The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-05

The DllZZard or l334 VIII IurH- ish topic of conversation for Connecticut people for many years to come. but among no group will the memories of it be more keen or cause more shudders than among the linemen of the light and power companies who had to battle the raging elements to repair the wires which the storm had ripped asunder.
 Between the lines of the terse re- ports submitted by the foremen who supervised the work of re- pair to their supervising engineers can be read a story of heroisrn and stubborn refusal to be defeated that is hardly rivaled in the tales of war. At the same time. in the reports fthe engineers to their executives can be found story of the benefits which have been gained by the interconnection by long distance transmission lines of many of the power plants in Con- necticut and neighboring states, for this power network enabled many sections to be supplied with electricity until the broken lines could be mended.
 Unquestionably the most serious damage wrecked by the storm up- on Connecticut's power lines was inflicted upon the Connecticut Light and Power Company's line running from its Devon plant to Noryalk. The break came at SAY a. m. on Tuesday, February 20. The line is some 25 miles long and runs through rough, hilly country where there are practically no roads, In one manner or another. every inch of it had to be checked until the damaged section could be located. The line gang at Nor, walk had been out practically all the night before repairing a line at Georgetown, thus providing a ser 3ous handicap at that end. An early start was made, however. and crew was likewise sent out rom the Devon end. Both were equlp- ped with snowshocs and other snow fighting equipment.
 Al II a. m., the breaks in the lines had not been found que 'o The delays in travelling caused by the mountainous drifts of snow. At that time, therefore, another crew was dispatched from Waterbury to start third search, conceh- trating on the central portions oi inc line, This crew started with a type of truck especially built for rough going, shovels, snowshoes and repair equipment. Into the blizzard they disappeared ana when no word came from them by night-fall, Waterbury headquart- L. CTS began to worry. At 8 p. m.' however. came call that they had reached Stratford and were starting cross-country to check the line. Again they disappeared this time for 13 hours. At 9:l9 o'clock Wednesday morning, they reported that they had found ana had repaired one of the breaks.
 This crew had to fight the bliz- gard every step of the way. Theirs was the first truck to navigate tnc huge piles of snow through the Waterbury -Stratford highway. IheY passed and fought their way around dozens of stalled snow blows, trucks, busses and other vehicles all of which hao peeh '1icked" by the smashing strength of the snow and the gale.
 The heroism of this crew 1orlns only part of the story or the "orh on this particular line, however. The company telephoned to town officials, acquaintances or eni ployees, telephone wire chle1s anu everyone possible in the nelSnpo hood of the line in effort 10 haVe farmers living in its vicinity maHe a check of the wires passing near their homes. Many Of these DIT yate citizens ably assisted In tle work in response to these requesrs
 The second break was actuamy found by crew rom Nolwa,h which worked it's way nortn towaau U U Wilton. however. one ol tne M n in inc vanguard of this expedltio', t,aoa,oa nhvsically exhausted ana ,vas barely able to blow hls way through the drifts to a farmhouse. He reported by telephone that ne was unable to go on, but was pre- waited upon to continue when tne farmer offered to go along witn him. He was the man who 1inaiiy discovered the damaged section The repair truck, which eventual lv reached the scene of the break with the aid of a tractor ana gang of shovelers, was forced 10 content itself with a pace or ap- proximately one mile per hour. II reached its destination six and a half hours after it started.
 The Connecticut Valley Power Exchange reported many similar anecdotes of heoric work on the part of the men who had to com bat the blizzard. Severe troubles were reported on lines east of New Britain, the Hartford-Agawam and fhe Meriden- Montville lines. The towers burned down on the Hart ford -Agawam line and to repair '' crew had to push through the heavy snow blanket early Tuesday