Smyrna times., 1905-02-01
SMYRNA RECOVERING FROM
WORST BLIZZARD IN YEARS
TOWN FOR NEARLY THREE DAYS CUT OFF
FROM RAILROAD COMMUNICATION.
County Districts Daddy Blocked BY Snow
Banks and Rural Mail Service Disabled.
Some Thrilling Incidents of the Storm.

OOWS AuiliiuS luSiuCulS Vi the cIOrfU
Smyrna recovered from the blizzard
last Wednesday after being practically
shut off from railroad communication
for two days. 1t was one of the worst
blizzards in many years and was
equaled only in intensity by the great
blizzard of 1888. Thursday morning
the pavements were cleared of snow
and it was nearly noon before walking
was anywhere near being permissible.
Drifts of snow were to be seen every-
where, some streets worse than others.
Possibly the heaviest drift was in East
Smyrna where from Bethel A. NJ. E.
Church toward Smyrna Landing the
road was simply impossible and it re-
quired force of several men to cut
the bank away so the road could be
used. In come places the bank was
nearly SIS high as the top of buggy
and has been an object of curiosity
since the storm. The road between
Smyrna and Clayton was also blocked
and:it was not until Friday afternoon
that the force of men put on the
Smyrna Branch Railroad had cleared
the track sufficiently for trains to run.
In the meantime Smyrna was practl-
cally cut off from communication until
China Potts picked way out for car
rying the mails to and fro on horse
back. Reese's Livery at Clayton
VISA. among the first to run a convey
ance and they coined money by bring
ing storm bound passengers in from
Clayton at so cents head. Until the
blockade was lifted the Railroa ad Com
pany refused to sell tickets to Smyrna
and those coming down the road on
Thursday were entertained at the
StOeckle House over night at the ex-
pense of the Railroad Company. Quite
number of Smyrnians were storm
bound at Clayton over night.
FrightfuI Experience Of Unde rtaker FAIRIES.
Harvey W. FAIRIES, of the firm of W.
A. FAIRIES & Son, the we'll known un-
dertakers had an experience Wednes-
day that he will long remember and
the fact that he did not perish in the
cold is almost miraculous. The Messrs
FAIRIES had the funeral of George W.
Reed of the Alley Mills scheduled for
Wednesday morning and not wishing
to disappoint the family, Mr.. Harvey
FAIRIES left with his colored man and
the light hearse for the Reed residence
1t was a tough pull and Mr.. FAIRIES
found he was up against a severe pro-
position. He was determined to &c
for it had been a matter of pride with
this established firm that out of tota
of 13,2O0 funerals conducted since the
firm was organized in 1881, only two
instances are on record where they
failed to report, one when Mr.. Alex
ander FAIRIES, fathsr of W. A. FarieI
was living and the other during the
blizzard of 1888. Almost exhausted
Mr.. FAIRIES reached the home of th'
Reeds and found but a few relatives
and friends gathered. The funeral o
course had to be postponed and Mr.
Harvey FAIRIES and his coiored maj
could not be, induced to stay bu
started out in the midst of the raging
howling blizzard. They left the hears
at Reeds and hitching one of thei
horses to york carriage started out
the direction of Smyrna. The sno'
was binding and they could scarcel
find their way. Finally they wer
obliged to abandon their buggy AM
drove up to Mr.. John Thompson's ol
the Lightcap farm where they procure
another horse. Each on horse-bac
started out over fields through heav
drifts which at times seemed almos
impassable. Several times Mr.. Farle
thought he would have to give u
with sheer exhaustion but he presse
On urging all the time his colore
man. One time when his horse fe
with him over into a snow drift, D
felt an inclination to sleep but he kne'
this was dangerous and he arose an
pressed forward with removed Vige
and after circuitous course reache
his home in Smyrna almost exhausted
The funeral did not take place unt
Saturday noon. The funeral of Ale'
ander Laws, which was in charge
Undertaken Pritchett of Dover also ha
TO be postponed until Monday. III
funeral of Ridson Ringgold prom
lnent colored man of near Friendship
who died last Wednesday morning WI
not held until Yesterday afternoon
2o'clock.
High School Pupil Shows Unusual Pluck.
Miss Lillian Ennis, daughter OF nj
and Mrs. Wood Ennis residing on u