Manhattan: New Street - Wall Street
WATCH RELEASE DATE Wide World Photo: Please Watch Credit Main Caption for Pictures #829148, #829151 and #796402 NEW YORK CITY FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT BLIZZARD New York, N.Y. - Fifty years ago on March 13 New York was paralyzed by the worst storm in its history--the blizzard of '88. It had snowed steadily for twenty-four hours on March 12, and the snow continued to fall on the 13th, while the temperature dropped to four degrees below zero and the wind rose to a velocity of eighty-four miles an hour. It was estimated that the storm took a toll of 400 lives and $20,000,000 in property damage. The complex life of the city was at a complete standstill for two days. Thawing temperatures on March 14 aided in the slow task of digging out, which continued for several days. There were countless freak consequences of the storm, such as the sending of messages from Boston to New York by way of London, because all land telegraph service was disrupted, but the submarine cables were undisturbed. The average fall of snow was three feet four inches, but the high winds piled the drifts up to second-story window levels in many places. Three scenes from the blizzard are sent you. H-3/9/38 (S) (Special feature layout for release March 13) Wide World Photo: Please Watch Credit 829148 - Please See Main Caption Above NEW YORK CITY FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT BLIZZARD New York, N.Y. - This photograph was taken after the storm had subsided and shows New Street, looking toward Wall Street. H-3/9/38 (S)
Photo from the New York Public Library - Milstein Collection
