Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-01-29
4 GREAT SHEET OF ICE.

All this part of the country has
been covered with a sheet of ice for
the past couple of weeks, and we have
been able TO form fairly good opinion
OF conditions during the glacial period.
FIRST there was a snow of couple of
inches, and then came several days
OF rain which froze as il fell on top
OF the snow, forming a sheet of ice
that covered town and country alike
The sidewalks in the town were like
| glass and the streets were but little
better. Prudent housewives who OBJ
iected 10 ashes or sawdust being scat
tered on the pavements had 10 Weld
their scrupleS, for otherwise il was al
most impossible to go in or out of the
building. They had to admit that
bit OF dirt was better than broken
! limbs
! The ice was most trying on the
farms. Horses and cattle could not
stand up, and were afraid TO venture
on the ice in order to get to water. In
many cases farmers have been Obliged
TO carry water to the stock. Few
horses have been rough -shod, and il
was almost impossible to get them
to town TO have this work done. Even
the chickens could scarcely stand on
the slippery yards.
What a fine time the young folks
have had coasting. Sleds would run
anywhere with little start, and
double-deckers would start at Beltz-
hoover's corner and 60 all the way to
the railroad station. New street and
Washington streets were lively each
night, the Sleds easily running three
blocks without stopping. Ii was rath-
n Ia lAe
on the streets also and il was hard
TO control them, as they would skid
at the slightest provocation Mon
day night a sled full OF young men on
Main street had a collision with the
automobile of DR.. C. w. Banks, and il
was very fortunate that no damage
resulted, as there was a chance for a
bad accident. Boys and girls we're
skating on the streets and vacant lots
Just as though they were on frozen
ponds or lakes.
With all of the trouble occasioned by
the ice and the difficulty of moving
outside of the house, there have been
no serious accidents in this neighbor-
hood. Though many persons have
fallen, they have escaped with minor
cuts and bruises, and even the live
stock has met with few accidents. We
could write column, however, about
some of the falls that have occurred
and consequent loss OF dignity and the
bizarre methods used by some folks
10 keep from slips. Harvey Hen
bricks says that a moving picture of
a drove Of his pigs sliding down a hill
side would have been better than a
Charlie Chaplin film. This year will
long be remembered for its ice.
|
ing experience at Ferry Hill Farm,
across the river from Shepherdstown:
He was fooling around on the top Of
the high hill in front of the house
when somehow he got started down
the hill. Once started, there was no
stopping, and he slid down the steep
descent with an ever-increasing speed.
He was going like an express train by
the time he got toward the bottom, and
he went through a briar patch same
as old Br'er Rabbit. He brought up
against a stout fence that ended the
trip suddenly. Aside from damaged
clothes, some missing cuticle, sundry
bumps and bruises and several thou
sand scratches acquired as he went
through the briar patch. he suffered
but little.
An Old horse belonging to Rion
Lucas on Elmwood Farm fell on the
ice as it was going to water. As il
gazed on the ice that surrounded il on
every side, il resigned itself to its fate
and absolutely refused to make any
effort to regain its feet. The ice was
chopped from around il and strenuous
exertions were made to get il no, but
the wise old horse looked at the vast
expanse Of slipperiness and lay still.
II was finally roped and harnessed and
a team Of other horses dragged it to
the barnyard, where il was willing
once more to stand UP.
At Bellevue Farm, just north OF
town, lot Of shoats sid down a hill
INTO the run, and despite their frantic
efforts, they could not extricate them
selves. They had to be 'assoed and
dragged by horses to a place OF safety.
Automobile travel has been very
dangerous, and great care had to be
taken to prevent accidents. Even
with chains on, the wheels would skid
and the cars would side on the icy
roads. A Hagerstown man reported
that he had seen fourteen cars in the
ditch on tn State road between Mid
dletown and South Mountain, a dis
tance Of only few miles.