The Blizzard in the West: Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, On the Night of March 9th, 1891Unknown
History
The Blizzard in the West: Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, On the Night of March 9th, 1891
Unknown
Blizzards -- England -- Cornwall (County) -- History; Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Devon (England) -- History
Mr. George Sara, of Plymouth, traveller for Messrs. Cadbury Bros.,
was enabled during the Monday night of the storm to administer comfort
to his fellow-travellers. The train by which he was travelling on the
Great Western line from Penzance to Plymouth became snowed up at St.
German's. Mr. Sara, happening to have his samples with him, and hot
water being available, was able to dispense cups of chocolate to his
companions. Some Easter eggs, made of chocolate, are described by the
narrator of the story as forming an excellent ingredient for a beverage
of this kind. Approval of the samples of Messrs. Cadbury Bros.' wares
was expressed by all the belated travellers who had the good fortune to
taste them.
[Illustration: A ROOM AT WALREDDON MANOR, TAVISTOCK.]
Snow effects resulting from this storm were remarkable in many places,
but perhaps none could be found more striking than the illustration we
give of the result of leaving open, a few inches, a lattice window,
facing north, at Walreddon Manor, near Tavistock, on the night of
Monday, March 9th. The illustration is from a photograph kindly
supplied by Henry D. Nicholson, Esq.
At the Land's End the gale was very severe, and the snowed-up
passengers on the omnibus from Penzance to St. Just on Monday night
had a dreadful time. They left Penzance about six o'clock, and should
have reached St. Just by half-past seven, but it was nine o'clock
before the 'bus reached the point where it had to remain, some three
miles from St. Just. The horses failed to proceed, and the driver, a
young man about 20, was also very much exhausted. He unhitched the
horses, and proceeded to a farmhouse near and asked for shelter. This
was refused him, the people of the house saying that there was no room
for the horses, as all their cattle were in the house. He begged for
admittance, and offered to stand by the horses all night, but he was
again refused. Not knowing what else to do, he took the harness off the
horses, turned their heads towards St. Just, and told them to go home.
The horses went off in the darkness, and he saw them no more. They did
not reach home, but were recovered alive next day. The driver returned
to his passengers in the omnibus, and remained with them until midday
on Tuesday.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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