Smyrna times., 1908-01-29
SMYRNA TEMPORARILY IN
THE GRIP OF A BLIZZARD
TRANSPORTATION CUT OFF FROM SMYRNA
AND ALL NAL ROUTS HELD Up.

blizzard of Considerable Intensity Ragged
thursday night and Friday and Heavy Snow
Drifts Makes All Roads impossible.
The heaviest snow storm of the
season and comparing in intensity and
effect to the Blizzard of '99, visited
this section on Thursday afternoon
and night and for a time held up
transportation. The snow melted fast
when it first began to fall, but by night
had covered the ground to the depth
OF several inches. A high northwestern
wind drifted the snow and by morning
everything was tied up, especially the
roads running east and west from
town. The Smyrna Branch train
attempted to come in Friday morning
but when at Flatiron Point it got stuck
IN a drift and was held there until an
engine from Clayton came to its res
cue. 1t succeeded at a late hour in
getting to Smyrna but the drifts piled
up along the hedge and by afternoon
the conditions were as bad as ever.
The carriage road was also impossible
to teams and passengers down on the
evening trains were obliged to walk
IN. Many had rough experiences.
Farmers living in remote sections were
unable to get to town and those who
reached here came either by horse
back or walked. In many places the
snow had drifted even with the hedges.
All rural routes were temporarily held
up. All trains were delayed The
Smyrna Branch and the d. & @. aud
Queen Anne and Kent railroads did
not get into running operation until
sometime Monday. This meant a
delay of mails and an inconvenience
to the public. In the meantime several
sleighs were out but they cut IN so
badly it was not enjoyable. By Sun
day the weather had moderated con
slderably, followed with a heavy south
east rain which melted the snow and
made the roads miserable Between
the snow banks and muddy roads, lhe
farmers living in remote sections have
been having trouble to get about.
The freeze of Monday, however, has
relieved this situation.
Fridays blizzard changed generally
the plans of farmers meetings. The Do
yer Farmers Institutes were discon-
tinued on account of the blizzard and
the resultant stOppage of road travel.
DR.. Harry Haywood, director of the
state college experimental station. and
Professor Webb, director of the insti-
tute, with several of the officers, held
a consultation and decided to postpone
further sessions of the institute sebed-
uled for last week until the first week
IN March. The schedule for next week
however, will be resumed. 1t was re-
ported Friday at the State Board of
Agriculture that the severe storm of
Thursday night and Friday morning
had done no harm to the peninsula or
chards 1t was not feared that the
blizzard would injure the budding. but
the weight of snow, which proved so
damaging to shade trees of the larger
type, also threatened to break down
the fruit trees. The latter, however.
withstoOd the storm for the reason that
they are of much smaller stature and
closer to the ground The institutes
before continuing its sessions until the
March dates, elected these officers for
the year: President, j. Frank Rice,
FELTON,; vice president. J. Blair Reed,
Dover, secretary, Wesley Webb, Do
yer; treasurar, j. Frank Wilds, Dover;
executive committee, Matthew V. Ford
H. Dexter Learned, Gamaliel Garri-
son, Samuel Harris, William F. Nc
Kee, William NJ. Dickson, A. n.
Brown, John NJ. Reed, Alfred Raugh-
ley, Jacob J. Rosa.