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March 06 1914/2014

Montrose – Sunday morning dawned warm and quiet, although the air was heavy and it seemed that March first had “come in like a lamb,” but by two o’clock in the afternoon a light snow had commenced to fall. By three o’clock, the wind had risen and from then on the storm seemed to quickly gain intensity and Sunday night was one of the wildest ever seen in this locality. The wind by this time had veered to the West and came with terrific force. Windows were blown in, blinds torn off, and some buildings were unroofed. Buildings were rocked and the occupants put in a night of apprehension and fear. Trains: No trains entered or left Montrose Monday nor Tuesday. Lehigh Valley passenger train on up trip Sunday afternoon got stalled in the snow drifts just South of South Montrose and the fire had to be drawn from the locomotive. A big snow plow came up from Tunkhannock Monday but got disabled near Lynn and a third relief engine, from Tunkhannock, also got stuck in the snow.  All three engines were helpless and had to draw their fires. Stages: The first stage to get into Montrose, after the storm, was from Rush. After a hard day’s travel it reached here at 5 p.m. Tuesday and was obliged to remain overnight.


The Franklin Forks stage got in Wednesday morning for the first [time]. The road to Forest Lake is completely filled up, it is said, and the

Forest Lake stage may be a day or so in getting in. Mail: All the rural mail carriers have been unable, as yet, to make their regular trips, although efforts have been made each day to do so. Yesterday Carrier Olin Tingley walked to Heart Lake delivering what mail he could. Carriers Sechler and Palmer went to Fairdale yesterday and took down a lot of mail for sections nearby. Carriers Smith and Lyons got out a few miles and made deliveries where possible. Storm stories: One of the highest drifts reported is near the Village Hall. It is about 15 feet high.  Frank Cole, of Tiffany, had a barn partially unroofed by the hurricane; the large ice house at Heart Lake suffered considerably in the big wind storm. A part of the roof, 30 ft. square, was blown away and a portion of the cupola torn off. The Beach Mfg. Co. had to shut down this week, being unable to get a supply of coal. Probably one of the highest snow drifts in the county was at the M. J. Harrington farm near Watrous Corners. A high bar of snow was swept at right angles across the road, connecting the house and barn.  It is said that one could pass from the house to the roof of the barn on the drift’s crest. John W. Gardner, of East Bridgewater, was one of the first visitors in town Monday morning, and managed to get here by walking on the tops of stone walls. In South New Milford the severe blizzard filled roads full to overflowing. Drifts for long distances were 4 to 6 ft. deep and piled up around houses and barns up to 18 ft. deep. Many can’t get their stock out as doors are banked up and several had to shovel tunnels from house doors to get out side.  Scranton reported five persons frozen to death and five deaths occurred in Philadelphia. If it were not for our telephone communication, which held good in the majority of instances, the storm of the first of the week gave us a fair idea of primitive conditions in times when there was no means of communication by horse, post or train. News from the outside world was eagerly sought for as we missed our daily paper and got real hungry for news, something which we thought almost impossible in this day of the sensational press.


Thompson– Rev. Purington [Perrington] R. Tower, aged 81 years, one of the best known Methodist clergy men in the Wyoming Conference, died at his home in Thompson on Friday morning, Feb. 27 [or 26], 1914.  He suffered a stroke of paralysis several years ago, from the effects of which he never recovered and for some time he had been in failing health. The well-known clergyman, during his 46 years of service in the ministry, had always held charges within his conference and his labors were in adjoining localities, namely Lanesboro, Jackson and Gibson. Since 1896 he had been on the retired list but his activities were only lessened, as he had been frequently called upon since that time to act as a supply. Rev. Tower was a Civil War veteran of Co. F, 203rd Pennsylvania Infantry. Funeral services were held at his late home Sunday afternoon, the body being taken to Tower cemetery at Lenox for interment.


Heart Lake – The Ladies Aid of the Baptist church gave a surprise to Mrs. Lucy Cobb and sewed her carpet rages.


Springville – John Maryott, wife and children, of Red Lodge, Montana, are visiting friends here after an absence of several years.  He went west thirty-three years ago and this is his third trip east.  His wife was formerly Miss Nellie Luce, of Lynn.


Herrick Center – Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Potter and child, of Pleasant Mt., returning home from a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jones, of West Herrick, were overturned in the drift in front of the home of Will Davis, at Lowe Lake, and were still staying with the Davis family when last heard from on Wednesday.


Susquehanna – Benny Borne had his eye put out in the Erie Shops Saturday by a flying piece of steel. ALSO Misses Helen Smith and Clara McNamara (of Lenox) graduated as trained nurses from Dr. Burns’s hospital, in Scranton, last week.


Hallstead – B. F. Brooks and Lynn Merrell have taken the agency for the Chevrolet automobile. They have a car load of the cars ordered and will display them in Clune’s garage.


News Brief: A bridegroom is a person who spends a lot of money buying himself a wedding suit that nobody notices. ALSO J. H. Armstrong, superintendent of the Borden milk station, in speaking of the snowstorm of this week, states his belief that we have had nothing like it since the terrible blizzard of 1888. At that time the city of New York was held in the grip of the storm for days. No produce or milk could be shipped in and exorbitant prices were paid for food. One well to do attorney, the father of a pair of twins, paid $400 for four quarts of milk to keep his children from starving.

Compiled By: Betty Smith

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