Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-27
WORST STORM EXPERIENCED
 IN MANY YEARS.

Norwich Almost Isolated, With Little
 Railroad, Electric, Telegraph or TeI-
 ephone Communication-Fire Alarm
 and Electric Light Systems Crippled
 Small Blizzard with Bad Results
 Poles and Wires Down.
 Norwich experienced one of the worst | storms in many years Saturday after
 noon and night, during which time
 about eight inches of snow fell accom- | panied by high wind and some rain,
 making the walking slippery and diffi- l cult and causing the snow to be plas- tered against wires, poles and build ings while the trees were handsomely decorated with an artistic coating of | white.
 Predicted by Horace Johnson, the 1 storm arrived only a few hours late, | but started in mild and gave but little l indication of the outcome until even- ing, when, with the wind it became a small blizzard and soon put out out of commsission the work of long time. Trees. poles, wires and large limbs were broken down, while the coating of ice on the trolley wires made it diffi- cult for the blows to get through. and the electric system was not running until shortly before 10 o'clock at night. The electric light system is crippled, so that the five iQcandescent light cir cults were not in use Sunday night, and while many breaks occurred in the arc circuits, all but one was fixed up so as to be in use Sunday evening, although only temporary repairs have been made. The commercial circuit was working. The bug" light circuits are supplied by a small wire, which broke under the weight of the ice, and Supt. Rogue states that the storm has been the worst for wires in years here. No lights at all were in commis- sion on the East Side Sunday night.
 The first break in the fire alarm sys- tenn came at 5.30 and the second at 5.45. At 6.30 Chief Stanton and his men were out locating the trouble. Be fore the trouble ended all but one of the circuits were out of commission and not until dark in the evening did the men cease work getting the wires | repaired temporarily, although 1t will | be a week to ten days before every l thing will be fully repaired / All was in order at o'clock except | few boxes, those at the almshouse, 1 Ulmer's tannery, three on the East | Side, 6, 62 and GA, and two on Laurel | Hill, 45 and AS. In some circuits there i were four breaks from limbs falling | or the weight of the ice. There was a | broken pole at the corner of Fifth | street, near the bleachery. The most | damage was done on the outskirts and | in Laurel Hill avenue there are sev- l eral breaks. The loss of the telephone | service made it necessary to get the | boxes working as soon as possible. On | all the bridges, at Greeneville, Preston l and Laurel Hill, the wires were broken | by the heavy wind and Chief Stanton | estimated that the ice on the wires, | although heavier at those points, was | ten pounds to the foot.
 In the telephone office there was | trouble all day and there it will prob ably be ten days before it is all back in shape. The local exchange has about 70 local lines put out of commission, meaning that over 200 telephones were | out of use, and on the long distance they had no wires at all. They were cut off from New London, Willinan- l tic, Jewett City, Hartford and Col chester. There were many loops down and poles broken on the New London and Yantic lines. At Wauwecus street and two miles this side of Jewett City there was more trouble. It will take two days to get the lines to working, even temporarily. A force of men started in early Sunday morning and worked until g o'clock Sunday night men being called in from Willimantic to help. The worst trouble occurred in
  Jewett City. Long distance calls couldn't be handled until communica- ton was finally established with Dan- lelson and Willimantic The storm was worse than last February for the telephone company.
 The iced trolley wires kept back the snow blows all day on the electric lines. On the New London line a car was started out Sunday morning for Norwich, but got to Montville switch, where 1t stayed waiting for orders. A snow blow was sent after it, but the car did not get here until i.oon Com was not established with Willimantic until afternoon, the car going up at 2.15 getting back at 6 On the Central Village line there was the worst trouble and double cars were run twice to get the wire clear. On -he West Side route the first car was run at $40. the trolley wire having broken three times and the blow go- ng off the track once.
 The Sunday papers did not arrive until 3.SO p. m. In Colt street a large pole broke off but was held up by the wires.
 The blacksmiths were at work early ] on Sunday, being their first hurried caH this season {
 The Yantic line was opened at four o'clock, although at ten o'clock cars ] sol to the hospital and at noon to ' Bean Hill. The telephones being out I of order delayed travel much, as the ] ,ars could only be despatched from { he square. The Central Village first ,ar was brought down at the rear of I he steam train. The high tension wire to the South ' Windham sub-station was out of com { mission and the steam plant was started there in the morning. A lreak in the trolley wire occurred at Franklin square and twice on the Yam ic line, making plenty of work for the epair gang
 This morning. however, the lines will } tart off on regular schedule. The police signal wires were out of | commission and only by roundabout [ means was the telegraph service avail 2 Ible. New London was cut off by the l wires being down. T
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