Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1950-11-28
Highways Closed

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Highways Closed
All highways to London were
closed Saturday and Sunday and
all transportation including grey
hound buses, discontinued by Sat-
urday night.
Buses which attempted to get
through for remainder of their
runs, after leaving London, be-
came stranded along the roads.
The roaring wind, which piled
unsurmountable drifts every
where, had succeeded in bottling
up London, like all other Ohio
cities and towns, by Sunday morn
ing
The telephone company, delug-
cd by frantic calls from stranded
motorists, and others trying to
reach their homes, discontinued
accepting all phone calls but
emergencies. Trains were thrown
hours off the. regular schedules
and by Saturday night London
was SO completely isolated tele-
grams and emergency phone calls
were the only contacts reaching
outside communities.
Severity Of the blizzard in
creased Saturday as the night
wore on.
So numerous were the calls for
wrecker-trucks to pull stranded
autos from the drifts that Lon
don soon found itself with only
a small fraction of the number
needed to keep up with the de-
mand.
All law enforcement officers of
the city and county and the
highway patrol worked through
out the weekend to help meet
the emergency.
Literally thousands of autos, in
which fans attempted to get home
from the Michigan Ohio State
Game at OSU stadium Saturday
became stranded on numerous
Highways out of Columbus.
Others made it as far as the
neighboring towns out of Colum-
bus and found themselves strand
ed there.
London was host to many
persons who stayed at homes Of
friends. filled up all available
quarters in hotels and in some in
stances stayed in their autos.
Abandon Autos
Also innumerable were the re-
ports received Of persons who
'holed up at the houses or pub
lie buildings closest to where the
blizzard caught them. Many
abandoned their autos where they
were and walked to their homes
or other shelter.
One stranded couple were re-
ported having stayed all night in
an auto on East High street in
London; another couple with a
small baby reported having stay
ed in their auto east of the city
until morning and then walked in
to London.
Telephone operators in London
were also stranded in the office
of the Ohio Bell Company and
stayed at their posts until many
hours after their regular shift was
ended.
All day Sunday tractors, snow
ploughs and any other equipment
which could be obtained were busy
attempting to break or clear paths
through London streets.
Numerous churches cancelled
their regular services Sunday be-
cause congregations were unable
to get to the churches. 404-
Radio stations throughout the
country, including Columbus and
Springfield. kept upea running
account of highway conditions
and also announced the industrial
and business concerns which were
suspending operations Monday
and notifying employees not to re-
port for work.
Numerous concerns which did
elect to continue operations Mon
day did so, minus a number Of
employees unable TO reach the
places of their employment.
Accidents 1T Minimum
Traffic accidents were held to
a minimum in this area because
no one travelling in an auto was
able TO move at more than a
snails place. if at all.
Sheriff Harold r. Bidwell re-
ported a car driven by Weldon