BEYOND PRECEDENT

"Sam Sloan."

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, February 8, 1895.

BEYOND PRECEDENT.

CORTLAND NEVER BEFORE HAD SO BAD A STORM.

The Railroads are Blocked, the Roads Drifted Full, the Thermometer Below Zero, and Everybody Cold.

   The genuine old blizzard predicted by the weather bureau has come in full force. Snow began to fall yesterday afternoon—a fine penetrating snow that sifted into everything. With the coming of darkness the wind began to pile it into drifts and before morning the wind had approximated a hurricane and it has been increasing in violence ever since. One can hardly see twenty rods on the street when the gust is on. No one has gone out to-day who could possibly stay in the house. The stores are deserted and clerks are improving the opportunity to put their stocks of goods in order. Plumbers are busy, for the cold of last night froze up water pipes all over town. Happy was the man who escaped.

   The electric railroad began business on time this morning running its first car as usual and bringing down from Homer the crowd of workmen employed here. But as the storm has increased and the drifts grown high the difficulty has increased too. An army of shovelers has been at work and the snow scrapers have been kept busy. The cars have made pretty good time on the whole, but occasionally the wheels would strike some hardened snow or ice and would fly around while the car stood still. Yet it has done well and the management is to be complimented.

   The S. & B. division of the D., L. & W. R. R. has done good service. Trains on the main line though are in trouble in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The 6 o'clock train from New York had not arrived when The STANDARD went to press. Reports are that it is stalled down on the dreaded Mt. Pocono, which is always the Jonah to the railroad when there is a storm. It is too bad too, for that train is said to carry some passengers who are extremely anxious to reach Cortland on account of some of the social events of this evening.

   The 11:20 train of last night did not reach Cortland until 12:45 and was fifty minutes running the eight miles from Jamesville to Onativia. The through freight which should reach Cortland at 1 o'clock this morning got in after 2 o'clock and laid up here until 9:20 this morning. The double track snow plow went through Cortland south bound at 8:19 this morning and the 8:52 passenger train was about on time. The single track snow plow arrived at about 9:45 from Syracuse and the vestibule train arrived at 10 o'clock drawn by two engines. The "Sam Sloan" which led was detached here and turned around to help take the 9:58 back to Syracuse, for the road was much heavier north of Cortland than south of here. The vestibule went on south with one engine. The 9:58 train got away with two engines at 10:50 and went north on the southbound track which was the only track open. The snow plow went back to Syracuse right after it to throw the snow back from the track.

   Superintendent Schwarz came down from Syracuse on the vestibule and went back on the other train. A local train was made up at Binghamton and left that place at 11 o'clock passing through Cortland at 1:38 so as to be ready to go back at 11:20 to-night. This train took the place of the regular 6 A. M. northbound train. The through freight train from New York arrived this morning at about 9 o'clock with 22 cars. It sidetracked eleven here and went on with the other half of the train. The 3:07 train from Syracuse was on time.

   The E., C. & N. road is full of snow, but is struggling hard. A snow plow went east at 5:30 this morning and opened the road to Camden. The 7:20 train got away on time and arrived at Canastota an hour late. The train due here from Elmira at 9:48 arrived at 11:3l with two engines, though it would have been difficult for a spectator to recognize them as engines they were so covered with snow. The train went on east and reached Canastota at about 2:45 this afternoon. It was then to turn around and come back to Cortland.

When it will arrive is not known. The 9 o'clock train west arrived at 10:50 with two engines. At 2 o'clock it had got as far as Brookton and Train Dispatcher Clark said if it reached Elmira at 3:30 it would be doing well.

   One freight train only is on the road. It was an hour late and was coming from Elmira. When it reaches Cortland it will be sidetracked and stopped. The train due here at 7:46 to-night will not be started from Canastota unless the wind goes down.

   On the N. Y. O. & W. R. R. all trains to-day are abandoned north of Oneida. No trains have been moved to-day on the Chenango Valley division of the West Shore R. R. which crosses the E., C. & N. R. R. at Rippleton.

   On the R. W. & O. R. R. one train passed Camden north bound early this morning and has not since been heard from. No train has come from the north.

   On the Southern Central R. R. the morning a passenger train from Auburn to Freeville pulled in an hour late. No train from the south has been heard from.

   Old railroad men say this is the worst storm they ever knew here. The chief difficulty is in making steam. The snow gets under the boilers and on top of the boilers and all around the boilers and it is so cold that it is almost impossible to keep steam up.

   The roads leading out from Cortland are badly blocked. One man drove in from McLean this morning and reported having his horse down several times and the drifts from six to eight feet deep.

   At 2:30 this afternoon reports from two different locations in Cortland spoke of the thermometer being eight and twelve degrees below zero.

Situation at New York.

   NEW YORK, Feb. 8.—The blizzard has effectually blockaded navigation in the harbor. Ferry boats are running under great difficulties, principally on account of the ice, which is so heavy that large fields are swept along with the tide carrying the boats with them. The British steamer Greenlands lying at the Commercial wharf, Brooklyn, which was to have sailed at 5 o'clock this morning for Gibara, Cuba, is frozen fast in the ice, and will scarcely be able to get out to-day.

   Travel on the suburban railroads is greatly impeded by the storm. The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad is reported completely blocked. The New Jersey Central got four through trains into the city at 10 o'clock, but only one went out before that hour.

   The fishing schooner Emma was driven ashore near Swinburn island last night and became a wreck. The captain and four seaman reached shore in a small boat after terrible suffering. Four men took the other boat and are missing.

   Mercury at noon was three degrees above.

Collision on the Central.

   NEWBURGH, N. Y., Feb. 8.—The Montreal express on the New York Central and Hudson river railroad ran into a freight train at the New Hamburg depot at about 3 o'clock this morning. The caboose of the freight train was broken to pieces, but nobody was hurt. Three engines were thrown from the track. The lights on the freight train were obscured by the snow and not seen by the engineer of the express.

Binghamton is Paralyzed.

   BINGHAMTON, N. Y., Feb 8.—For the second time this winter the electric street railway system of this city is paralyzed. A snow storm has raged here since early last evening accompanied by a constantly increasing gale. Trains on all roads are five to six hours late. Mercury early this morning was ten degrees below, and at 10:30 o'clock is still three points under the zero mark.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

What a Man Without Hands Can Do.

   The man with steel fingers promises to become almost as famous as the man with the iron mask. Mr. J. Cooper Chadwick is a good looking Englishman in the prime of life who some years ago had the misfortune to have both his hands blown off by the discharge of a gun. As soon as he was well enough to think, Mr. Chadwick set about devising ways to cheat fate after all out of her victory over him.

   It required a year to solve the problem, which Mr. Chadwick did with the aid of a London manufacturer of artificial limbs. Steel casings were fitted to the stumps of the man's arms. At the place where the wrists should be an assortment of hooks and steel fingers was fitted on. Then implements and instruments especially designed to be held by the hooks and fingers were invented.

   The result is that Mr. Chadwick is able to feed and shave himself, button his clothing, brush his hair and hold a pipe or cigar. He soon learned to write by means of a pen held in the steel hook at the terminus of his arm, and actually wrote a book thus. He says indeed that he can write as well with his steel hands as he could with his flesh and blood ones. It is rather odd that his handwriting looks as it used to when he wrote with the hands nature gave him, showing that a man writes with his brain, not with his hands.

◘ There are no beggars in Japan except the priests who have taken vows of poverty. It would be interesting to know how Japan manages it.

◘ This country wants the Nicaragua canal and an ocean telegraph to Hawaii, and the sooner congress authorizes them both the better.

◘ The winter of 1895 has witnessed the unusual spectacle of a blizzard in Oklahoma.

◘ Mr. Carnegie, do you know what Andrew Carnegie, government armor plate contractor and millionaire of Pittsburg, said in his address to the young men of Union college? It was this: "Never make too good a bargain for yourself. It is a poor bargain where both parties to it are not benefited."

Commercial Retaliation.

   It is to be hoped that the president of the United States will never be forced to have recourse to the sweeping power the law made in 1890 gives him over the products of foreign nations importing goods into this country. When Germany discriminated against our pork a few months ago, some zealous souls urged Mr. Cleveland to make use of his extraordinary power at once, but he was wise enough not to do it. Again when Spain began to discriminate against American flour the president was urged to issue a proclamation which would have stirred up a great breeze, but again it was decided to let Spain have time to see the error of her ways.

   The power in question is contained in the congressional meat and food inspection act passed by congress Aug. 30, 1890. The act recites that whenever the president of the United States is satisfied that any foreign government is making discriminations unjustly against "any product of the United States," food or otherwise, in the matter of its importation with that country, then he may issue a proclamation directing that the goods of such nation shall be excluded altogether from entry into the United States. This law is formidable enough to prevent any country of Europe from discriminating against our products. We could stand doing without their goods much better than they could stand not selling them to us.

A GOLDEN WEDDING.

Mr. and Mrs. Damon Conger Entertain Their Friends.

   It was a very enjoyable occasion yesterday when a large number of the friends of Mr. and Mrs. Damon Conger gathered at their pleasant home on Charles-st. to join with them in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. With the warm greetings, and glad reunions of old friends, the forming of new acquaintances, and delightful social intercourse, the hours passed quickly and pleasantly away. At about 2 o'clock very nice and most bountiful refreshments, provided by the guests, were served, just previous to which Rev. Geo. H. Brigham, in a few appropriate remarks presented to Mr. and Mrs. Conger quite a collection of gold, and gold-lined silver articles as expressive of the love, and good wishes of their friends. A remarkable feature of this gathering was, that this was the fourth golden wedding in the Conger family and it required a good degree of credulity to believe that a couple in appearance so young, so well preserved, and fair, could have been married fifty years. The moral to young people is if they would have a golden wedding while yet blithe and fair, marry young, be sure that their marriage is well assorted and live as they should.

   Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Conger, Mr. and Mrs. S. L. Palmer, Mr. E. C. Alger, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Cole, Mr. Melvin Harmon, Mrs. Amelia Gilbert, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. A. Bean, Mr. Mason Loring, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Carley, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kennedy, Miss Carrie Harmon, Mrs. Ann Harmon, Mr. Melvin Conger, Mrs. Wm. Turner, Rev. Geo. H. Brigham, Mr. and Mrs. L. Rhodes, Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Walters, Miss L. Hawley, Mrs. A. Wayle, Mrs. Wm. Williams.

   Those from out of town were: Mr. and Mrs. William Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. John Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Richardson, Mrs. Joseph Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Gibbs, Miss Mary Richardson.

Second National All Right.

   All fear of depositors as to the stability and credit of the Second National bank seems to be over. The depositors are taking a sensible view of the case.

Scarcely any one has been in to-day to draw money, but quite a number who yesterday took out their money to-day took it back and received certificates of deposit at 3 per cent. Some of the money was refused. The counters and desks of the bank are piled high with coin and greenbacks. When a STANDARD reporter was in this afternoon at about 2 o'clock there was not a person in the bank except the officers and clerks and they were busy with the regular business.

   The directors of the bank have stood as follows: C. F. Wickwire, Theo. H. Wickwire, Ernest M. Hulbert, H. F. Benton, E. A. Fish, A. L. Cole, M. M. McGraw, Fitz Boynton, Wm. B. Stoppard, Geo. C. Hubbard, Jas. R. Schermerhorn, Hon. J. E. Eggleston, D. F. Wallace.

An Afflicted Family.

   Dr. G. W. Hull of 10 Monroe Heights is very seriously ill with pneumonia and it is feared that he cannot recover. Dr. Angel is the attending physician and he last night called Dr. Edison in counsel. Mrs. Hull is at a sanitarium in Oneida, where she has been for a serious operation and is hardly able to be moved upon her bed, Mrs. Hull's mother, Mrs. Cookingham, is at Dr. Hull's in Cortland very badly off with pneumonia, and Dr. Hull's son Louie was last night very unwell from the prevailing disease, the grip.

BREVITIES.

   —The City Band Minstrels will put on their first entertainment to-night regardless of weather.

   —Prof. Murphey of Cortland will teach a class on the guitar in town soon.—DeRuyter Gleaner.

   —Buy your tickets early for thee midwinter excursion at the Presbyterian church next Wednesday evening,

   —The ladies request that all merchants who are to advertise in the woman's paper have their copy ready for use next Monday.

   —A half dozen lthacans will attend an amateur minstrel performance to be given by the Cortland band at Cortland Friday and Saturday nights.—Ithaca

Journal,

   —A large number of young ladies and gentleman met last night and organized a society to be known as "The Young People's Anti-Saloon League of Cortland, N. Y."

   —A gentleman called at the STANDARD office this afternoon and asked for the cold wave flag. He said he wanted to buy and destroy it. He was tired of seeing it displayed.

   —The Democratic convention for the town of Cortlandville will be held in Fireman's hall on Tuesday evening, Feb. 2 at 7:30 o'clock. Candidates will be put in nomination for the town meeting on Feb. 19.

   —Steuben county may be divided. There is a strong movement in favor of such a plan and Hornellsville has promised to erect county buildings free of expense to the new county, if it is made the county seat.

   —Mr. Timothy Fanning died at home last night at the age of 78 years. Deceased was the father of Mrs. J. T. Davern of Cortland. The funeral will be held on Monday at 10 A. M. at St. Mary's church in Cortland.

   —The Alpha Chautauqua circle will meet with Mrs. F. J. Doubleday, 44 Port Watson-st., Monday evening, Feb. 11, at which time will occur the semiannual election of officers. All members are requested to be present.

   —Beard & Peck are taking advantage of the stormy day to make some repairs in their store, The large stairway on the north side of the building which started from the street door and which was never used has been removed and the office is being changed so as to give more room in the store for the display of furniture,

   —The local agents and teams of the U. S. Express company had a hard time last night. They were up to meet the 11:20 train which arrived at 12:45 and were busy then until after 3 o'clock this morning carting to the residence of Mr. T. H. Wickwire the outfit of Teall, the Rochester caterer, which arrived in a special car last night for the party to-night.