The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-05
Blizzard in New York Has Caused
Seven Deaths
DRIFTS ARE FIVE FEET HIGH
Surface Cars Are All Stopped and
Entrances TO SubWays Are
Blocked BY the Huge
Snow Drifts.

New York. January 4.-Not in several
years has New York been visited by a
storm of such proportions as that which
commenced yesterday and continued until
early today. Nine inches of snow fell,
paralyzing traffic, and the marked drop
in the temperature brought untold suf-
fering to the city's poor. The blizzard
caused seven deaths in New York and
vicinity, while many persons overcome
by cold dropped to the street, some of
them receiving fractured bones
The storm began with an icy sleet
which stuck to car rails and caused a
speedy abandonment of railroad and troll
ley schedules The sleet covered the
sidewalks and streets with Ice and rem
dered them almost impossible. Scores of
horses fell and many were SO badly in
jured that they had to be killed. A fine
snow succeeded the sleet and, aided by
the wind, soon piled up drifts that shut
off many suburban points from the city.
AT 9 o'clock this morning the thermom-
eter registered 10 degrees above zero
and continued In that vicinity all day.
Caused Milk Famine.
The drifts caused a milk famine and
only a small percentage of the usual
amount of milk was delivered in the
city. Milk trains on the various rail-
roads were held up by snow banks.
Owing to the inability of small grocers
and coal dealers 10 get supplies, they ran
short and put their wares up to famine
prices. Great suffering resulted in the
poorer districts from this action.
Five of the seven men who met death
from the result of the storm died from
exposure, one slipped on the icy platform
of an elevated station, fell in front of an
approaching train and was ground to
pieces. The seventh, T. w. Eller,
conductor of the Pennsylvania railroad,
blinded by the driving snow, stepped In
front of the congressional limited train
at South Amboy. ~ J > and was instantly
killed.
The decentralization of the surface cars
played havoc with those going to busi-
ness. The elevated trains ran in fire.
quently, throwing the bulk of the traffic
for the upper districts of the city to the
subway. Even the underground road did
not escape the storm. AT the Times
Square station snow drifted in, forming
a drift five feet high, and it was impos-
sible for the people to use the station
until the snow had been clear away.
The whole transportation system of the
Bronx broke down just when the morning
travel was at its height and people were
compelled In many instances to tramp
to the nearest Il" station. The surface
lines were tied up. The storm parayzed
traffic in the country districts of Staten
Island. In many places the snowdrifts
were very deep and several trolley cars
were stalled all night between Richmond
and Newdorp Small buildings in various
parts of the island were blown down by
"a fala nh folan "a
wires were much damaged.
Marooned on Trolley Car.
A trolley running between New Rochelle
and Mt. Vernon, carrying dozen people,
including several women, ran into big
snow bank and in bueking the drift blew
out Its fuses. leaving the car without
heat or light. The passengers were ma
rooned there for nine hours before being
rescued.
Unable to see what was before them
by the binding snow an express train
from Patchogue, l.. l., on TIE main line
of the Long Island road, crashed into a
train stalled in a snow drift at the West
Floral Park station this afternoon. Gre
ating terror among the passengers. One
passenger was so badly injured that he
may die.
Incoming liners report a blizzard at
sea- The Teutonic and American from
Liverpool, and the Princess Victorian
Louise from Hamburg are at quarantine
after tempestuous passages, but outside
the bar are several vessels from Euro
pean and South American ports. Tele-
graphic and telephone communication
was not interrupted by the storm.
Today 5000 men were put TO work clean
ing the streets of New York and tomor-
row the number will be doubled. The
effects of the blizzard were felt at most
a. l., Nnfxr