Storm In Elizabeth City Damages Power LInes, Delays Work on Newspaper, Feb. 27, 1924

Winter’s Worst Visits Best City. . . Most Severe Storm of Season Passing Without Serious Damage and With Only Temporary Inconvenience

Elizabeth City Tuesday night and Wednesday morning was in the grip of the worst storm that has visited this city this winter.

No serious damage has been done so far as reports reaching this newspaper indicate, except damage to stock due to leaking roofs. Roofs that have not leaked since the last big snow were leaking Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, it was reported.

The most serious inconvenience suffered as a result of the storm was the interruption of electric service Wednesday morning. During the night the wind blew the front of the old sheet-iron clad building on North Poindexter street across the high tension wires on that street, and the awning of the M.G. Morrisette Furniture store twisted itself about another wire on the corner of Main and Water streets. At 5 o’clock Wednesday morning sparks were flying and a write was popping off at a great rate at the Morrisette corner. For about two hours the lights flickered on and off, and then went off altogether until 10 o’clock in the morning.

At one time between 5 and 6 o’clock one of the high tension wires crossed a service wire somewhere along the line and consternation reigned in The Advance shop when the linotype motor began to spit and smoke and supper and the heading equipment of the Ludlow Typograph ceased to hum. For a time it was feared that such havoc had been done to its type setting machinery that it would not be possible to get The Advance out Wednesday, but when normal current came back on at 10 o’clock all the electrical equipment except a couple of fuses proved to be in working order.

However, ordinarily The Advance work day begins at 5 o’clock in the morning and, as nothing could be done Tuesday morning until about 11 o’clock, since an hour is required to melt down the metal in the typesetting machines and bring it to a casting temperature, this issue of The Advance has suffered accordingly. The first edition, which must be in the post office in time to catch the rural free delivery carriers’ mail, went out in a four page form.

From the front page of the Elizabeth City Advance, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1924