EARLY FEBRUARY SNOW STORM 1895

Lewes, Delaware Wednesday, February 13, 1895:

A cold snap which has held Sussex county in an arctic embrace for a week past

has been worse ever experienced around here. There is more ice in the capes and the

Breakwater than past years and for a spell of so long.

The storm began last early last week with a severe snow and a strong north wind

that brought the temperature to 2 degree below zero Tuesday night. Thursday evening

a blizzard with a northwest gale hit. Our train was an hour late getting through the snow

banks to the station.

The Friday morning northbound train left Lewes on time at 7:35, reached Nassau,

it's first stop, and there it remained until Sunday morning, snow bound. Fifty men could not

dig the snow away as the snow drifted back as fast as it was shoveled out. Passengers came

back to Lewes by a mule drawn hack and stayed until Monday.

Delaware River pilot boats, Tunnell, Howard, Bayard and Kerr were assisted

by the tug boat North America, Captain Givens, and towed to the government pier Thursday.

The Tunnell was towed out of the capes on Friday to sea off Rehoboth to board incoming

vessels. The vessel , Cape, was frozen in the roadstead and drifted about with the ice, ran out

of water and George Lubaker , a pilots apprentice and boat keeper and his crew rigged a sled

and carried 12 casks of water from Brown's fish house pier, making several half mile trips

sliding over the ice.

The Cape May pilot boats , Knight and Edmunds, were at sea during the storm.

From the Breakwater to the Point of Capes the bay was frozen solid. The piers of F. C.

Maull, Luce Brothers & Brown, were badly damaged by the ice flow.

Captain Salmons of Henlopen Life Saving Station reported his men suffered the worst

experience since the station opened. Last week life saving surfmen had bitter experience

walking their duty stations but every man did is duty. There was some frostbite reported.

The colored settlement of Bell Town near Nassau Station became short of fuel and

food and local farmer in the neighborhood furnished their immediate necessities.

In Lewes extreme needs were few and were temporarily supplied. Fuel was getting scarce

but the roads near town were broken open so teams can get through hauling supplies.

Almost everyone had water pumps frozen solid.

Abstract 06/26/18 by Harrison H from Wednesday, February 13, 1895 Wilmington News

Journal, Wilmington, Delaware