WORST OF CENTURY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1940, Page 5

WORST OF CENTURY

BLIZZARD-IN BRITAIN COUNTRY PARALYSED. UNPRECEDENTED TRAFFIC HOLD-UP. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, February 6. Details up to January 27 show how the worst blizzard of the century blocked 1500 miles of railway, brought down hundreds of miles of wires, snowed up scores of trains, and paralysed Britain from Lands End to John o’ Groats with snowdrifts sometimes 15 feet deep. Snow ploughs, of which 314 were in use, charged frozen snowbanks with four engines behind them and were frequently derailed. The worst block, near Beattock, Scotland, involved six passenger trains, two freight trains, and a newspaper train. Two hundred soldiers and 120 railwaymen dug for hours from the north end to meet 50 soldiers and 120 railwaymen labouring from the south end. , A dozen landslides in various districts created further delays. The Minister of Mines, replying to a question in the House of Commons regarding the recent lack of coal supplies in various areas, said that in such exceptionally severe weather conditions as had been experienced in the last few weeks, nothing would prevent an occurrence of temporary difficulties in distributing coal.

"These difficulties were not due to any shortage of coal, but to the impossibility of moving it, even in some cases where it was already at the depots in the towns where supplies were needed,” he said.