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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22,1*7*

And It Snowed, And It

By Sam Abel . It snowed. And snowed, and snowed. By Monday morning Cape May County was pushed back from the twentieth century into say. midninteenth century with no electricity. no television and believe it or not, no radio. All the day-to-day billions upon billions of snowflakes. Soon the people in Avalon, Stone Harbor, The Cape Mays. Ocean City, Villas, The Wildwoods. Middle Township and Lower Township were subjugated by the Great Blizzard of February 1979. ' We stayed intently by the police scanner and from that little radio came most of the information contained in this report. There was little else to do here in Middle Township. Police dispatchers were perhaps some of the insung heros of this white mes;, staying by their consoles for long periods of time answering all sorts of emergency calls and trying vainly to make sense out of the entire thing.

Soon, police in all the areas of Cape May County found that their patrol cars were becoming of less and less value as the snow piled up and highways grew worse and worse. Mid-morning on Monday, Calls were sent to all volunteers having four wheel drive vehicles to come to local police stations to assist in evacuations of the sick and helpless. Telephone lines were open for the most part, with limited waiting periods for dial tones, at least here in Middle Township. Other portions of the county may not have been so lucky; but judging from the information received via the police scanner, nearly everyone had some telephone service. Interestingly enough, the Stone Harbor police dispatcher was getting a great number of calls from northern areas, such as Washington Township asking about the health and welfare of elderly people living almost everywhere but in the Borough. Calls were transferred to

Snowed, Lower Township where, in due time, police armed with four wheeled drive vehicles, investigated each report. Electric was one of the things most people were without, at least for portions of Monday and Tuesday. Atlantic Electric Company crews worked around the dock with reinforcements being brought in from Cumberland and Salem Counties where, apparently, the storm was less severe. Parts of Cape May Court House, Whitesboro and Lower Township were still without power on Tuesday. Frozen tree limbs falling on utility wires were responsible for the outrages of many residences even after power was restored. For those who had electricity, there was little to do for entertainment save watching the snow fall and listening to out-of-county radio stations for a portion of time on Monday. The Wildwood radio station was off the air because of the power failure Monday, but resumed broadcasting when

And It Snowed...

by Warner Cable Company of Avalon. They suffered their

electricity was restored to Wildwood. The Avalon-Swainton radio station was one of the first Cape May County radio stations back on the air Monday afternoon on limited power with a changed format but broadcasting information about school closings and other storm related information. Bill Huff perhaps set a record when he was stranded at that radio station for 27Mt hours. During that time the disc jockey continued to tell Cape May County people information even though he was without food or sleep. According to reports from the Atlantic Electric Company over 600 people or over one-third of the work force of the company, was .engaged in helping to gdt power 'restored. By evening on Tuesday the electric company was attempting to have power restored to the hardest hit areas of Cape May Court House and Villas. Cable television was completely wiped out along the route served

outage when ten utility poles along the Avalon Boulevard were snapped off like tooth picks. Additionally, customers of Teleprompter Cable Television from Wildwood were without service, and could see snow on their sets as well as out their windows. Volunteers of all area fire companies were summoned to their fire stations early Monday morning because reports from the National Weather Service and the Cape May County Civil Defense were calling for severe storm conditions. Cape May Point firemen were asked to come immediately if they could or, if they couldn't, to call the fire house and four w heel drive information could be provided. The Point firemen were in the company of firemen from Green Creek Goshen, Villas. Town Bank, Cape May Court House and everywhere else in the county. (Continued on Page 3)

Main Street In Court House

An llnbusy Corner In Avalon

The Storm's Fury Also Wrought Its Share Of Beauty. The Wetlands Took On The Character Of A Beautiful, Otherworldly Wasteland

CARS MAY COUNTY

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Our Thirteenth Year Sanrlwf Cmpm May County r.O. Box O 37(9 Dun* Drive Avalon, N.J. (MM Phono M7-Ufl - w-rm Publlihvd Ivory Thurtdoy (y tho Soowavo Corporation Dorroll Kopp Mitor mn4 PuMlihor HI Ihormon (oortt Editor J. A. Cunningham Faoturo Writer Crow* Feature Writer Peter Dunne Column lit Churlo* P. Lomey Columnltt CW Yl Crow. Graphics Contributor Ooll Corine Advertising Graphic News A Photo* Monday-3 p.m. Advertising Spate Reservation Monday-3 p.m. Advertising Copy Tuesday-Noon Classified Advertising Tuesday - Noon Subscriptions — (7.N PER YEAR Nelthor participating advertisers nor tho publishers of tho HIRALD will bo responsible or liable for misinformation. -■ ■— typographical urrors, etc., In any Iseue. Tho editor reserve* tho right to edit any letter or articles submitted for publication.