March Blizzard - 1892

March Blizzard

Chenango Union, March 17, 1892

The wind and snow storm which set in on Thursday developed into a blizzard, which in severity eclipsed anything experienced since that of March, 1888.  Friday morning found a large body of snow upon the ground, which the howling winds of the previous night had thrown into great drifts, and that program was followed during the day, which was a most uncomfortable one.

 

The storm was the most severe north of here.  While the trains on the Delaware & Lackawanna were delayed for an hour or less, none were blocked.  The Ontario & Western were less fortunate, and some trains were abandoned.  No. 2, due here at 10:45 A.M., reached Oneida three hours late, where it lay until Sunday.  No. 5, which passed here going north at 3:30 A.M., was stalled at Randallsville.  From Oneida north the road was completely paralyzed.  A snow plow was sent from Oswego, but it was stalled near Pennellville.  The first O.&W. train from north of Oneida reached Norwich about 3 A.M. Monday.

 

Some of the roads leading into the village were impassable, and the stages failed to put in an appearance.  The Otselic stage arrived for the first time since the middle of last week, Monday afternoon; and the Pitcher daily stage, which left there Monday afternoon, arrived here Tuesday, its first trip since the blizzard.

 

At Syracuse, all trains from the west on the Central road were stalled in the heart of the city at 3 A.M. Friday.  This held up al other trains and by 8 o'clock there was a blockade.  D.L.&W. trains were stalled between Syracuse and Oswego, while the southern division was comparatively clear.  West Shore trains all got through but were far behind time.  No trains were out on the Chenango Valley road.  At Auburn, Rome, Utica and other points on the Central, trains were blocked.  Oswego had drifts in the principal streets ten feet deep, and nearly all business was stopped.  All the railroads were blocked, there were no mails, and the wires were down.  No trains were run out of the city Friday.  It was the worst storm in years.

 

Sunday night and Monday, high winds and snow again blocked the roads in some localities.