Alicia Chen
Alicia was a high school volunteer in the Society's library during Summer 2005

More than 100 years ago, a great storm now referred to as the Blizzard of 1888 and the Great White Hurricane swept along the Atlantic coast of the United States, leaving great destruction in its wake. This catastrophic storm has now become the standard to which all other snowstorms are compared, earning its infamous place in history. In the few days it visited, the Blizzard of 1888 caused immense damage to ships, land, and lives.

If one were to step back in time to the beginning of March in 1888, it would look as if spring was just around the corner. In fact, it was noted by many that the first week of the March was unusually mild. Little did people know that it was only the calm before a great storm. Even on the morning of Sunday, March 11th the temperature was above 50 degrees! The only mar in what promised to be a beautiful spring day was the steady rain.

As the morning progressed to evening, the weather grew steadily worse. This was because two storm systems were colliding and forming what would be known as the Great White Hurricane. A high-pressure, sub-freezing storm system had moved down from the north to hit yet another storm system from the south. This created winds over ninety miles per hour and temperatures near zero; in short, an epic storm.

A.O.H. Grier, the former editor of “Every Evening” newspaper based in Wilmington recalled of that evening, “When I ventured out I found that the storm had assumed blizzard proportions, aggravated by a blinding snow, and that there was no dependable street car service on Front Street.” Another remembered with sly humor of that night, “At 11 pm, the storm swept with an unheard of fury on the guileless, unsuspecting, and unprotected people at the time young men were about to say adieu to the maidens of their choice. They needed no second invitation to come out of the storm and stay till morning by the side of the parlor stove, and ever anon, clasp a reassuring arm around the waist of their beloved.” This observer also dryly noted of this time, “The older folks, who had gone to bed, rocked and rolled in a semi-comatose state and regretted that they had not taken out hurricane insurance.

However, not all of the inhabitants of Delaware could regard this blizzard with the complacency of this humorous observer. The crews of the life-saving stations in Lewes, Cape Henelopen, and Rehoboth Beach continued to go about their daily duties of scouring the coast in search of ships in harm. They knew that their job was even more crucial in dangerous weather such as this snowstorm because such they increased the likelihood of shipwrecks. During this night of March 11th, they found to their horror many ships in distress behind the Delaware Breakwater.

Many of these unfortunately ships, including the schooner, Allie G. Belden, were sailing along the Delaware coast when the downpour of rain first began that morning. To seek shelter from the weather, they were navigated into the Delaware Bay and parked behind the Breakwater as a safety precaution. The sailors on these ships viewed the growing violence of the storm with growing unease and dismay, they were little prepared for a blizzard in March. As the temperatures continued to fall through the night, the ships became coated in deadly sheets of ice. The howling 90 miles-per-hour winds forcibly removed the ships anchors from their resting places at the bottom of the sea and thus slammed the ships violently together, causing much damage and destruction amidst the chaos. The Annual Report of the US Life-Saving Service for 1888 reported of this catastrophe:

The whole fleet [of ships in the Delaware Breakwater] was suddenly thrown into the wildest commotion; chains were sundered, masts shattered, and collision, wreck, and indescribable chaos followed. […] The waters were stirred into turbulence and uproar, which with raging storm-wind, driving and roaring through the pitch-blackness of the night were enough to appall the stoutest heart. The terrified crews on board the vessels had barely time to escape from their berths and scramble on deck or into the rigging for safety. It seems miraculous more lives were not lost.

Meanwhile, back on land, the snowdrifts had reached over ten feet in height and thus effectively blocked all forms of public transport and communication all along the eastern coast. Streetcars and trains were unable to move. The electric, telephone, and telegraph lines were all down. Our indefatigable journalist A.O.H. Grier recalled, “Wilmington, like the rest of the East, was paralyzed, not only that day, the 12th, but also the next day, and the next,” but boasted, “…I managed to get to the office.” These drifts were so high that those standing on the shoveled sidewalk of Market Street in Wilmington could not see the center of the street and those living in rural areas rode on their sleighs right over their fences! There are also stories of a particularly intrepid milkman who was afraid his horse would freeze to death so he “poured half a quart of whiskey down the animal’s throat.” Reports further noted, “It must have upped his horsepower for he went to town in record time despite the drifts.” Some wily businessmen viewed the natural disaster as an impetus for their own financial gain. There are reports of coal barons hiking up the price of their wares by twenty-five cents, sandwich boys selling their ham sandwiches for twenty-five cents that were formerly purchasable by only a nickel, and cabbies charging over fifty dollars, now comparable to six hundred dollars, for a ride!

Life turned relatively back to normal within a week, with all the usual conveniences mostly up again. However, vestiges of the Great White Hurricane still remained. Along the Atlantic coast, over twenty million dollars worth of damages had accumulated due to the storm and over four hundred people were said to be dead. This natural disaster is yet another testament to the awesome, yet frightening power of Mother Nature.

©2002-2005 The Lewes Historical Society