March 23, 1861 (Saturday)

A Winter-March Storm


From a New York Times article published March 23, 1861 on "The Great Storm--The Storm at the East.  Excerpts below....

"The snow-storm of Thursday last will stand in weather chronicles as one of the greatest severity experienced during March for many years.  Mr. Valentine, the honored Clerk of the Common Council, who is entitled to be recognized as one, at least, of the oldest inhabitants, says he does not remember to have witnessed so heavy a fall of snow, in that month, during his residence in New York, which dates from childhood.

The snow-fall culminated about midnight of Thursday, but the gale continued with increasing fury until after daylight yesterday morning.  Broadway, and indeed all the main thoroughfares, were so obstructed by the fallen snow, kneaded by the moving vehicles into muddy slush, as to greatly interrupt travel of every kind.  Nearly all the avenue cars had four horses attached, and even with this extra force their motions were too slow for persons at all hurried by business engagements.

...At some places the snow was drifted five and six feet deep, making it next to impossible to drive the locomotive through it without danger of being thrown from the track.  On the New York and Erie Railroad...snow-drifts were encountered from six to ten feet deep; and on some portions of the road as many as five locomotives were required to force their way through.  The Milk train, which was unable to proceed, was combined with the passenger train due at the same hour yesterday morning.  The Philadelphia train was two hours behind time on Thursday night and the 'Owl train,' due at 2 o'clock A.M., did not arrive until 11 A.M., yesterday.

On Long Island, the storm exceeded in severity any which has heretofore been experienced during the Winter.  All the roads were blocked with snow...the snow along the [railroad] tracks was, in some places, piled up to the height of the cars.  Travel by the wagon roads was wholly out of the question and the markets yesterday were consequently without the customary supplies from the Island."

An added note:  Hat tip The American Civil War:  The Daily Dispatch:  "Virginia's wealth, power and influence rest upon her slave system," March 23, 1861.

"The question is secession or emancipation.  It is whether Virginia shall destroy or preserve her slave system of labor -- the grandest and most efficient agency of wealth ever enjoyed by any community on the globe."   Read the details at the link above....