1935 – Feb 22-23, Winter Storm, Snow, Sleet, North East U.S., esp. NY, NJ, PA –10-13
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 12-8-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–10-13 Blanchard tally from State breakouts from newspaper reports.
— >10 New York Times. “10 Die as Storms Lash the East; Many Hurt…Here.” 2-24-1935, p. 1.
— 10 Waterloo Daily Courier (IA). “10 Dead in Eastern Storms,” February 24, 1935, p. 1.
New Jersey ( 4)
–4 Syracuse Herald, NY. “Seven Killed, Roads Blocked in Three States by Storm…” 2-23-1935, p. 6.
–3 Waterloo Daily Courier (IA). “10 Dead in Eastern Storms,” February 24, 1935, p. 1.
New York (4-6)
–4 Waterloo Daily Courier (IA). “10 Dead in Eastern Storms,” February 24, 1935, p. 1.
–2 New York City
–2 Upstate New York
–1 Albany. Newsboy struck by auto; Donald J. Smith, 14.[1]
–1 Albany-Schenectady highway. Car collides with trailer truck in storm; Walter V. Johnson, 29.[2]
–1 East Syracuse. Heart attack shoveling snow; Charles E. Peck.[3]
–2 New York City. NYT. “10 Die as Storms Lash the East; Many Hurt…Here.” 2-24-1935, p.1.[4]
–1 Rotterdam. Unnamed newsboy delivering papers struck by automobile.[5]
Pennsylvania ( 3)
–3 Waterloo Daily Courier, IA. “10 Dead in Eastern Storms,” 2-24-1935, p. 1.
–1 Pittsburg. Heart attack from over-exertion shoveling snow; James P. Murphy, 60.[6]
–1 Pittsburg. Snow sled skids into truck; James O. Lascek, 8.[7]
–1 Reading. Suffocation; coal gas from kitchen stove during storm; Mrs. Savilla Derr, 65.[8]
Narrative Information
Feb 23, Syracuse Herald, NY: “At least seven lives were lost, hundreds of bus passengers and motorists were marooned all night and highway traffic all over upstate New York, New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania was halted or slowed up by a storm of blizzard proportions which swept from the South Friday night. The storm gave Syracuse its heaviest snowfall of the winter.
“Fatality reports, all due to the storm’s blinding of drivers, included:
Walter V. Johnson, 29, of Rensselaer, chairman of the Rensselaer Democratic Committee and widely known in New York State Democratic circles, killed instantly when his automobile collided with a trailer truck in the storm on the Albany-Schenectady highway.
Donald J. Smith, 14, a newsboy, struck by an auto in the street in Albany as he was delivering papers.
An unnamed newsboy at Rotterdam, struck by an automobile as he was delivering his papers.
Four persons killed in Jew Jersey traffic accidents due to the storm, according to the Associated press
“Little hope that the snow would stop falling before Saturday night was held out by the Syracuse Weather Bureau, which reported storm conditions rampant over the country east of the Great Lakes. More snow was predicted for Saturday night.
….
“The Greyhound bus station at Blairsville, Pa., said today that one-way traffic had been established on snow-blocked Pennview Mountain and that buses and automobiles, snow-bound all night were slowly descending the long grade. Four buses and about 100 motor cars had been stalled on the mountain by 10-foot snowdrifts. Many of the travelers were sheltered in the Pennview Inn on top of the mountain although some bus passengers stayed in comfort inside the big vehicles. A three-foot snowfall, accompanied by a 36-mile wind, caused the blockade, which began at 7 o’clock last night. ‘It’s not the snow so much that caused all the trouble but the sleet and rain with it that clung to the cars and buses,’ a bus driver said. The State Highway Department sent hundreds of men with plows to help clear the highway.
“The Indiana-Blairsville train could not get out of Indiana [PA] until an additional engine arrived from Blairsville to help clear the right-of-way.
“Punxsutawney reported 18 inches of snow, the heaviest fall in 50 years.
“Binghamton had 10 inches of snow and Albany had five inches. Temperatures in upstate sections were about normal, although Owls Head had a reading of 10 below zero Friday night, and Malone 4 below.
“The Syracuse Department of Public Works met the emergency by sending out a crew of 100 men Friday night and Saturday morning to clear streets in the downtown section. Plows were dispatched to the outlying districts shortly before noon.
….
“Travelers coming into Syracuse Saturday morning reported heavy snow was encountered all the way from Boston….” (Syracuse Herald, NY. “Seven Killed, Roads Blocked in Three States by Storm; Bus Passengers Marooned.” 2-23-1935, p. 6.)
Feb 24, Waterloo Daily Courier, IA: “At least 10 deaths were counted in the east during the 24 hours ending Saturday night [Feb 23] as a result of snow, hail and sleet. The slick highways caused numerous fractures, sprains, and other injuries….Most of the deaths in the east were attributed to highway accidents. There were three each in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, two in New York City and two in upstate New York.” (Waterloo Daily Courier (IA). “10 Dead in Eastern Storms,” February 24, 1935, p. 1.)
Sources
Lock Haven Express, PA. “City Blanketed With Snow, Storm Over Entire State.” 2-23-1935, p. 1. Accessed 12-8-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lock-haven-express-feb-23-1935-p-1/
New York Times. “10 Die as Storms Lash the East; Many Hurt…Here.” 2-24-1935, p. 1. Accessed 12-8-2024 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1935/02/24/93454625.html?pageNumber=1
Record-Argus, Greenville, PA. “Heavy Snow, Ice Menace in State.” 2-23-1935, p. 1. Accessed 12-8-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/greenville-record-argus-feb-23-1935-p-1/
Syracuse Herald, NY. “Seven Killed, Roads Blocked in Three States by Storm; Bus Passengers Marooned.” 2-23-1935, p. 6. Accessed 12-8-2024 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-feb-23-1935-p-6/
Syracuse Herald, NY. “Snow Shoveler Dies of Over-Exertion.” 2-24-1935, p. 12. Accessed 12-8-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-feb-24-1935-p-12/
Waterloo Daily Courier, IA. “10 Dead in Eastern Storms.” 2-24-1935, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=93993243
[1] Syracuse Herald, NY. “Seven Killed, Roads Blocked in Three States by Storm…” 2-23-1935, p. 6.
[2] Syracuse Herald, NY. “Seven Killed, Roads Blocked in Three States by Storm…” 2-23-1935, p. 6.
[3] Syracuse Herald, NY. “Snow Shoveler Dies of Over-Exertion.” 2-24-1935, p. 12.
[4] “At least ten deaths were counted in the East in the twenty-four hours ending last night. Two of these occurred here Friday night.
[5] Syracuse Herald, NY. “Seven Killed, Roads Blocked in Three States by Storm…” 2-23-1935, p. 6.
[6] Record-Argus, Greenville, PA. “Heavy Snow, Ice Menace in State.” 2-23-1935, p. 1.
[7] Record-Argus, Greenville, PA. “Heavy Snow, Ice Menace in State.” 2-23-1935, p. 1.
[8] Lock Haven Express, PA. “City Blanketed With Snow, Storm Over Entire State.” 2-23-1935, p. 1.