“Wasn’t it a storm though?”
Monday March 12th and Tuesday March 13th are the 135th anniversary of the Great Blizzard of 1888. The winter of 1887-88 had been a normal winter. Weather was unseasonably mild just before the blizzard, rains turned to snow, and temperatures dropped. Just like they always did. No worries.
According to most accounts beginning March 12th the destructive blizzard which later became known as the “The Great White Hurricane” buried the Northeast with up to 50 inches of snow over the course of three unrelenting days.”
I read somewhere that Guilderland Historian Arthur Gregg who’s father was a Methodist Minister in Voorheesville where he grew up stated that he was as a young boy on the D&H train that broke down between Albany and Voorheesville during the storm. I found an account in the newspaper and it mentions the then acting Minister of The North Bethlehem Black Creek Methodist Church Reverend Robert Washburn but there is no mention of either Reverend Gregg or his son being on board.
If you are familiar with the Rail Trail you will likely recognize in the following article where the train got stuck. Just after the former Rockefeller Rd. Crossing. I’m unsure as to whether or not there was a bridge there at the time, or if it was at grade level.
The March 10th edition of the Knowersville Enterprise was published two days before the storm. The March 17th edition came out four days after the storm. Being a weekly has its advantages and disadvantages.
The March 17th issue was filled with several items like:
“…the severe storm and blocked condition of the roads are abundant excuses for our correspondents not sending in there items this week…”
The front page of the March 17th issue of the Knowersville Enterprise was completely covered by the latest episode of its weekly serial. “A Maid Forlorn. Chapter IV. By Duchess.
The article which I have transcribed here appears on page 2, and has the rather mundane headline “THE STORM.”
Mostly it seems the great blizzard was simply a nuisance. So-and-so had to stay over at so-and-so’s house. Such and such had to be canceled. If you read the headlines of the Albany Argus on the day of the storm, it reads like it was the apocalypse!
It’s as if Voorheesville and Altamont experienced alternate events.
Good old Jud!
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In the midst of seemingly normal daily goings on from about the area appears this bit on page three:
-One of the worst looking places we ever saw, was the city of Albany on Wednesday morning last, with every street blocked with snow, from two to five feet deep. We saw teams being driven down Broadway on the sidewalk, while the street was filled with snow, three feet deep. Maiden Lane from Broadway to Pearl St. had to be shoveled out before a team could go through. Everyone seemed to have employment who could handle a shovel.
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And then there is this. An account of heroism, of self sacrifice, of our community making the best of a bad situation. All in all, I think we done good.
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The Knowersville Enterprise, March 17, 1888.
THE STORM
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The storm of last Monday and Tuesday was one of the severest ever experienced in this part of the country. After snowing heavily on Monday, the wind began to increase the latter part of the afternoon, and by dark, was raging in terrible earnest. This continued without abatement till Tuesday evening, when it had lost, at least half of its force – Wednesday morning dawned in quiet, and the storm was a thing of the past.
On Monday 6 p.m. the Oneonta train left Albany, with 24 passengers and two engines, Nos. 150 and 261. She came up the Albany hill in good speed, pushing through heavy drifts below, Rockefeller Road, until the top of the grade was reached, when she embedded herself in a heavy drift, and stopped. Great efforts were made to extricate the train, but without success, and in a few hours the engines and cars were wrapped in a sheet of the “beautiful.”
The cause of stoppage was the leaking of the boiler of No. 150 engine, so that when she stopped, she had less than sixty pound of steam, and in a little, while her boiler was empty. A consultation was held, and it was agreed that Mr. Frank Walker, train dispatcher, who was on board, and the trainman, Mr. Flanagan, would return to Albany and get help to pull out. With many apprehensions of danger, on the part of the passengers, for the two men, who bravely risked their lives in this work, they started, but no help could be rendered, and the train had to stay in the rapidly increasing drift. Among the passengers were J.White Sprong, comptroller, of the D. & H., J.W. Hutt, of the National Express, J.W. Mattice, W.L. Coughtry, Lagrange, W.H. Slingerland, and Baker, of Slingerlands; Messrs Milks, Merriban and Ashley of Delmar, and D.G. Staley, Chris Hart and I Knower Stafford, of Knowersville and Rev. Mr. Washburn, of Voorheesville.
Mr. Walker not returning, the passengers cast about to see what could be found on board which would be of any service to them in their enforced imprisonment. They found a barrel of bread on its way to Slingerlands, and several pounds of pork chops belonging to Frank Boutelle of the same place, a pail of oysters, a chunk of beef, a ham, belonging to Mr. Hutt, and four lbs of coffee, all of which were speedily confiscated. Mr. Baker, was speedily installed as caterer; and many a hungry man succumbed to the splendid table, d’hote which is speedily arranged. The coal shovel was utilized for a spit, and Frank Boutelle’s pork rapidly disappeared. That reliable epicure J.W. Hutt, pronounced every thing perfect. Oysters in every style was a part of the arrangement.
At 12 o’clock, midnight Messrs Coughtry in Lagrange, resolved to walk to Slingerlands, and started together, although the wind was blowing a gale, and the snow was falling fast. They reached home, 3 miles away, during the afternoon of Tuesday. Mr. Coughtry had his face badly frozen. After this a portion of the passengers prepared themselves with cushions and other articles to secure some sleep, while others occupied the baggage room of Johnny Mowers, and spent a couple of hours in songs and merriment of various sorts. Then all was still, save the hollowing of the winds, the roaring of the storm about the buried train. After breakfast had been served, Mr. Furman and son, living within sight of the doomed-train, came on board with eggs, butter, bread, milk, pickles, and other things, and again in the afternoon, with another batch of edibles, including pie and hot potatoes. At the same time came in another neighbor, with edibles, and then came a delegation from Slingerlands consisting of Wm. and Henry McCormack, J. Lawton, Henry Ostrander, Ed. Pier and Chris Clemens with three basket full of all sorts, and then came Mr. Salsburg with a bag full of food. On motion of D.G. Staley; it was resolved, that the thanks of the snow-bound party were hereby heartily extended to Messrs Furman and associates for the very generous supplies of provisions received, which was unanimously adopted, and then three cheers were given with a will, for the brave men who faced the terrible storm.
At 2 o’clock of Tuesday, Tom Opie and eight men came up the track with the compliments of Mr. C.D. Hammond Gen. Supt. Of the D, &H. consisting of two one bushel basketsfull of provender and a large can of coffee from the Windsor, with a note to Mr. Sprong, stating it would be impossible to send a rescue party while the storm lasted, but that as soon as it abated he would be on hand in force. These men were three hour’s coming three and a half miles, and were all literally covered with ice when they reached the train. no one but the brave and determined Opie could have accomplished this work.
After a good supper, the cushions from the couch and smoker were arranged in the baggage car, and the company retired early, rising at 5:30 on Wednesday morning with a serene sky, and the storm non est.
Breakfast was securely out-of-the-way, when a shrill whistle startled the company, Mr. C.D. Hammond, and four engines, and about sixty men appeared on the scene, and proceeded to couple to the buried train which, after some shoveling, they pulled out of the snow bank and brought it to the city.
Mr. Hammond and his engines continued up the road meeting with heavy drifts at Delmar between that station, and Slingerlands, near Voorheesville, and the biggest at the Crounse farm below the Van Aernam crossing, which was fully twenty feet high, and pushing through them all, reaching our village about 2 p.m. The first train from Albany, since Monday afternoon, came out Wednesday p.m. at 6 o’clock with three engines.
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I like to think that this is exactly how I would have reacted. We can’t go anywhere or do anything? Let’s have a hooly! Eat! Drink! Sing and Dance! Then when our belly’s are full we will hunker down and sleep it off ‘till the morning comes shining through.
Happy Blizzard! Have a beer. Watch a baseball game on TV.!
Enjoy your day!
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