EXTRAORDINARY SNOWSTORM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 356, 24 February 1881, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY SNOWSTORM.

| By a snowstorm of exceptional severity, which commenced in the north of Scotland on Christmas Eve and continued until Christmas Day, traffic on several of the railways was brought to a com- | plete standstill. Engine drivers and guards say they never experienced such tremendous drifting. By using heavy snow-ploughs the Perth section of the Highland Railway was kept clear, although the trains were considerably benind time, ; but on the Caithness line there was a complete congestion of traffic. One train was blocked for ten hoqrs. The roads to Braemar were blocked by enormous wreaths, and communication with the Lowlands was meantime suspended. On the Caledonian line between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk « snow-plough and two engines were kept running, and m this way the rails were prevented from being completely blocked ; but so violent was the drifting that all trains were delayed for a longer or shorter period. On the Peeside a train got quite imbedded a -few miles from Aberdeen, and all the efforts of a large squid vtere unable to relieve it. As may be supposed the passengers were greatly disconcerted. Between Aberdeen and Keith the line was kept open with the greatest difficulty, trains being very late. By evening the communication ceased.