Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-05
BLIZZARD GRIPS STATE


ana COttA&eS nave Dccn mOvcO OoCk. CIV
ing way before the encroachmcnts Of the
sea. In fact, the whole boardwalk is
practically gone. Several cottages front
ing on the beach were some time ago re-
moved To the rear of their lots, but the
sea has continued to encroach, and their
owners, some of whom are Wilmington
people, are apprehcnsive MS to their safe
ty.
Telephone news received about IL
o'clock from Rchoboth was to the effect
that the house of Harvey l.. Cooper had
given way before the high tide and waves
and the front part Of it washed out to sea.
The homes of Joe Harper of Chester and
Mrs. Rudell of Baltimore were also partly
destroyed. and the bulkhead in front Of
the Belhaven Hotel was gone and the
water was under the porch of the hotel.
The water was also gradually nearing the
cottage of b. +. Shaw of Wilmington,
being only so feet away at noon. The
beach has been made very ragged.
LIGHTHOUSE IN DANGER.
News was received Mt Georgetown this
morning that the lighthouse at Cape Hen
lopeD WAS being so badly battered by the
tide and the waves that il was leaning and
it WAS feared that it would collapse before
the attacks OF the sea-
II will be days before anything like an
estimate of the damage wrought by the
storm can be even estimated. II has play
ed havoc with wires, and communication
with some parts of the State was impos-
sibIe this morning. The wind at the Della
ware brcakwater attained a velocity of
Sc miles an hour, causing many vessels
to seek what shelter could be had inside
the capes.
The effects of the storm were pretty
severe at Seaford. where it is reported
that many trees were blown down and
some outbuildings demolished, cellars OF
houses filed with water Motorists who
had been caught in the rural districts in
the storm were compelled to abandon
their cars and seek shelter in farm homes
SCHOOL SUSPENDED AT LAUREL.
At Laurel schools were suspended, and
business WAS ut a standstill A large
tree In the yard Of the parsonage OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church was blown
down, endangering the parsonage for a
lime. Central avenue was blocked by
rec blown across it.
Considering the severity and duration
II the blizzard, the railroads have been
7cry fortunate. Train schedules have been
ieranged very little, according to reports
rom officials. some delays, of course, re-
ulting to through trains. and locals being
omcwhat late No accidents of serious
nature have been reported up TO the pres
nj time.
In Wilmington, yesterday, and last
light. only those people who had 10 be
ut vcntured on the streets. For awhile |
esterday the wind was OF such force that |
edcstrians found it almost impossible to |
make Roadway on the streets. The sleet /
nth bin ling force would strike the faces 1
II was almost impossible to operate
and many cars that ventured |
Ut were stalled In snow drifts. During
he night the Wilmington 4 Philadelphia
raction Company h3d its swecpers busy
coping the tracks clear Of snow, and were
bus enabled to keep the CATS going TO
AXE care Of the traffic, Everybody want
! to rde, and the cars were packed
nd damned beyond their lsusal crowded |
onditions. They kept going. but were
nable To make their schedules.
Telegraph lines TO New York and other
astern points were kept fairly well open,
Ut II WAS reported that many poles were
own on the lines south Of Wilmington.
telephone service WAS hampered both
own OF cable IN the northw estern sec
on Of the city
Telegraph and telephone lines in tie
lcinity OF Harrington were blown down,
nd oil communication interrupted except
ne line which was kept open TO New
ork. Ii was impossible for the crews 10
D the work yesterday of restoring the
rylce, but they wre working today get
ne the lines IN shape again. The train :
rvice IN the lower part Of the State WAS
elayed somewhat, but not seriously, and ,
accidents were reported up TO noon.
Snow cleaning crews were out on the I
b bright and early today, and by noon {
any OF the crossings about the city had
zen made passable. At some Of the ,
ossIngs the snow had drifted 70 the ,
pth OF several feet. Along Market ,
rect, some crews started removing the
fitted snow from the street. |
automobiles found difficulty IN going I
out the city and in many instances ]
re fast IN the snow so badly that il was {
cessary TO shovel them out. 3
Snow drlfted high IN the vicinity of '
{
The mall-carrier started out from Port
nm this morning, but had TO turn back /
account of the high drifts of snow {
At Seaiord the wind was still high at s
on, but there Is no snow or sleet Many I
res are down, and the town is without
ht or power. The strong wind toward $
: sea carried so much water out of the f
er that the ride was lower there than I
n known, and some of the boats broke h
III lines. None of them were lost, how |.
r. 6
TROLLEYS MAKE OUT WELL. Z
The Traction Company has experienced a
Y little trouble In the operation OF It's =
IS when the severity of the storm is "
Isidered The line TO Delaware City be- !,
+ Dobbmsville was out of commission U
ing the height of the storm on account Y
the high water covering the tracks. !,
there has been no Interrupt 81
J Of the traffic, and not as much de-
cement of schedules as might have u
u expected o
The sweepers were busy all last night ~ a,
all yesterday during the storm sweep u
the tracks clear Of the snow. On account n;
he wind drifting the snow, this was no oi
III job. TT