"On March 11, 1888, 1 was in West Farms with my wife and 4-year-old son. It started raining in the p. m. so about 8:00 we started for home on the horse car line. When about half way down the Boston Road, the car jumped the track, the driver said if the men folks didn't get out and help he would take the horses and leave us, so after helping to get the car on the track we reached Harlem about 10:00.
"I lived on 84th Street near the East River. It was raining and blowing a perfect hurricane when we reached 84th Street and 3rd Avenue. With me carrying a 4-year-old boy and my wife holding on by my coat tail, we reached home about 11:30. What a Night!
"On Monday morning it was blowing great guns and snowing as I never saw it before or since, when I took the 3rd Avenue Elevated at 7:00. After three trains stopped and wouldn't open the gates to let any more on, I went to the end of the platform and when the next train came along I opened the gate on the last car and got on, but the door was locked and I could not get inside. The train started and I was nearly blown away .... I got off the train at Hanover Square. I was so stiff I could hardly walk. I worked as printer for the American Bank Note Company on Trinity Place. At 2:00 they announced that all transportation was stopped and we could stay there or go home. I started out with two friends. It was easy going at times, because the wind had blown one side of the street clean and piled the snow on the other side over the lamp post tops. But at the intersections the wind was terrific. Crossing Dey Street and Broadway a gust of wind separated us. I went sailing up Broadway and landed against the newsstand at Knox Hat Store, one of my companions landed in the Western Union Building, the other went up Park Row and landed at the old World Building. After getting together again, we had to wait for a lull and then make a dash. Sometimes sprinting with all your might and main you could not make more than ten feet a minute. At Frankfort Street one of the three said, 'Boys, I can't stand it any more. I have an aunt in Cherry Street and I'm going there.' But my other companion and I voted to go ahead.
"There were abandoned wagons and horse cars here and there, and occasionally a frozen horse. At Stuyvesant Street and 3rd Avenue we were picked up by the gate and before we could recover landed at 2nd Avenue and l0th Street. We had to fight our way back to 3rd Avenue. It took us about five hours to work our way uptown to 67th Street where my companion lived. My home was at 84th Street and East End Avenue. That was the hardest part of my journey; all alone and getting dark. When I reached 84th Street the south side of the street was clear, but on the north side the snow was up in some places to the cross piece of the lamp post. When I reached my house the only way I could tell was by the lamp post in front of the door. I had to crawl over the snow to get in."