Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1891 — DISASTROUS SNOW STORM. [ARTICLE]

DISASTROUS SNOW STORM.

A disastrous storm prevailed in the East Saturday night and Sunday. It extended over the entire region from Boston,through the lower Eastern States, Southern New York, New Jersey and Delaware. About six inches of snow fell and it was of the wet, clinging kind that fastened itself to everything it touched, loading trees until they were shorn of their branches or fell prostrate with their trunks snapped off as though they had been mere twigs, and clinging to the electric wires until they gave away under the pressure and broke in all directions, or until the poles on which they were strung fell, crushed by the immense weight. The poles fell across streets and against houses, blocking all traffic on the former, and threat* ening death- and destruction to tbe latter and their inmates. At daylight, Sunday, the work of destruc* tion had commenced,and itcontinued until the snow fall ceased, at noon, when the wrecks of trees and telegraph poles were to be found on every street, while irregular festoons of wire were hanging On every hand and detached lengths of wire were strung on every sidewalk. No such work of destruction has been known since the great blizzard of March, 1»88, and it is a question if that memorable storm was more serious in Its effects upon tbe tele* graph poles and wires of the city." Several accidents to people occurred.