The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-01-14
ICE AND SNOW DELAYS /
SHIPPING AND HUNTING
Section Amazed at Unusual Snowfall; Ice in
Waterways; City Threatened in Event of
Fire; Water Allowed to Waste

lima had barely shaken itself
out of the biggest surprise in.
years, when news came yester-
day that Currituck Sound was
frozen across with a thin coat
ing of ice that threatens to tie
up shipping and terminate the
duck hunting season. Boats
are unable to navigate Curri-
tuck Sound. a ,r
Steamers operating between Eliz.
abeth City and Norfolk, had to
fight ice all the way, and some ves'
sells with wooden hulls found It
necessary to tic mp. The oil boat
Waterlily of the Texas Company
was shut in by ice at Knots Ii.
land. The Albemurle 4 Chesapeake
canal was frozen over, and PaGqu0.
tank River is full Of floating ice.
the result of being frozen across,
OH Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Even in saltier water, ice formed
Wednesday night, the steamer
Trenton reporting ice five miles out
from Mante0 Thursday morning.
Currituck Sound Is frozen all the
way across. according to l.. G. Baum
Jr., who received word to that eject
from the lower Currituck section
Thursday morning. Continued
freezing temperature would mean
that ice would continue III that Inn
portant wiIdfowl section and q
great source of revenue would be
for the .esean ending
February first.
Weather reports OH Thursday in
dicated more hopeful conditions,
and q good sun was doing its part
to drive away more Of the 14.inch
snowfall that has enveloped the
section this week. Beginning early
Sunday morning, the snow fell
ltllllck aud fast al qay. and GQnttpl3;
ed on Monday. Old residents con-
slider it the heaviest snowfall the
section has known, and for this reas-
on It came as a tremendous surprise
to everybody; but Capt. W. ]. Sim.
mons. the local weather bureau man
saws 1t was exceeded during tho
winter of 1917-1S. when the snow.
fall measured IS inches.
Practically all outdoor work in
the section has been suspended,
while work i'm many lines Of indus
try has been Threatened. Work on
the new snperpowcr, line to this city
from Winfall has lieep delayed, and
instead of Elizabeth City hooking
up with tile. new line today as was
planned. the city mhy hnye TO wait
several days, altho the linemen
worked on Sunday and Monday dur
ing binding snowfall.
Elizabeth City in Peril
Elizabeth City Is in peril from
fire, according to Power Superinten.
lent ]. G.. Parker, because the cit
izens have drained the big half mil
lion storage tank dry Of water, by
allowing their spigots to run all
night, and there Is no water avail
able TO fight fires. The duly con-
of water is about q quar-
ter million gallons and the ante.
1uated pumping plant OIL which the
city depends, has had to fill tho
tank each night for the next days
supply. But the citizens have al
lowed the water to run In their
homes, rather than cut 1t off to pre-.
vent plumbing from freezing up.
Hence the pumping station can bare
", supply enough water for the
.ity's daily needs.
The unusually amazing thing
about this heavy snowfall Is the
TACT that it is practically confined
% eastern North Carolina and ad-
Joining sections. Elizabeth City
people motoring home from North.
.rn cities. were amazed at finding
no snow north of Fredericksburg,
Virginia. it was not until snow had
fallen here for several hours, that
i made its appearance In Virginia.
Numerous cases Of colds and Ia
grippe contracted since the arrival
If the snow promises a busy season
'Or the doctors. There have been
no serious illnesses or mishaps re.
ported, altho two men I'm Curritick
'ame near losing their lives In the
Sound Monday night, Howard Sum.
nerell and Wilbur Woodhouse,
Game Wardens in that county spent
/ bad night in the snowstorm, when I
he engine Of their boat went dead
md they drifted into the marsh
near harrisburg. The men were out /
hat day in the course Of their 4
work, and when they failed to re. I.
urn at night, were given up as lost.
Next morning they got ashore, with.
,ut serious injury to themselves