Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-02-03
a Disastrous Storm Here

the outside world for time thi.
week as a result Of one of thu
most disastrous storms which
has ever visited this section o
the OZa rks.
Following a long period O
rainy weather, intermingled with
an occasional fall Of sIeet, colo
wave set in and the telephone
telegraph and electric light wires
we're covered with an ever.in
creasing coating of ice the weight
of which caused the fall Of many
poles, bringing the wires down
ina tangled mass.
Early Sunday morning condi.
tions had reached the climax and
the local exchange of the Mans.
fteId-Aya Telephone Co, was put
| out of business, as was also the
power plant of the Mansfield
Light & Power Co. The Western
Union Telegraph Co. and the rail.
road and long distance telephone
connections were broken. so that
all means of wire communication
was brought to a sudden halt.
The weight of ice caused much
damage to orchard and shade
trees, some trees being uprooted
and many large limbs being bro
ken. The crash of falling limbs
could be heard throughout the
day Sunday. and it was danger.
Gus to be abroad. On this account
religious services were badly in.
terfered with. and in some cases
were called of.
Lamps and candles were much
in demand and the old. fashioned
method of lighting was in vogue.
Some Of the stores closed as
soon as darkness set in Monday
on account of no lights.
Passenger traffic over the Fris.
co was delayed .on account of the
wires being down and the block
system being out of commission,
and Signal Maintainer C.E. Cath.
cart and his force of men, togeth
er with tine section mea and flag
men, had plenty to do in order
that the trains might use the
tracks in safety. Mr.. Cathcart
had to keep his motor car on the
hum.
In some places the Frisco also
suffered from high water and
land slides.
AS soon as the wires could be
connected once more with the
FRISCO depot two more operators
were placed here, Mansfield be.
ing temporarily made a "a hour
telegraph station. Ed. Abbott of
Cedar Gap and Scott Whitaker
have been acting as telegraphers
in addition to Station Agent G.S.
Burney, who is also local mana
ger for the Western Union Tele.
graph Co.
Mrs. F. E. Weed, manager of
tho telephone company,too per.
Sonal charge of the work of re
pairing the phone lines and put
a force of men at work Monday
morning under the direction of
NJ. E, Stephens, and they have
been busy clearing the streets of
wires and poles, and putting
things in shape. Service will be
restored as soon as possible.
I'll. Plummer, manager of the
Ava exchange, came up with his
force of men and are assisting in
the work. He reports very slight
damage at Ava.
W. G. Coday, manager of the
light plant, was busy early Mon.
day morning with a force of men
repairing the damage tothe light
wires. and within II hours from
the time the work began, lights
were again shining in some of the
homes and places of business,
but it was later before others
were supplied with light. The
street lights will be put into ser.
vice again as soon as possible.
The total loss from the storm
is estimated in the neighborhood
of 1900, the Mansfield Ava Tel
ephone Co. being the heaviest
loser. Our people sympathize
with Mrs. Weed in her loss, and
are giving her all the encourage
ment possible in the rebuilding
of the lines.
The streets and roads we're in