Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-05
'BIG BLIZZARD TIES UP
. CENTRAL NEW JERSEY;
SECTIONS ISOLATED
Caught by Storm During Might People Are Unable TO Reach
Homes Keasbey Isolated Train Service to All Points IS
DemOaed Hundreds I'm able 10 Reach Business Centes
on Time.

was demoralized today as the result
of the first hard snow and sleet storm
of the year which took the form of a
baby blizzard. Driven by a northeast
gale the snow, ice and rain piled up
In drifts in some parts Of the city
and surrounding country until 1t was
three or four four feet deep, and in
some places deeper.
The full moon and the east wind
last night accounted for the high tide
in local waters accom- panying the
snow storm. The tide has appeared
unusually high along different points.
particularly at the Raritan Yacht
the docks. When the wind changes
the tide is expected to go out rapidly
and may cause considerable damage
in going out.
The storm, which started yesterday
morning, had not spent all of its fury
this morning, there still being con-
siderable snow in the air although
toward noon the wind, which had
driven 1t on throughout the night,
had died down considerably.
Offices and all places of business
suffered this morning. Many com
muters were unable to get to work at
all while others were hours late,
having walked where distances were
not too great or waited until some
N"A--N'
transportation.
Early yesterday afternoon the
snow -plow of the Public Service COM
pany started to clear the tracks but
owing to the sleet which covered rails
and wires alike trolleys could not run
during the night Taxi-cabs which
| were doing rushing business early
| last night We're forced to suspend
trips.
| Snow-plows were ordered out on
the railroads but in spite of their en-
| deavors to keep the tracks cleared
the strong wind resulted in snow pill
| ing up at different spots along the
| line which made travel even by train
impossible.
| The ferry between Tottenville and
this city f1oated about for more than
| two hours this morning in an endea-
| vor to reach the slip here. Owing
| to the high tide, large amount of ice
and snow in the river and the heavy
| tide the boat could not reach the
dock Finally after being unsuccess-
full many times it landed with its
passengers. In the. meantime many
| who come TO this city from Tottenviile
| the Tottenville ferry house.
Traffic on the local waters of
Staten Island sound and Raritan bay
was completely tied up this morning
| by the heavy congestion of ice and
snow that piled upon the ice during
| the night. The unusual high tide,
| said to have been due to the full
moon together with the brisk north
| east gale, caused the ice to remain i'll
| the sound and to become so packed
| that it was impossible for the ferry
| boat Perth Amboy of the Staten Is
| land Rapid Transit to navigate across
| the sound. For more than an hour
the ferryboat could not get into the
| slip at the foot of Smith street.
| After repeated attempts to enter
| the slip the ferryboat finally tied up
| at the dock of the Roessler g. Hass-
| lacher Chemical Works. Hundreds
| Of passengers and commuters were
| tied up on both sides of the sound
| anxious to get to work. The ferry
boat was out in the sound from 7;15
| o'clock until about $50 o'clock when
| 1t finally got into the Perth Amboy
| slip. Then the trip was made to
| Tottenville. again leaving the other
| side at 10:15 o'clock. From that
| time only train trips are being made
| during the day. Other traffic on the
| local waters was tied up with the
exception of two Philadelphia IL
Reading tugs that were making their
| way through the ice.
| Reports from Atlantic Highlands
and other marine observation points
| along the coast today were that the
| storm was the worst in years. The
| tide IS high and driven by the fifty
mile northeasterIy gale is pounding
| the beaches and threatening in many
| places to undermine summer homes.
No marine casualties have been
| reported but the condition of the
| weather is such that captains of in
| coming ships have avoided attempts
| to enter the harbor and are holding
| off in deep water to ride out the gale.
| Weather bureau report indicates
| the storm center was centered this
morning off the Delaware Cape and
moving slowly in a northeasterly d
| rection All along the coast from
| Hatteras north high seas and strong
| winds were reported.
| The high tide flooded the Erie ter
minal in Jersey City and several
hundred yards of the streets from
| the entrance to the station. Ferry
service to New York was discontin-
ued. Water leaked from the Erie
J station into q station of the Hudson
| tube and sprinkled commuters. Some
| New Jersey trains were two hours
late arriving at Jersey City owing to
| snowdrifts.