New-York tribune., 1920-02-17
Trains Stalled
AS Blizzard
Sweeps State
Not a Wheel Moves North
of Syracuse; Scores of
Cities Without Light,
Heat and Transportation
Milk Shortage Acut
Horton Calls N. Y. Crisis
Worst in History; Expect
Only Half Supply To-day

The blizzard that swept across north.
ern New York yesterday and the day
before has brought on the worst snow
blockade up state in years. Electric
and steam traffic is paralyzed. Not a
train moved along the New York Cen
tral lines north of Syracuse yesterday.
Scores more have been stalled in
drifts for twentyfour hours. Their
passengers are being cared for by
farmers and the folk of small towns
along the right of way. Many small
communities have been cut off entirely
from the outer world save by wire.
Food and fuel in some of these are ri,n-
ming low.
High wind is driving the storm and
intense cold accompanies it. Coming
on the heels of the longest thaw of
the season, the low temperaturc has
hardened slush in switches and on
tracks, and this will have to be cut
away before normal rail service can be
resumed.
Milk Famine Here
Though the blizzard touched New
York City only lightly in the form of
much colder weather. the city is feel
Ing its effects through milk shortage
that promises to be more acute to-day.
Some of the big distributing companies
received no milk at all from farmers
upstate yesterday, and it is believed
that to-day's shortage will be even
more pronounced. 1t is estimated that
the supply that reaches New York will
pc at least 30 per cent below normal.
Inc distributing companies are ar
ranging for families having small chill
dren to be served first.
Lotion Horton, president of the Shelf
field Farms Company, said last night
that the situation has not been so
acute since 1899. He said that from
40 to GO per cent Of his companys sup
ply would be cut off.
1t may be four days, he added, be-
fore the tracks are clear again, and
until then the city will face famine
conditions, SO far as milk is concerned.
All of the railroads that usually
bring milk to the city reported last
night that many of their milk trains
had been showed in and would not be
able to reach here.
Train Goes rs Miles in II Hours
A train that had taken twelve hours
to get over sevcnty-cight miles Of
track pulled into Thendera. in the
Adronaacks, yesterday with 200 pas
scngers, many of them New Workers.
aboard. Men and women were half
starved and overwhelmed the town,
buying any eatables they could lay
hands on and paying without protest
the famine prices demanded by the
villagers. Two hours after they ar
rived there was not loaf Of bread
left in town.
They were finally routed over the
York Central to Herkimer
Captain George II. Trumpler, of 81
Nassau Street, New York City. and Mrs.
+. D. Van Armind and Miss Mary Bell,
also of New York, said that during the
night steam pipes burst in one of the
sleepers. flooding the floor of the car
and cutting off the heat in the rest of
the train. The passengers rose. dressed
and then crawled back into bed, where
they lay shivering until the train
pulled into Thendera.
Buffalo Hit Hard
Last night the storm had passed over
Buffalo and the city was struggling to
dig itself out. Traffic on interurban
trolley systems there had been at a
standstill for twcnty-four hours. Rail-
roads are advertising for 1000 extra
men to help clear their yards OF snow.
Trains from East, West and South are
all many hours late.
All trolley lines in Rochester are
blocked, and suburban communities
only few miles outside the city are
completely cut off from communica-
ton. Electric light and telephone wires
J