The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-02-02
STORMS GRASP
'THROTTLES ALL
SOUND SHIPPING
Trolley Service Badly Grip
pied By Continuous Fall
of Sleet and Snow
STEAMER NAUGATUCK
ABANDONs HER TRIP
Passenger Steamer From
Hartford Forced to Seek
Refuge in Harbor


One of the worst winter storms
known in this section in years has
held Bridgeport and vicinity in its \
grasp since Sunday night and press
hour today showed little signs of
rabating, although the previous heavy
fall of sleet and snow had changed
to drizzle of rain that froze as it
fell About four inches of snow and
s1eet have fallen in the last 48s hours.
Indications from the U. S. Weather
bureau are that the storm will con-
tinue through the night and possibly
part of tomorrow with more snow
For the first time in many years
all shipping was held in the harbor.
The steamer Naugatuck between
Bridgeport and New York abandoned
her trip today and remained in the
harbor None of the hardy little
tugs dared Venture out.
The storm has come from the
northeast which means that it has
swept down the sound from New Lon
don holding the water back through 4
the sound as far as Stamford. In
consequence there was anunusual1y
high tide in the local harbor. 1t
was high water at 1890 today and
the waters reached to within a few
inches of the bridges while along the
beaches in this vicinity there was a
flood.
Harbor Storm Bound.
high over the gIistening white break
water. and three large sound vessels
tied to their docks today the harbor
in truth presented a. storm bound ap-
pearance. The big Naugatuck failed
to sail on schedule last night, her pas
sengers being transferred, to New
York by train this morning. A
steamer as large, s'The N1iddIetown''
replacing the old steamer Seaboard
on the Merchants Line, did not dare
to poke her nose beyond the break
water on the westbound trip and the
freight steamer worth was kept in
port with her large cargo.
When Capt. Frank Brown of the
tugboat I. E. Brown, out of New Ha-
ven attempted to pass beyond the
breakwater to dump ashes he got such
lashing in the angry trough of. big
seas that his tunnels were nearly
awash and he scudded back to the
protection of the long stone arm that
extends from Seaside Park sea-walI.
Old harbor-men had their eyes
trained seaward all the morning pre-
dieting that Capt. Tooker of the Park
ment, but many of them lost their
bets for even that hardy navigator
saw the use1essness. of jeopardizing
his vessel on the trip across the sound. 4
Those on lookout today asserted that
not a single vessel has passed up or
that the storm outside is one of the
worst in years.
Naugatuck Has Nfishap
While she was leaving her dock
for the regular trip to New York with
freight about last midnight, the
steamer Naugatuck met with the mis-
hap commonly known as ga line in
her Wheel" and the voyage was end
ed before it had fairly begun A
haWser became SO firmly entangled
around the shaft and propeller fIukes
that it was impossible for the steamer
to proceed and she was hauled back
to the dock.
a diver of the. T. A Scott Com
pany of New London worked for sew
eral hours during the morning, cut
ting away the tightly wrapped hemp
and when the wheel was again clear
the steamers start for the metropolis
was. held up on account of the Sc
verify of the storm.
MiddIetown Seeks Shelter
An unusual sight in the harbor this
morning was the presence of the big
Sound steamer MiddIetown which Gus
tomarily plies between New York and
Connecticut river ports. With all her
lights lit. she slid into the local har-
ihor last night and took up her berth
at. the Joy dock in blaze of light.
Stevedores Immediately began un-
loading her cargo and it was learned
that the Midd1etOWn is taking the
place of the regular night boat Sea-
board, which is undergoing an over
hauling.
The lighthouse tender Mistletoe
sought shelter from the storm in
Bridgeport harbor and spent the day
here. She was the only outside boat
of, size to come in.
Trolley Service Crippled
The trolley service suffered worst
of all. The storm of last night coat
ed the wires with ice and prevented
the proper transmission of the current
by which the cars are operated An
ticipating this, Manager Chapman of
the Connecticut Co, had cars run
ming all night over all lines and more
than so extra men were employed.
In spite of this fact service over all
lines was seriously interrupted to-day
and especially the service on the su-
burban lines. One Paradise Green
car was two hours on its trip to the
city to-day, a trip usually made in
half an hour. The electrical equip
rnent of a Southport car gave out at
Pickett's switch about 10 o'clock to-
day leaving the passengers stranded
there.
The Long Hill car on its first trip
to-day went only far as Bethany
Chapel. From that point the ice was
so thick on wires and rails that the
car could not bes propelled farther
and in spite of the protests of pas
sengers the crew turned back to this
city.
Cars Doubled Up.
Because of the icy condition of rails
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