The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-02
Wet Snow Snaps Wires. Many Poles Topple
 Over in Gale
CONDITIONS AMONG
 THE WORST IN YEARS
Five Deaths Due to Storm in New York City-Ships Due to Reach Port Sunday Are Held
 Up Outside

New York, March LA destructive storm swept the northeastern section of the country today and still was raging late tonight. From Pittsburg and Buffa- 10 on the west to the Atlantic seaboard and mp through the New England states heavy gales carried rain, snow or sleet, the maximum precipitation In some To- calties being more than 15 inches, Ships were blown ashore, lnterurban communi- cation by telegraph and telephone was interrupted for hours, and trains were blocked or delayed on nearly all railroad lines In New York and vicinity there were five deaths due to the storm. The safety of the crew of an unknown schooner aground off the Connecticut shore was in doubt.
 The storm was central off New York tonight with the temperature falling rap idly. Telegraph companies reported the damage to their service as the most seri- ous in years and officers of railroad com panies made the same statements. The possibility of damage was greater than advices at hand at a late hour indicated, owing to the lack of communication. Gen orally it was only by roundabout routes that interior cities of the storm zone could be reached. Telegraph poles blown over by winds reaching velocity of more than 80 miles an hour, fell across tracks and trains were halted altogether crept along few feet at a time. Trains on some lines were in effect lost in the storm. In northern New Jersey cities were thrown into darkness at nightfall, authorities in several instances discCn- tinuing electric light service because of fallen wires.
 In this city at midnight more than s1s inches of snow had fallen nearly paralyz- ing surface traffic and cutting off some of the suburbs entirely
 New York, March IA northeast storm, swerving to the northwest which first brought rain, then snow. ragged over New York and vicinity today, cutting the city almost completely off from tel graph and telephone communication. Reports showed it's effects to be wide- spread. Five deaths due to the storm occurred here. two together when roof collapsed under the weight of wet snow, crushing man and boy. Another man, blinded by snow, was killed by a train. Several persons were overcome by exposure, and number were injured in street accidents. e
 Wet Snow Snaps Wires
 Trains for the most lart left the rail- road terminals on time. but with wires down quickly were lost track of. Noth- ing could be learned concerning incon- ing trains except as they arrived, late on Gll lines. Wet snows snapped telegraph and telephone wires and with gale flowing 72 miles an hour at times many poles toppled over. or some lines the poles fell across railroad tracks. block ing traffic. M
 AS reports began to come in later to- night it was learned that the blockade of train traffic on some railroad lines ~as even more serious than had been thought earlier The westbound Twen- tieth Century Limited for Chicago was reported stalled by fallen poles across the New. York Central tracks north of Ossining. Other trains the line were stalled at various points.
 Conditions Worst in Years
 At local offices of telegraph compan- 'ies it was said conditions were among the worst in years. Ire Western Unions 50 wires to Chicago and most of the 161 wires to Philadelphia were down. Chicago was reached early in .Ee evening by few remaining wires by way of Phil- sdelphia and Pittsburg. The Postal Tele- graph company reported wire prostration 
 (Cont1nued on pa8s Dight)