SEVERE SNOWSTORM IN THE PROVINCES.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 569, 15 April 1876, Page 4

SEVERE SNOWSTORM IN THE PROVINCES.

{Daily News, Jan. 24.)

It is now ten years since the inland telegraphic system was seriously inconvenienced for some time in consequence of the severity of the weather that then prevailed. The interruption to the service, which is now considerably extended, during the past two days from the same cause has been similarly fraught with much inconvenience and damaging influences. In 1866 the wires could not be worked within a radius of thirty miles round the metropolis, and messages intended for longer distances were first despatched by train and afterwards forwarded to their destination. The present interruption has not been so wide-spread; yet the Postoffice authorities at the Central Telegraph Station, St Martin's-le-Grand, were obliged to issue a notice on Saturday, stating that " telegraphic " communication with Ireland, Scotland, South Wales, and the North of England, north of Birmingham, except Leeds and Hull, was totally interrupted, and messages must be refused. There was partial communication with Birmingham, Leeds, and Hull, and messages would still be accepted for those places at the risk of the senders. Communication was open to the eastern, south-eastern, and southern counties, but there was probability of delay." The interruption was caused by a great snowstorm in the south midland counties, the snow in some instances, it is said, accumulating more than a foot above the level of the wires, the pressure producing a breakdown. The first stoppage occurred about five o'clock on Friday afternoon, when communication with Gloucester ceased, the interference extending to Birmingham and the midland counties, and between Huntingdon and Stamford, Oxford and Gloucester, Peterborough and Gloucester, Gloucester and Cardiff, &c. Saturday is generally looked upon as a dull day, but that the interruption occasioned much inconvenience was manifest from the number of inquiries by merchants, stockbrokers, and others at the telegraph stations. The emergency has proved the value of the cross-country service. By great efforts the authorities succeeded by Saturday night in effecting communication with Edinburgh, the messages being first sent to Southampton, then to Bristol, on to Birmingham, and finally despatched from Leeds. The line to each of the places named was distinct, and with some difficulty the circuitous route to Scotland was made by connecting the several wires. By the same means a service was opened to Dublin by way of Bristol, Birmingham, and Chester. The continued service to Hull, though slow, was rather singular. The ordinary wires resting on the arms of the poles had broken down, but where that misfortune happened there was a single wire secure above the poles, and by that business was transacted. Throughout the whole of yesterday gangs of men, instructed by the Post office authorities, were engaged repairing the mischief, and service to some of the interrupted parts has been partially restored. The telegraph wires belonging to the railway companies have also suffered from the effect of the snow-storm. The storm at Rugby on Eriday and Saturday morning made sad havoc with telegraph wires. On Saturday, communication could not be made with any part of England. The railway was the only available means of sending intelligence. Considerable delay was also caused to the passenger trains, greater precautions having to be taken in the working of the traffic.