Destructive Blizzard Hammered Pelham 104 Years Ago Today
At about 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 1, 1914, rain began splattering across the Pelham region. Though the temperature was about 35 degrees all day long, by mid-morning the rain turned to a heavy snow that began to collect as slush on the streets, sidewalks, ground, and grass. It clung tenaciously to trees throughout the region.
Around noon that day, the wind began to howl. At times later in the day wind gusts reached 85 miles per hour -- well above hurricane-force winds. As one might expect, trees and large tree branches throughout the region began toppling -- many onto electrical lines, trolley lines, telephone lines, and utility poles. Others fell across roadways including a particularly large tree that fell across Boston Post Road at Fowler Avenue in Pelham Manor, taking down electrical lines with it.
Trolley lines ground to a halt. The storm became so bad that trolley cars in the Village of North Pelham and in the Village of North Pelham became stranded on the tracks. The problem often was not that the trolley cars were stuck in heavy snow but, instead, the tracks became so slippery with the slushy snow that trolley motormen inadvertently burned out the motors of the trolley cars trying to get the cars to move along the slippery tracks. Trolley cars sat stranded in the midst of Pelham streets for much of the day and evening as the storm raged.
Only ten or twelve inches of snow fell in the Pelham region during the Nor'easter of March 1, 1914. The howling wind of the gale, however, did tremendous damage. The next day, United Press reported that at least eight people had died in the New York region during the storm. The same report stated:
"With railroad tracks piled deep with snow, telegraph and telephone lines down, and traffic of every sort completely tied up, the entire east was today paralyzed in the grip of the worst storm in years. A blinding snow driven before a high gale continued to swirl and drive through the storm section this afternoon. Railroads canceled trains entirely. No attempt was made to carry passengers and reports were lacking on trains from the west due in here yesterday. Losses as the result of the storm will probably run into the millions. Meagre reports received from the railroads indicates staggering damage has been done by the high winds and the heavy snow. A foot of snow has fallen here up to noon today. Weather bureau officials said the storm might abate this afternoon or tonight, but the tie-up is now so complete that it will require days for the cities and town of the east to dig themselves out."
The region, of course, dug out of the snow, cleaned up the damage and, where necessary, rebuilt. The Nor'easter of 1914, it seems, was merely another reminder like the Great Blizzard of 1888 why we say that March comes "in like a lion."
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"MOST DESTRUCTIVE BLIZZARD IN TWENTY YEARS SWEEPS SECTION
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Trolley Service Completely Out of Commission Up to an Early Hour this Afternoon -- Telegraph and Telephone Service Crippled for Time -- Lighting Company Kept Busy Repairing Breaks as Falling Trees Tear Down Wires -- 85 Mile Gale Brings Ruin in Its Path -- Money Loss is Going to be Heavy -- Streets Filled with Snow and Slush
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Spreading ruin in its path, a blizzard that was more destructive than that of any in the last 20 years swept over Mount Vernon yesterday and last night. Today the following are grim reminders of the visitation:
Ten-inch sheet of snow, ice and slush over everything, making many crosswalks impassable and converting sidewalks and gutters into slushy lakes which look innocent enough but in which pedestrians sink ankle-deep in water.
Much property damage, consisting of broken windows, signs, doors, trees, telephone poles.
Crippled traffic on railroads and trolleys. Trains behind tine, while for nearly 24 hours not a wheel has turned on the trolley lines except where men tried to operate snow plows and sweepers, but the snow is so heavy that they made little progress.
Lighting system threatened by falling trees and poles. Southern section of city without light.
Hundreds of telephones out of commission caused by snapping wires.
Deliveries of foodstuffs delayed or entirely prevented.
More snow fell today, considerably hampering the work of digging Mount Vernon out. To make matters worse, the temperature began to drop this afternoon. A cold wave would convert the slushy snow into thick ice.
Public schools in Mount Vernon are shut down today, it being realized that to send children out of their homes in such weather would be jeopardizing their lives. While the storm was at its height last night few persons ventured out on the streets and consequently many churches were dark.
A northwest gale that at times attained a velocity of 85 miles blew unceasingly last night, accompanied by a precipitation that alternately turned from snow to rain and some times mixtures of both. All in all, it was one of the worst nights on record here. While the storm did not result in nearly as much snow as the famous blizzard of 1888, nevertheless while it was far more destructive and fierce than anything within the memory of the present generation.
With snow covering the ground from the blizzard of February 14, which had succumbed somewhat to three days of thaw, rain began to fall yesterday morning about 7 o'clock. Those seeing the rain welcomed it, thinking it would be the means of washing away what remained of the previous snowfall. However, the rain soon turned to snow and soon the streets were full of slush.
People emerging from church at neon, found that they could not step anywhere without sinking over their rubbers into the watery slush. The temperature was over 35 degrees all day. In the early afternoon the wind arose, flinging rain and snow all about. The snow fell fast, great big flakes that soon covered up the slush. There were few flakes although the wind raged. The snow, very damp and heavy, lay where it fell.
Those who had left their homes in the morning to go visiting found themselves in a bad fix on returning home. Persons were thrown to the ground and became soaking wet.
Mayor Fiske was at his office yesterday afternoon and with Deputy Public Works Commissioner Benedetto did what they could to relieve the conditions that were fast growing worse. A half hundred snow shovelers were sent out to clear the crosswalks, but at 7:30 p.m., buffeted about by wind and wet to the skin, they gave up their task. City snowplows and gutter plows were sent out, but the snow was so heavy that little could be done yesterday.
Today sixty men were sent out to clear the crosswalks and drains. No further steps will be taken to remove the snow, Mayor Fiske said, until it is seen what new developments take place. It is impossible, he said, to haul the slush. Consequently no carting of snow was carried on. No garbage collections were made today.
Everybody clean off sidewalks, not only the walks, but their gutters, too, was an order issued by Mayor Fiske. The mayor notified the police department to enforce strictly the city ordinance which provides that snow and ice must be removed in a certain time. The ordinance in question will be
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MOST DESTRUCTIVE BLIZZARD IN CITY
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found in an advertisement on the first page of the Argus. Prosecutions will follow neglect to obey the law, Mayor Fiske said.
A wagon manned by three city employes started out this morning to make the rounds of the city, picking up parts of broken trees. Eight snow plows were also put to work. Six gangs of seven shovelers each were sent to the various wards, one gang going to each ward except in the Fourth ward, where two gangs were detailed.
'There's no use trying to haul this stuff away,' said Public Works Commissioner Harlow. 'It is too heavy. It is packing down well and the wagons and autos are not having so much difficulty as they did two weeks ago.' The commissioner added that there has been one continual round of complaints from persons wanting crosswalks cleared.
Lieutenant Clark at police headquarters is suffering from writer's cramp today after the many reports of storm damage that occurred. The flag pole on the city hall snapped under the pressure of the gale. Three men were sent onto the roof today to pick up the remnants. The following reports of damage were made at the police station.
Telephone wires down at Stevens avenue and West Lincoln avenue. East Sidney avenue near the fire house. Electric light wires down at Fifth avenue and First street, Sand street and Gramatan avenue. Lights were reported to have burned the Fourth avenue and Fifth avenue bridges slightly before being put out. An electric light wire burned a tree on Third avenue near Third street where the cable broke.
A large branch was reported to be hanging from a tree on Ninth avenue near Fourth street. It was removed by the department of public works. A Western Union cable snapped on South Railroad avenue. Scores of large limbs were blown from trees, and in some instances whole trees went down. Trees were damaged at Brookside avenue near Fourth street, Mount Vernon avenue and Short street, before 137 Summit avenue, Third avenue, and Fourth and Fifth streets, Fourth street between Third and Fourth avenues.
Windows were blown in at the Anderson Realty office, Third avenue and First street; Marcus Bros., grocers, 495 West Lincoln avenue.
A broken trolley pole was found hanging from some wires at Mount Vernon avenue and West street.
A section of the large sign board on top of the building on the northeast corner of Fourth avenue and First street, facing East First street, was blown down. The signboard was plastered with wet snow and this fact together with the wind caused the board to collapse and topple over. The section facing Fourth avenue did not blow over.
For the first time in years the no school signal, '9-9-9' was sounded this morning at 8 o'clock at headquarters by order for the board of education. It was a rather unusual coincidence that the no school signals in this city, New Rochelle and Tuckahoe were all sounded at the same time.
Fire Commissioner Howland, early yesterday afternoon instructed Fire Chief Nicholas Ehrbar to issue orders to all of the paid firemen to immediately go on duty at their respective fire houses and to sleep there. They will remain there until countermanding orders are given. Chief Ehrbar said that the arrangements at the several fire houses for drawing the pieces of apparatus in cases of fire are the same as those which went into effect on the day of the first blizzard. There are chains and ropes on the wheels of the automobile apparatus.
In case the auto apparatus of Truck 1 cannot be used the light truck now at headquarters will respond. It is hoped that residents of the city will continue to exercise diligence in regard to leaving waste paper in the cellar and at the foot of the stairs so as to avoid any possibility of fires breaking out by matches being thrown about.
Not in years has the trolley service in this city been so badly crippled. Not a trolley car has been operated in this city since last night, up to press time this afternoon. The trouble is due to the ice on the tracks which formed after the cold set in early last evening and froze the slush in the grooves, and also to the fact that the water in the tracks coming from the melting snow and the slush, got into the motors and caused them to burn out. More cars were crippled by burned motors than in any other way.
Late in the afternoon the real trouble began and Supt. William B. Wheeler and his assistants were kept busy trying to operate at least a few cars.
First, one of the Chester Hill cars became stalled on East Lincoln avenue near Fletcher avenue about 5 o'clock. Prior to that the cars had simply crawled along their lines. Then another car became stalled on the same street and still another one was unable to be operated beyond North Columbus avenue.
It was 7 o'clock when trolley service on the line east of Fulton avenue and Third street went out of commission for about an hour. This was due to the fact that one of the high tension wires of the Westchester Lighting Co., covered with a blanket of snow, was blown down by the gale and it fell across the trolley wires on Echo avenue, New Rochelle. Not a car was operated until this wire was removed. The Pelham manor trolley service was affected also. Then a short time after that, another of the lighting company wires fell across the wires on the corner of Fowler avenue and Boston Post road in Pelham Manor, and Boston Post road in Pelham Manor, and once more the trolley service between New Rochelle and East Third street was put out of commission. The trouble was overcome and the situation improved, but not to a great extent as from that time on only a few cars were run between New Rochelle and 177th street.
The Third avenue elevated cars and the Williamsbridge and Mount Vernon cars crawled along until 2 o'clock this morning when one of the big red cars operated by the Union Railway Co., on the Williamsbridge-Mount Vernon line became stalled at 233rd street and White Plains road and then came a blockade. Not a car was operated on the main line into this city. After that hour no more New Rochelle cars were operated to 177th street, the cars simply making the loop around First street from Fourth avenue to Fifth avenue and then back to New Rochelle.
The one Harlem station car became crippled when the motor burned out late last night at Scott's bridge. Both of the North Pelham cars were stalled as were the Fifth avenue cars. The Fifth avenue line was blocked by a car which could not be moved from Seventh street, near the switch.
The Sixth street and Fulton avenue car became stalled at 1 o'clock this morning at the foot of the hill on Union avenue and Sixth street, the motors burning out as a result of the water and slush on the tracks.
The blockade on the White Plains line began at 3:30 o'clock when one of the large double truck cars on its way to this city got as far as a point between Williams and Cedar streets on Gramatan avenue, when it could not be operated any farther in the snow and there it remained. The passengers walked to this city in the storm and wind.
No cars were operated between Harlem station and Yonkers this morning and the West Mount Vernon cars could not be run in Webster avenue.
The Westchester Lighting company considers that its escape from any great amount of damage is quite remarkable in view of the fact that in New Jersey and vicinity thousands of poles were blown down. No a pole owned by the Westchester Lighting company, was blown down in this city and vicinity according to information given out at the offices of the company. All of the trouble with the lighting system was due to the fact that wires were torn down by falling trees.
While the gale was at its height a tree was blown down on Third avenue, between Second and Third streets. It carried lighting company wires with it. It was then about 6 o'clock and the system on Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth avenues south of Third street was out of commission all night. Superintendent Green had a gang of men at work all night.
A tree was blown down on the corner of Brookside avenue and Fourth street, but the wire which was carried down, only provided current for the pumping station near there and for one or two houses. Another tree was blown down on Gramatan and more wires of the lighting company were torn down, but again the company was fortunate in that only a few houses on Gramatan avenue were cut off from light. A part of the lighting system of Bronxville was affected, but as a gang of men was rushed to the scene of the trouble, the wires were put back into place again by 8 o'clock. A wire came down on First street and South Fifth avenue at a point near the New Haven cut.
The most serious trouble occurred on Fowler avenue and Boston Post road in Pelham Manor about 7 o'clock when a large tree covered with snow collapsed. The emergency cut in was quickly made, otherwise Mount Vernon would have been in darkness.
The Corcoran Manor section was cut off from electric light in the evening when the when three trees were blown down on California road and wires were short circuited.
Superintendent Green had gangs of men at work all over the city and in neighboring towns untangling wires from trees. The men were taken to the various places in conveyances and there was one accident. A wagon was upset in a snow drift on White Plains road opposite Westchester Park. The driver and his helper were thrown out but escaped injury, but the shafts of the wagon were smashed. The men could not reach the place they were sent to, so they were ordered to find sleeping quarters for the rest of the night, it being then 1:30 o'clock.
Two hundred telephones in this city and about 600 in the county were put out of commission. Owen G. MacKnight, traffic manager of the telephone company, said today that the company escaped serious damage. There was, of course, intances where some wires in trees in parts of the city were carried down by falling branches and these had to be repaired. The principal trouble occurred where the wires extending from the cable in the subways to the house of the subscriber became covered with ice. This morning at 11 o'clock there were not more than 50 telephones in the city out of commission. Mr. MacKnight said the trunk lines held well. Business was unusually heavy and the entire force of telephone operators, with extra girls were at work at 7:30 o'clock."
Source: MOST DESTRUCTIVE BLIZZARD IN TWENTY YEARS SWEEPS SECTION -- Trolley Service Completely Out of Commission Up to an Early Hour this Afternoon -- Telegraph and Telephone Service Crippled for Time -- Lighting Company Kept Busy Repairing Breaks as Falling Trees Tear Down Wires -- 85 Mile Gale Brings Ruin in Its Path -- Money Loss is Going to be Heavy -- Streets Filled with Snow and Slush, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 2, 1914, No. 7387, p. 1, cols. 1-7 & p. 5, cols. 1-4.
"Conditions Worse In New York -- Railroads Cancel Trains And Death List Is Reported Growing
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(By United Press)
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New York, March 2. -- With railroad tracks piled deep with snow, telegraph and telephone lines down, and traffic of every sort completely tied up, the entire east was today paralyzed in the grip of the worst storm in years. A blinding snow driven before a high gale continued to swirl and drive through the storm section this afternoon. Railroads canceled trains entirely. No attempt was made to carry passengers and reports were lacking on trains from the west due in here yesterday. Losses as the result of the storm will probably run into the millions. Meagre reports received from the railroads indicates staggering damage has been done by the high winds and the heavy snow. A foot of snow has fallen here up to noon today. Weather bureau officials said the storm might abate this afternoon or tonight, but the tie-up is now so complete that it will require days for the cities and town of the east to dig themselves out.
Eight deaths have been reported so far in New York and vicinity. Five have perished in New York. One man was killed by a fallen live wire in Trenton. Two cleaning railroad tracks were killed by a train on Long Island. Reports from outlying districts are lacking. The coal and milk situation is acute. Not in years have coal dealers received such demands for fuel while being absolutely unable to fill orders. No milk was received in the city today. Most of New York went to business today on the subway. Surface cars stood on their tracks, snowed in by great drifts, and Brooklyn was completely snowbound. From all parts of the coast came reports of vessels in distress. None left their piers today and incoming steamers were held up outside the harbor. So great was the danger of disastrous fires in New York that 500 firemen were detailed to patrol the streets. 'Way Down East' village scenes were enacted in upper Broadway. The wind during the night drove the sleet into keyholes and when the temperature dropped, locks were frozen solid."
Source: Conditions Worse In New York -- Railroads Cancel Trains And Death List Is Reported Growing, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 2, 1914, No. 7387, p. 1, cols. 2-3.
Labels: 1888, 1914, Blizzard, Blizzard of 1888, Nor'easter, Storm, Trolley, Trolleys, Weather, Windstorm
posted by Blake A. Bell @ 5:01 AM
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