How the 'Great White Hurricane' of 1888 changed New York City and Boston forever

136 years ago this week, a blizzard shut down travel and communication in New England, leading to major decisions in both sectors of business.

The Northeast is no stranger to big winter storms today, but when an unprecedented blizzard hit New England 136 years ago this week, residents were caught unprepared, and the repercussions were dire.

The Blizzard of 1888, also known as the "Great White Hurricane," was one of the worst winter storms in American history. A total of 58 inches of snow fell at Saratoga Springs, New York, with more than 50 inches over large portions of eastern New York, Connecticut and southern Vermont.

Almost a quarter of the United States' population lived in New England at the time and didn't have modern technology, communication, or medical services. As a result, 400 people perished from the storm, 100 at sea when 200 ships sank, and 200 from a cold blast in New York City following the blizzard. Temperatures fell as low as 6 degrees Fahrenheit at Central Park.

The three-day snow total recorded at Central Park was only 21 inches but was over 30 inches in Brooklyn, where hurricane-force winds piled the snow into drifts that were as high as 52 feet. The 1888 blizzard remained the largest snowstorm in the city until that record was broken on Dec. 26-27, 1947, when 26.4 inches was recorded.

The New York Stock Exchange was closed for two days, a weather-related delay that wouldn't be repeated until Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

In a newspaper article headlined "New York helpless in a tornado of wind and snow which paralyzed all industry," the New York Times reported, "The milkmen, in fact, were in many cases unable to get any milk at the stations on account of the non-arrival of the trains; the news vendors did not have the morning papers at the houses, and the bakers failed to come round with the morning rolls."

"The streets were almost impassable to men or horses by reason of the huge masses of drifting snow; the electric wires - telegraph and telephone -- connecting spots in the city or opening communication while places outside were nearly all broken," the paper wrote.

The storm led to permanent changes in travel and utilities in the region. Because of the extreme disruption in streets and elevated trains, the storm helped lead to the creation of a subway system in both New York City and Boston. After the storm, utility companies began to bury electric and telegraph lines in New York City and other parts of New England to avoid future losses.

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