Putnam patriot., 1915-12-17
THE Big STORM
Putnam Sighted Or Favored According
To Point OF View
Ram Follows Snow and Snow Follows
Rain. Traffic DELAYED

narrow belt south along the Quine
baug Valley and down the Thames t,
New London, twas either sighted o
favored by the weather man in Mon
days big storm, according to the poin
of view. Those who would like to b,
in on the big stories of wires down, ex
perienees in getting home and not get
ting there, blocked traffic, etc., beinl
told oil around US feel they wer,
sighted, while those whose snow
shovels are still adorned with a fine
assortment of cobwebs accumulated
during the warm weather months and
who have no desire to disturb the tan
gled meshes the spiders have so care
fully woven, feel favored indeed and
highly grateful For we are wofully
out of it on blizzard stories locally laid
But, we can come in on the blocked
traffic end and tell how trains and
mails were delayed but even to this
feature we have to give the credit TO
other parts of the state for we had no
hand in il and ms far as we were con.
eerned everything would have gone
along in the humdrum way according
TO mans prearranged program.
II began to snow here about 10
O'Clock Monday morning. The sun
seemed to be having struggle to push
the curtain of threatening clouds away.
The weather prophets had fine
chance 10 argue as TO whether or not
the sun or storm would win out and
they made the most of it. Those ia
voring the storm signals were before
night wearing satisfied 81 told you
son look for before noon enough flakes
had fallen to cover the ground with a
thin, white blanket. 1t was showing
hard at noon and continued until lit
tie after O'Clock when the mercury in
the thermometers rose as unit and
the beautiful snow changed to rain.
Before O'Clock the streets and side
walks were a mess of mushy slush that
permeated leather like sieve and in
many homes, where the head of the
house, or others, who CHANGED to be
out, was not rubber shod, stockings
were hung to dry behind the kitchen
stove or placed on the top of a radiator,
unless the tired toiler preferred to sit
with his feet in the oven and let his
socks dry, as is, or, as was. The WIND
blew gale and it was what is called,
rough night along the coast, and
many regulars were missing from
clubs, lodges, theatres and other pub
lie places. 1t was good stay
home night. We all went TO bed eX-
pecting to see the snow gone in the
morning. But those who toll through
the night tell US that just as Tuesday
morning was being ushered in by the
bell of the town clock the mercury in
the thermometers again became active
and dropped back as unit to the
place where they arose as unit In
the afternoon, turning the rain drops
back into snow flakes and incidentally
freezing the slush In fine coating OF
ice with just enough snow on top to
hide it as a trap to those who did not,
watch their step.
After doughnuts and coffee and
hurrying down town to business Tues
day a. M, the stay-at-homes were
greatly surprised to learn of conditions.
Not local conditions but those of other
parts. "Jimu Wright's train due at
s.l5 Monday night had not arrived.
Reason - snowbound near Hartford.
Boat train Monday night two hours
late. snow in Oxford. No train ex-
pected from Hartford until late in the
morning. Boat train from New Lou
don in on time because in that dlrec-
ton they had part of our rain and III
tie snow. The first morning paper
was indeed a surprise and an eye
opener to weather conditions from
New York to New London and to
Hartford and beyond where train and
trolley service was alta standstiil, eiec-
trio lights out, wires down and COM
munication shut ,off. 1t was really
hard to convince us here in Putnam
but we could hardly believe they were
holding back the mails and trains from
the west just to make fish story All
were convinced and spent the day,
minus half the usual amount OF mail,
talking il over. The first train came
through from Hartford little after III.
Worcester contributed a train about
the same time. Boston trains were
ont about on schedule and from Nor
wieb and New London there was no
difficulty by steam or trolley. Inc
wires in this section gave little trouble
and Putnam was an oasis in sur
rounding snow bound country. Even
a. near as West Woodstock eight 10
ten inches OF snow was reported and
automobiles could not get through
All in all however We believe our eill'
zeps are satisfied at their treatment
and prefer comfort even at the expense
Of our best story telle's, who had te
harm back 10 the blizzard OF 30 ioi
local color and material.