Milford chronicle., 1958-02-21
State SLOlUIy Digs
Gut OF SnOlU As
Cold Continues
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Traffic continued to move in the
river, the Chesapeake and Della
ware Canal and in the Chesapeake
Bay, but Coast Guard cutters were
on the move constantly. The Coast
Guard has removed abont 40 buoys
(cost: about $4,000 each) and re-
placed them in the Delaware with
markers for safety. The first time
that's been done since | can re-
member" said the spokesman.
Roads: All main and secondary
roads open in Sussex Tuesday
night, all main roads open in Kent
ard New Castle with work still be-
ing done on secondary roads; 95
per cent return to open traffic with
chains.
The highway department was u.s.
ing 277 pieces Of equipment on its
work. This included all the de-
partment's equipment, six Della
ware National Guard tanks and
equipment from private contrac-
tors. This included plaws with
blades, V-plows, bulldozers, grad
ers, "TOurnadozers" wreckers,
front end leaders (unit to load the
snow into trucks, AID the tanks.
Maj. Gen. Joseph j. Scannell, the
adjutant general, said that the
Guard has 64 additional tanks ready
to use if needed.
In spite of the men and equip
ment the road opening job still
wasn't quick enough for many res
idents, the suburban dwellers who
wanted to use their cars to get to
work, their children to school,
their shopping. 1t was break in
the routine and they wanted to
know why.
The why" at its simplest is that
Delaware hasn't had a combina-
ton of weather like this in at
least a generation and simply
hasn't put aside the money for the
men and the equipment to cope
with it.
Many residents were complain
ing, particularly in the down state
area, that the highway crews, in
opening the roads, were blocking
their driveways and keeping them
from having access to the roads.
In many instances, snow was said
to be piled in private driveways
to a height of 10 feet or more.
In Milford the street crews
worked around the clock to keep
the main arteries open. Many resi-
dents caught without chains, how
ever, were unable to get to work
except by "shoe leather express"
as the "cabbies" were rushed from
morning until night for the first
three days following the storm.
Automobile service stations es-
pecially those in Milford, were busy
repairing chains, selling snow
tires and extra anti-freeze, start
ing stalled cars. and recharging
batteries worn down by the rig
ors of cold weather starting. On
the other hand, gasoline sales
were off.
Business was good for stores
selling boots, galoshes, gloves,
sleds and snow shovels. And the
corner grocery recaptured for the
moment, some of the business lost
to the more distant supermarkets,
because the man, at the corner was
within walking distance.
The snow brought small eco
nomic lift to boys who shovel side
walks for fee. 1t also gave a lit
tie activity to contractors with
bulldozers and road graders press
ed into service by the Highway
Department. On the other hand,
outdoor construction has been
brought to a frozen standstill by
the low temperature.
No towns are cut off, Mr.. Haber
said, but some unincorporated areas
are still isolated by the snow.
It's impossible, he said, to open
some of the roads.
Recalling that in 1885 storm it
took 10 days to get all the roads
open, Mr.. Haber commented, I'VE
think this is an improvement"
One of the toughest jobs, he
said, was the two-lane Route II
where highway crews were blocked
by cars sprawled across the roads.
The trucks and plows had to have
these towed away.
Sussex County crews were dis
missed Tuesday afternoon for some
sleep.
]. Gordon Smith, chairman of
the State Highway Department,
said the change for the better in
the weather and progress in clear
ing roads relieved the necessity
for the emergency measures. He
added that normal snow removal
work is continuing.
A petroleum products distribu-
tor said the storm has cut into
the sale of gasoline but boosted
the sale of heating fuels.
The freezing weather, he said,
may well cause trouble for fuel
oil dealers in Sussex County and
the Eastern Shore of Maryland be-
cause much of the fuel supply for
those areas is shipped by barge
rom Baltimore. And the rivers
are frozen up. He added, however,
that shipments will be made by
tank trucks as necessary TO keep
the area supplied
Fuel oil dealers are urging con-
sumers to do two things to help
in the current situation:
1. Clear snow away from the fill
locations of their homes.
2. Measure their fuel reserves
with a stick, not by gauge.
A temporary casualty of the