STORM – Snowstorms railways blocked

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn News 07/01/1875

SNOWSTORM IN CLEVELAND
RAILWAYS BLOCKED UP

     A snowstorm of unprecedented violence occurred in many parts of Cleveland on Friday. The morning was comparatively calm, and gave hope to those engaged in outdoor occupations of a favourable change in the weather; but a stiff breeze set in from the west, and increased to quite a gale in the afternoon, causing snow to drift from the hills in dense clouds to the valleys beneath. The roads near Guisborough became impassable, and the 1.45 p.m. train from that place to Middlesbrough had so much difficulty in getting through the snow that it was fully half an hour in reaching Hutton a mile distant. The train reached Middlesbrough shortly after four o’clock, and left at 4.30 p.m. to return to Guisborough, but was brought to a standstill by the snow at Nunthorpe station, and was unable to get through the snow until some hours afterwards.

     The train from Saltburn-by-the-Sea to Darlington was three hours late on Saturday morning, and trains in the opposite direction were delayed about the same time, there being a heavy drift at Masker-by-the-Sea, and one or two more from Preston Junction to Darlington. Railway communication in other parts of the district was also much interrupted. About midnight on Friday a fall of rain occurred and a thaw subsequently set in. The roads and footpaths were very slippery when the snow was melted off, owing to the accumulation of Ice. The thaw has been very rapid, and the snow has now almost entirely disappeared.