing owing to obstractions. Brave at
tempts were made to keep the West
Sixth and West Seventh street lines in
operation, and they were run until
after dark. Then the Instructions had
fallen across both lines of tracks and
it was impossible to operate any cars.
Men worked all night moving the OBJ
structions.
The city was almost completely cut
off from the outside world during the
night, so far as telegraphic and tele-
phonic communication was concerned,
the result of fallen wires and poles.
In the city the telephone companies
kept as many of the telephones in
service as possible under the circum-
stances. Many telephone subscribers
had no trouble in calling central, but
when they sought to get connected
with other subscribers the troubles
began. Wires down here and there
practically made communication for a
great distance within the city impossi-
hle. Many wires were, however intact
and the subscribers got good service.
The long distance telephone lines were
out Of service early, because of the
accidents to poles and wires In the
same nar the telegraphic systems
were t. up, and not message was
received in this city or sent from il by
wire from the north Friday night. The
telegraph companies were alive to the
situation, however, and messages up
to 3 clock at night were taken to
Phlladelphla by messenger boys of the
Postal and Western Union companies,
and were telegraphed from the offices
in that city, whenever possible. Wire
communication with Baltimore was
open.
During the day many horses and people
had narrow escapes. While Charles
Colhourn, colored, of No. 121 Button
wood street, was driving two horses
along du Pont street between Fourth
and Fifth, his horses ran into an cleo
trio wire dangling in the street and
were shocked to death. C'olbourn had
narrow escape, as he was jolted from
his seat in the wagon by the force of
the shock He was not hurt. While
one of the Diamond State Brewery
teams was being driven along King
street between Third and Fourth it
ran into a telephone wire hanging in
{ e street. The wire was charged with
electricity from another wire and one
horse was instantly killed. The other
vas knocked down, but survived
Naturally the railroads were heavy
sufferers by the great storm. The sleet-
laden wires broke in all directions,
cutting off communication, but despite
this serious handicap very good train
service was maintained without acci-
dent, by the adoption Of every pre-
caution.
A cable of so wires was down at
Chester and three bad breaks have
occurred in that city, the wires at
Concord, Morton and Madison avenues
being torn down completely.
The Delaware Railroad was cut off
from communication with the world by
use of wire. The worst breaks were in
the vicinity of Farnhurst, where all
wires were laid fiat and several poles
are down. Between Farnhurst and New
Castle the worst damage was done,
and in addition to the breaks in the
wires at least 80 poles were down. En-
gineers use great preeaution in run
ming trains along at this point.
But little delay was experienced by
trains on the B. & O. railroad. The
wires north of this city were down and
men were at work making repairs Sat
urday. The wires to Baltimore were
in better shape and trains to and from
that city could be directed from the
offices in this city.
Hundreds of trees along the streets
and in the parks and cemeteries were
almost wrecked, their branches falling
and in some instances whole trees top
pied over The pole which fell on
Fourth street between Washington and
Jefferson crashed in the roof of the
porch at the residence of Joseph
Weatherby, 5l8 West Wourth street.
Among the narrow escapes was that
of William Rittenhouse, driver for
Francis Kelly. He was in an oren
wagon on the north side Of Fourth
street near Pine, when the wires fell
on that street, one Of which struck his
hat and knocked it from his head. He
struck the horse sharp blow with the
reins and the wagon cleared the wire
as ii fell to the ground. He could not
go any further only by hauling his
wagon over the fallen poles which
completely blocked the street. He
notified Mr.. Kelly, who instructed
him to leave the wagon after he had
embarrassed the horsa. This he did.
A horse owned by w. I. Simons of
Brandywine hundred stepped on live
wire on King street above Eighth on
Saturday afternoon and was killed.
Thomas I. Weldin's two horses which
were shocked at Eighth and jackson
streets on Saturday morning, were able
to get home, but are in pretty bad
shape, although Mr.. Weldin believes
they will recover
1t is estimated that the storm did |
damage in this city to the extent of
$50, GOO. the major portion of which |
falls on the companies owning wires.
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STORM IN The GlllNIRY.