Posted inDaily News Local Histories

Baltimore Fights Big Snowstorm

Other Maryland Cities, Including Rockville, Suffer Tie-Ups

Snowball fight at the US Capitol, 1925. Image source: Library of Congress

BALTIMORE, Md., January 2.—Almost complete paralysis of local transportation facilities marked the opening of Baltimore’s business hours today, due to snow which began falling last night and was continuing heavily this forenoon.

Stores, offices and manufacturing plants reported insufficient arrivals of workers to permit of even a semblance of ordinary operation.

The railroads reported no serious delays to either suburban or through trains north and south, as yet.

Posted inMaritime & Naval History US Civil War

January 2, 1862 – The Mortar Fleet

Sailors standing by the 13-inch mortar on a Union mortar boat.

The principal naval recruiting in New York, at present, is for Commodore Porter’s mortar fleet. The two rendezvous are thronged with brawny sailors of all nations, but chiefly Americans. Applicants seems to be attracted, rather than repelled, by the prospect of hazardous service. Every kind of sea-going talent is wanted for this expedition, and a sailor can obtain the position of master’s mate, gunner’s mate, seamen or ordinary seamen, just according to his qualifications.