Prince Edward Islanders have seemingly escaped too much in the way of shovelling this winter, 2011/12, despite Old Man Winter's early start with a couple of dumpings in December.
The Guardian in 1905, however, records the challenges caused by snowfall for travel, communication and general state of mind. These short paragraphs complaining of snowfall amounts are found day after day throughout January, February and March, 1905.
Here's an account from mid February, concerning Egan's cutting (the section of railway dug out near Mount Stewart):
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It is hard for any one who has not been over the Island railway during the past week or two to conceive of the great difficulty experienced in opening a way for trains. Many places for hundreds of yards the track is just a narrow passage the width of the snow plough cut through the snow, and this fills in with the slightest drift. The Guardian representative on Saturday had the privilege of seeing Egan's cutting, a few hundred yards to the east of Mount Stewart, which is pronounced the biggest on the eastern line. No one who has not been on the spot can fully realize the work necessary to make a way through the bank. At Loyalist the cutting extends some hundred yards and is almost all the way over the tops of the cars. The snow is packed hard and the engines soon stick thus making shovel work necessary and greatly increasing the labor from what it would be if the snow were light. |
Things were no better to the west of the city:
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Last evening, W.S. Louson arrived in the city shortly after dark having partly walked and partly driven from Hunter River. Mr. Louson, who on Friday walked from Kensington to Bredalbane, on Saturday walked to Hunter River, where he managed to get a team to drive him to the city yesterday. He reports the road is very much drifted and heavy, those driving having to get out and walk parts of the way. Mr. Louson says that from the general opinion gathered from the section men and railway employees, under present conditions the train coming east, which is stuck near Emerald, will hardly reach the city before Thursday night. (note the spelling of Bredalbane!) |
One couldn't get around by rail, but walking wasn't recommended in the completely whitened landscape, either:
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While crossing from Charlottetown to Rocky Point on a few nights ago Wallace Fields of this city lost his way and did not succeed in getting back to the city till the next morning. His feet were badly frozen and amputation may yet be necessary.
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As has ever been the case, though, there is always some old grump who remembers having it worse!
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A RESIDENT of Charlottetown calls attention to the fact that the storms of 1882 were even worse than the present year. At that time it took a week getting from Charlottetown to Summerside by rail and the banks around the city were even worse than the present time. |
