The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-11
OF BLIZZARD OF '88 
 Memories of Storm Which Had No Equal In These
 Parts TRAFFIC BLOCKED
 FOR SEVERAL DAYS
Newspapers Omitted Publi- cation Second Day of Storm
 and Factories Shut Down

CoG4O44 0OCO44O Oc1y 04 t0OOA III
 and Factories Shut Down Twenty-s1x years ago tonight the memorable blizzard of 1888 began; it was destined to break all previous records and to establish one which has not as yet been equalled in the history of the East.
 Prophecies on March 10th of that memorable year from the existing me neurological bureaus in Connecticut and Washington were to the effect that Connecticut would have warm er, fairer weather followed by occa- siona1 light snow or rain on Sunday.
 Bridgeport was taken wholly un- aware and the news articles of the day showed that interest focused mostly upon the death of Emperor William, of Germany, and his suc- cessor the present Kaiser.
 This interest was divided with the battle royal between John L. Sullivan and Charley Mitchell in France, which lasted for 39 rounds and end ed in a draw with Su1livan's wrist broken.
 and theatrica1s were being made which far surpass the number now scheduled in the news columns. At the Seaside Institute the Bridgeport Choral Society was advertising Miss Lillian Warner, Mrs. Edgar B. Bar tram and MT. E. P. Bushnell for solos which were never rendered.
 Thatcher, Primrose & West were billed to give their minstre1s in the Hawes Opera House.
 ssKit, The Arkansas Traveller" was the offering at the Belknap theatre.
 Will H. Fox the present vaudeville performer was then managing Mor- ans VaRiety theatre, (better known as ssThe Brum'1 and advertising a di- versified bill of vaudeville acts, while special panorama effects were to be shown in Charley Coles Old Parlor Opera House in State street. Many of these never showed, for shortly after midnight ons Monday, March 12 snow was falling, gale was blowing from the north and within a few hours traffic to and from New York was seriously interfered with.
 The snow fall here was accompa- nied by shri1l, whistIing wind which drove everyone to shelter and fine dry particles of snow fell in binding pro- fusion,. singing the flesh as they struck the belated wanderer. At Sea side Park the surf which struck the breakwater boomed its thunderous sound far. into the city.
 By 9 o'clock Monday morning the snow was waist deep in spots and by noon time had drifted in places to the heighth of the average man. Rail road traffic began to feel the effects of the piles laid on it's tracks and at a. the first train to become stalled on it's way to New York was blocked opposite the Barnum winter quarters. No trains had come through from New York during the morning and reports by wire stated that the drifts at Portchester were 25 feet high. All Naugatuck division trains were also stopped. A train stalled as it reached the depot, blocking others behind from New Haven, threw 400 passengers into the city1nost of whom were accommodated at the Atlantic Hotel. Thirty .ment tried to dig the engine out of the rapidly drifting snow but finally abandoned the pro ject.
 The gale which continued with un- abated velocity kept the steamers Wa terbury and Block Island then in To- cal service in port, the Waterbury be- ing on the night run. The old horse car street lines which had kept up nobly until noon Monday discontinued service as a. monster snow blow stuck in a. drift at the corner of Fairfield avenue and Main street.
 The wind on Monday was extremely biting and swift, carrying away a wall of the Coulter; Mackenzie Foundry then being built near the railroad de- pot. The weight of snow upon the
 
 tory on Barnum avenue caused it to sag so that the shafting and pulleys refused to work The supply of coal in the Eaton, Cole & Burnham (noW Crane Valve Co.) factory caused them to shut down at o'clock Telegraph lines were crippled, trees giving way brought the wires down from New York to Boston. It was 22 degrees above zero by local thermometers
 Gypsy a tramp mascot dog att tached to the West Stratford horse car barns tried to follow a car, and for the first time in it's career came back with its tail between it's legs and walled until the horses and car was returned to the stables. SWest Strat- ford then is now the East End of this city.
 The snow continued to fall all day Tuesday March IS, though it had les sened materially in volume, and no afternoon papers came upon the streets On the afternoon of the 18th the violence of the blizzard had ex- ceeded those of 1856-7 which were epochs in the history of the city. They were seldom again heard spoken of by the ofd-timers. After two days and a half of steady fall the snow stopped on the morning of Wednesday, March 14th, when the sun again shone, showing drifts everywhere In some places they were up to the first story of buildings completely blocking doors and windows. in other places only the tops of street lamps were wis ib1e in the principal thoroughfares. while in front of Peter Heidt's house in East Bridgeport a drift had effac- ed the top of the second story win dows.
 The snow had fallen in drifts diver sified by valleys sometimes in the middle of the street and sometimes upon one side the other. In or der to get from the houses it was nec- essary to cut tunnels to the sidewalk or