1957 — Dec 3-5, snowstorms, IN to Northeast, East Coast-New England, esp. PA (11) –32-33

–32-33 Blanchard tally based on reports below.
— >20 Delphos Courant, OH. “Traffic in East Snarled by Storm.” 12-6-1957, p. 1.
— 20 Lowell Sun, MA. “Much of East Hard Hit by Eight to 11-Inch Snowstorm.” 12-5-57, 1.
— 15 3 States. Ada Evening News, OK. “Clear…Cold Weather Replaces Snow…” 12-6-1957, p.1.
— 15 3 States. Charleston Gazette, WV. “Snow Storm Moves to Sea; Death Toll 15.” 12-6-1957, 42.
— 10 Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Record Snow Snarls East Traffic; 10 Dead.” 12-5-1957, 1.
— 10 Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. “10 Die…Storm Lashes Eastern States.” 12-5-1957, 1.
— 10 Sandusky Register, OH. “Seven Die on Slippery Ohio Roads.” 12-4-1957, p. 1.
— 10 Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. “Snowstorm Causes 10 Deaths in East.” 12-5-57, 1.
— >9 The Progress, Clearfield, PA. “Cold Weather” [Cont. from p. 1]. 12-5-1957, p. 8.
— 8 Hamilton Daily News Journal, Fort Hamilton, IN. “8 Deaths…to Snow.” 12-4-1957, 1.

Summary of Snowstorm related Deaths by State

Indiana (3)
Maryland (2)
New Jersey (6)
New York (3)
Ohio (7-8)
Pennsylvania (11)

Breakout of snowstorm related deaths by state and locality, where noted

Indiana (3)
— 1 Brownstown area, Dec 3. State Highway Dept. worker hit by car while sanding icy bridge.
— 1 Fort Wayne. Snow sled goes under the wheels of milk truck; Sheri L. Ulrey, 2.
— 1 New Castle. Car skids on Icy Ind. 3 and hits tree killing Mrs. Russell Slusser, 68.

Maryland (2)
–>2 Traffic accidents caused by icy highways.
— 2 Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. “Icy Highways Still Making Chains Necessary…” 12-6-1957, 2.
–1 Brandywine. Two car collision on slippery road; James Harvey, 57.
–1 Prince Georges Co. Car skids on curve; driver thrown from car; Jesse E. Ellwood, 26.

New Jersey (6)
— 6 Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. “10 Die as Bitter Storm Lashes Eastern States.” 12-5-1957, 1.
— 1 Middletown. Woman slips on ice/falls into path of train pulling into station; Mrs. Sherank.

New York (3)
— 3 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
— 2 Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. “10 Die as Bitter Storm Lashes Eastern States.” 12-5-1957, 1.
— 1 Brooklyn. Apparent heart attack shoveling snow in front of home; Michael Mangano, 49.
— 1 Saw Mill Parkway, Westchester Co. Mario Albano, 50, found dead (heart attack?) in stalled car.
— 1 South Colton area. Exposure? Frozen body of Loren Allen, 60, found in a ditch Dec 5.

Ohio (7-8)
— 8 Hamilton Daily News Journal, Fort Hamilton, IN. “8 Deaths…to Snow.” 12-4-1957, p.1.
— 7 Sandusky Register, OH. “Seven Die on Slippery Ohio Roads.” 12-4-1957, p. 1.
–1 Akron, Dec 3. Train hits car stuck at crossing behind snow-stalled car; William Muto.
–1 Ashland. Three-car crash, Rt. 42 one mile south of Rt. 250; Margaret Kohlmeyer, 45.
–1 Grand Rapids area. Two-car crash; Marguerite Zeck.
–1 Logan area. Truck-car crash on Rt. 68; Gerald Van Keuren, 30.
–2 Upper Sandusky. Car-truck collision, icy road; Clara Sapeth, 69, Miss Minnie Sossong, 65.
–1 West Jefferson area, route 40 east. Car-truck collision; Rev. Fred Conrad Wiegman, 58.

Pennsylvania (11)
–11 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
–>9 Greater Philadelphia area; heart attacks attributed to over-exertion removing snow.
— 8 Eastern PA. UP. “Sunshine in State Comes After Storm.” Altoona Mirror, PA. 12-5-1957, 1.
Breakout of snowstorm related deaths by locality, where noted:
–1 Aldan. Heart attack after shoveling snow around car? Thomas J. Gamble, 67, found in car.
–1 Altoona, central PA. Heart attack after pushing snow-stalled car; Michael Perry, 68.
–1 Bristol Township, near Philadelphia. Collapsed/died after walking a mile through heavy snow.
–1 Butler Valley interchange, PA Turnpike, Pine Township. Hearse skids on icy patch into truck.
–1 Greenville area, Dec 3 evening. Car skids on snowy Rt. 18; George Teterich, 20.
–1 Ligonier, Dec 4. Man killed by skidding car on icy Route 30; Lewis F. Kim, 55.
–1 Philadelphia. Cause of death not noted; body found at wheel of car; Alfred Laule, 57.
–1 Philadelphia. Shoveling snow; Arthur Kates, 71.
–1 Philadelphia. Shoveling snow; Anthony Taurino, 72.
–1 Tacony neighborhood, Philadelphia. Collapsed/died after shoveling snow; Daniel Carson, 52.
–1 West Conshohocken, northwest of Philadelphia. Shoveling snow; John Dobbs, 49.

Narrative Information

Dec 4: “The first general snowstorm to hit the Indiana area this season left a blanket of white across the northern two-thirds of the state yesterday and piled up a snowfall of more than three inches here. City police and the sheriff’s office reported numerous minor accidents in the Anderson area resulting from slick streets and poor visibility. Over the state one death was reported as a result of the storm….

“Dozens of mishaps were reported in slithering traffic, and a child was killed by a delivery truck while playing with a sled in the snow. Sheri L. Ulrey, 2, was crushed under a milk truck’s wheels in a driveway near the Fort Wayne home of her parents….” (Anderson Herald, IN. “Snowstorm Perils Traffic in County.” 12-4-1957, pp. 1, 3.)

Dec 4: “Columbus (AP) — Ohio appeared to have its sudden and surprising snow problems under control today. The weatherman added a note of optimism by saying that there should be very little more snow, except possibly in eastern Ohio, for the next couple of days. But the snow, which came with unexpected intensity Tuesday and in lesser amounts early today, took its toll. Sheriff’s offices, city police and the Ohio Highway Patrol put together the sad story of weather-related fatalities. Slippery roads and streets caused much of the trouble as the death rate shot upward. At least eight deaths could be attributed directly or indirectly to the weather, authorities indicated….

“Downstate, rain and sleet pelted down, while snow in Columbus Tuesday reached almost eight inches — 7.8 inches, heaviest single fall of two winter seasons. To the north, the fall reaches three to six inches.” (Hamilton Daily News Journal, Fort Hamilton, IN. “8 Deaths Attributed to Snow.” 12-4-1957, p1.)

Dec 4: “….Central Ohio was heaviest hit by the Tuesday snowstorm, leaving up to eight inches there, the deepest recorded since November, 1950. Below freezing temperatures today glazed snow-covered roads, adding to driving hazards. Fair skies followed the storm today in Northwest and northern Ohio and was expected to end over the remainder of the state later today.

“One of the traffic fatalities was Rev. Dr. Fred Conrad Wiegman, 58, president of the Ohio Synod, United Lutheran Church in America, who was killed in a car-truck collision on icy Route 40, east of West Jefferson.

“In Akron Tuesday night, a B&O railroad train struck a line of autos at the Wilbeth-road crossing, killing William Terry Muto, whose car was trapped on the tracks behind a stalled car.

“The snow band stretched across central Illinois, and northeastward across Ohio, Pennsylvania and into metropolitan New York. It was the first accumulation of snow this season in New York City. A total of 10 traffic deaths has been reported.

“Today, Bradford, Pa., reported a heavy snow concentration. The snow area spread early today through northern West Virginia, northern Maryland and into New England. A warming trend was to turn the snow to rain this afternoon….

“Other Ohio fatalities included:

“Upper Sandusky: Mrs. Clara Sapeth, 69, and Miss Minnie Sossong, 65, killed in a car-truck collision near here.

“Logan: Gerald Van Keuren, 20, National City, Cal., killed in a truck-car crash on Rt. 68 one mile south of the Logan-Hardinco line.

“Grand Rapids: Marguerite Zeck, killed in two-car crash one mile west of here.

“Ashland: Margaret Kohlmeyer, 45, Houston, Tex., killed in a three-car crash on Rt. 42, one mile south of Rt. 250.” (Sandusky Register, OH. “Seven Die on Slippery Ohio Roads.” 12-4-1957, 1.)

Dec 5: “New York, Dec. 5 (AP) – One of the worst prewinter storms on record moved out to sea today. It left the Middle Atlantic states to dig out from under as much as two feet of snow.

“Fifteen persons died in New York, New Jersey and Maryland, most of them from heart attacks brought on by shoveling snow or battling traffic jams….

“All snowfall records for the date were shattered in some areas during the 25 hours that the storm
raged. It began Tuesday night and ended last night. New York’s 7.3 inches eclipsed a Dec. 4 record of 6½ inches set in 1911. Newark had a record 13.3 inches. Philadelphia got 6 inches downtown and 10 inches in its suburbs. Sections of Virginia had 14 inches and northern Maryland reported two feet of snow. It was the earliest major snowstorm to hit the area since 1953.

“Temperatures were in the 20s during the night in most of the affected area, which extended from Virginia to Connecticut. Strong winds with gusts up to 45 m.p.h. made the cold even more biting.

“Schools remained closed over wide areas of New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Long Island….

“During the night, one jam north of New York extended 13 miles….” (Charleston Gazette, WV. “Snow Storm Moves to Sea; Death Toll 15.” 12-6-1957, p. 42.)

Dec 5: “By United Press. One of the worst snowstorms in recent years moved out to sea today, trailing behind it a mass of cold air that plunged temperatures below freezing in Georgia and Alabama.

“Vast digging-out programs extended from New England to Virginia where the driving snowstorm deposited more than a foot of snow in some spots yesterday. The storm crippled traffic along the Atlantic seaboard, and caused at least 20 deaths in traffic accidents. Blustering eastward from its spawning ground in the midwest, the storm caked Philadelphia with 24-hour blinding flurries, then turned to the north and south where it heaped heavy deposits on New York and Washington, D. C. The U. S. weather bureau said Maryland weathered one of its ‘worst snowstorms in recent years,’ with as much as 10 inches dumped on a Baltimore suburb. Emergency snow plans were thrown into effect in Baltimore proper, as traffic snarled, roads we’re windswept and slippery, and schools closed down….

“Conservative reports from the U. S. weather bureau put in-city deposits in New York city and the nation’s capital at eight inches, 10 inches in Philadelphia suburbs, and 11 inches at Newark, N. J. And where winds piled the snow up in drifts, the figures were much higher.

“The cold Influence of the storm was felt as far south as Florida, and temperatures dropped 23 degrees in Hatteras, N. C….” (Lowell Sun, MA. “Much of East Hard Hit by Eight to 11-Inch Snowstorm.” 12-5-1957, 1.)

Dec 5: “New York (AP) — A bright sun returned today in the wake of yesterday’s early season snowstorm that lashed the east coast from Connecticut to Virginia, causing 10 deaths and snarling transportation….There were record snowfalls in New York and New Jersey, and stinging hard winds piled up huge drifts in spots…The snow measured up to two feet in Maryland. In northern Maine temperatures fell to 10 below zero although the state itself escaped the snowstorm. Winds reached 45 miles an hour. Accidents were numerous and transportation difficulties great yesterday in many places, particularly the heavily populated New York and Philadelphia areas.

“Early today the New York City Sanitation Department, canceling the day off some workers ordinarily would receive, threw an 8,700-man cleanup brigade onto the streets. Through the night snowplows had battled to keep main arteries open. The city received 7.3 inches of snow during a continuous 25-hour fall, topping the 6.5 mark for the date set in 1911. The storm ended at 10:30 o’clock last night. Very seldom is such a storm recorded so early in the season….Abandoned cars dotted the streets….Similar conditions existed in Philadelphia, which measured 6 inches of snow in the city and 10 inches in suburban areas. Many rural and suburban schools were closed.

“The storm center, located off the Delaware coast, veered out to sea last night. But before bowing out, it spread a white blight for hundreds of miles.

“Twelve inches of snow, heaped up by the wind, grounded planes at New York City’s Idlewild Airport, Newark (N.J.) Airport and points in Maryland and Virginia. Loudon County, Va., reported 14 inches. A 2-foot reading was reported in northern Maryland, western Maryland had 10 inches of snow.

“Commuter trains, jammed with extra passengers because of highway hazards, all reported delays. One Pennsylvania Railroad commuter train was 3 hours and 20 minutes late. It stalled in a huge drift in Freehold, N.J. The conductor walked a mile for help while 12 passengers shivered in the single car and waited. Several hundred subway passengers were stranded on a windswept trestle over New York’s Jamaica Bay as trains stalled on an overwater section of track where snow and ice knocked out power. Some passengers had to wait there four hours. Connecticut officials warned motorists to stay off the Merritt Parkway. Pennsylvania completely closed sections of its turnpike. Speed limits on the New Jersey Turnpike and the New York State Thruway were cut from the normal 60 m.p.h. to 35 m.p.h.

“Thousands of autos were stalled throughout the affected region. In Rockland County, N. Y., cars stuck in the snow were backed up as far as seven miles. Westchester County, N.Y., police alone reported 1,000 cars abandoned. Motels and roadside rooming houses were filled by stranded motorists, while thousands of others spent last night in their cars waiting for road crew help. Others left their autos for nearby diners.” (Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. “Snowstorm Causes 10 Deaths in East.” 12-5-1957, 1.)

Dec 6: “An eastern storm that spewed “one of the worst snowstorms in recent years” moved out to sea today, trailing behind it a mass of cold air that plunged temperatures below freezing in Georgia and Alabama. Vast digging-out programs extended from New England to Virginia where the driving snowstorm deposited more than a foot of snow in some spots Wednesday, crippling traffic along the Atlantic Seaboard, and causing at least 20 deaths in traffic wrecks blamed on the storm.” (Delphos Courant, OH. “Traffic in East Snarled by Storm.” 12-6-1957, p. 1.)

Sources

Ada Evening News, OK. “Clear and Cold Weather Replaces Snow over East.” 12-6-1957, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=52480171&sterm

Anderson Herald, IN. “Icy Roads (cont. from p.1).” 12-5-1957, 3. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/anderson-herald-bulletin-dec-05-1957-p-3/

Anderson Herald, IN. “Snowstorm Perils Traffic in County.” 12-4-1957, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=71806950&sterm

Associated Press. “Man Hit by Skidding Car Dies of Injuries.” The Bradford Era, PA. 12-6-1957, p. 1. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bradford-era-dec-06-1957-p-1/

Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Record Snow Snarls East Traffic; 10 Dead.” 12-5-1957, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=44848938&sterm

Charleston Gazette, WV. “Snow Storm Moves to Sea; Death Toll 15.” 12-6-1957, p. 42. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=40657972&sterm

Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. “Icy Highways Still Making Chains Necessary…” 12-6-1957, p.2. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hagerstown-daily-mail-dec-06-1957-p-44/

Delphos Courant, OH. “Traffic in East Snarled by Storm.” 12-6-1957, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=130476461&sterm

Hamilton Daily News Journal, Fort Hamilton, IN. “8 Deaths Attributed to Snow.” 12-4-1957, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=155836728&sterm

Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. “10 Die as Bitter Storm Lashes Eastern States.” 12-5-1957, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=160905430&sterm

Lebanon Daily News, PA. “First Snow of Season Covers County (continued from p.1).” 12-4-1957, p. 1. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lebanon-daily-news-dec-04-1957-p-2/

Lowell Sun, MA. “Much of East Hard Hit by Eight to 11-Inch Snowstorm.” 12-5-1957, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=55265818&sterm

Record-Argus, Greenville, PA. “Ohio Airman Killed in Skidding Accident Near Shenango.” 12-4-1957, p. 1. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/greenville-record-argus-dec-04-1957-p-1/

Sandusky Register, OH. “Seven Die on Slippery Ohio Roads.” 12-4-1957, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=150402984&sterm

Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. “Snowstorm Causes 10 Deaths in East.” 12-5-1957, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=189453168&sterm

The Progress, Clearfield, PA. “Cold Weather” [Cont. from p. 1]. 12-5-1957, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=15297622&sterm

Times Record, Troy, NY. “East Coast Hit by Heavy Snow (continued from p.1).” 12-5-1957, p. 1. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/troy-times-record-dec-05-1957-p-3/

United Press. “Sunshine in State Comes After Storm.” Altoona Mirror, PA. 12-5-1957, p.1. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/altoona-mirror-dec-05-1957-p-1/

Wellsville Daily Reporter, NY. “Missing Man Is Found Frozen to Death in Ditch.” 12-6-1957, p. 1. Accessed 2-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wellsville-daily-reporter-dec-06-1957-p-1/