A Difficult Travel Day in the Longmeadow Area

Unidentified trolly
Date: ~ 1905

The weather on Sunday- January 11, 1903 caused havoc for many people in the Longmeadow, MA area!  Snow began falling in the morning around 11 AM.  By 5 PM there was 2"- 3" of snow on the ground.  Then, there was more challenging weather.  A heavy rain and sleet storm suddenly appeared!  A method of transportation for so many people was taking a "trolly".  The electric trollys were running to stops in Springfield and to nearby towns.  

However, later that afternoon the temperature dropped and water froze on every surface including tree branches, sidewalks and the electric power line wires for the trollys.  A metal "wheel" at the end of a long pole connected the trolly to the overhead wires to supply electrical energy for the trollys.  These trolly wheels were smooth and had a difficult time moving along the ice coated wires.  To remedy this situation the electric current through the power lines was increased in  an attempt to melt the ice but the result was breakage of the power lines in eight different locations.  Loss of power disabled a number of the trollys and they were not able to move!  Repair wagons were sent out and the passengers needed to be helped.

At first reports had come in that broken wires affected 3 trollys.  One was located on the Liberty Street line in Springfield and another was on Springfield's Sumner Avenue line.  The third was on the Longmeadow line and this trolly was stuck on Pecowsic Hill.  Then 2 more trollys were affected in Longmeadow.  One trolly was located near the home of E. S. Brewer on Longmeadow Street (on the Town Green).  The second trolly was "in one of the gullies" in the southern part of town.  Then, more reports came in about broken wires in Springfield.  

Source:  Springfield Daily Republican
Jan. 12, 1903

Fortunately, not all of the trolly cars had been affected.  However, travel was slow for these cars, as described in the newspaper clipping below.

Source:  Springfield Daily Republican
Jan. 12, 1903

Many Springfield area travelers who used the trolly on January 11, 1903 would not forget this experience!  It was a day with snowfall and then heavy rain and sleet fell!  

Source:  Springfield Daily Republican- Jan. 12, 1903.  

~Written by Judy Moran