Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-01
Saturdays Serious
" Impedes Traffic.
Trains Late, Street Cars Off
Schedules, Freights Stalled.
Deep Drifts Practically Stop Travel
On Country Roads.


more damage than any this season and
as a result the country roads are al
most impossible. The storm reached
here before expected and tied up traffic
on the steam railroads for many hours.
|sAll trains to this city, especially these
from the West, were hours behind their
schedule and plows were sent over the
roads in advance of all regular pas
senger trains. The freight service was
severely crippled and trains were STALL
ed in many places, arriving in this city
Sunday morning.
The country roads were in such a
condition that many who came to this
city early in the morning were forced
to remain here through the night, as it
was impossible for them to get through
the huge drifts that blockaded the
roads Many who attempted to reach
home and We're forced to return tell
of many hardships on the way ana
state that in many places high drifts
were encountered.
The electric service in and about the
city was not crippled to any great eX-
tent, as the large ploWs on all lines
were kept in operation all day and the
tracks were not given chance to nil,
but the cars were off time and lost
several trips.
Business on Main street was at a
standstill during the day and evening
and many of the department stores
closed soon after supper The day $
snow will mean considerable work for
the city crew, which was out Sunday
in full force.
Snow began falling here about 3
o'clock Saturday morning and just II
hours later the storm reached Moose
head lake The mill<men with routes
entering this city were made to scamp
er lively in order to set round ana
hack home before the snow lay too
deep. Most Of them took the precau-
ton to take home men who today nave
been breaking roads ahead of the milk
teams. One team left this city for East
yassalboro late in the afternoon and
became stalled with the horses head in
snowdrift within a mile OF North
Vassalboro. Help was secured and the
outfit shovelled out, returned to TINS
city. Ernest Marshall of this city. who
is regularly employed on the Tlbbetts
farm on the East Pond road, seven
miles out from Iltlt, was lCbi ii''-''
in reaching the city. Mr.. and Mrs.
Alanson Locke of East Benton had
rough experience in an attempt to
reach home from Fairfield in the al
tcrnoon. They proceeded with great
difficulty for distance of four miles
when the horse became Interchangeable
in deep drift and, breaking away
wrecked the sleigh, dumped out Mrs
Locke and struggled through the deep
snow into a field where it became
stalled Mrs Locke, assisted by her
husband, waded through the snow
which had filled the path their team
had made and reached a farmhouse q
half mile distant in such an exhausted
condition that physician was sum-
moned The doctor was twice thrown
from his team in responding to the
call
A party of eight people passed the,
night in a schoolhouse in Benton near
the Clinton line, three teams contain
ing three women and four men being
stranded near the spot, the people
reaching the schoOlhouSe on foot more
or less exhausted. A young farmer
named Stevens in an attempt to visit
a distant neighbor's on snowshoe6
found the party in the schooihouse and
returning to his home carried food and
wraps to the snowbound people The
horses were cared for in the school
house shed and a rousing fire Was
started in the big stove in the school
room A Mrs. Peavy and daughter
members of the party, are said to be
i'll as a result of the experience.
A telephone message from Bingham
states that five woodsmen belonging
to a camp on the Moxie or near that
pond, strayed in the storm yesterday
while returning to camp. After wan
dering for five hours they came upon
caretaker's camp near the Moxie weary
and i'll from the exposure. A party Of
seven men were sent on snowshoes
from Deadwater this morning with
necessary supplies to the caretakers
camp.