Video: What Famous NY Politician Got Stuck In The 1888 Blizzard?

UNION SQUARE, NY — Think Tuesday's snowfall was bad? It was nothing compared to the blizzard that overtook New York City in 1888, which brought so much snow that a one-time presidential hopeful got stuck in a snowdrift near Union Square.

Roscoe Conkling, a former Republican presidential candidate, got stuck in the snow during the blizzard of 1888. Conkling made the questionable decision to walk through the snowstorm from his Wall Street offices after a cab tried to charge him $50 for the ride to his home. Like a true New Yorker, Conkling scoffed at the price and decided to walk to his home on 25th Street near Madison Square. He made it to Union Square before he got stuck in the snow, where he remained for about 20 minutes, according to the New York Historical Society. He managed to escape the snowdrift, but later collapsed and died about a month later. Conkling was one of 400 to die during the blizzard, which blanketed New York almost exactly 129 years ago, on March 12, 1888, according to the historical society.

Here's the story, told by the New York Historical Society and NYC Media:

You can read more about Conkling's walk home in this WNYC piece.

Lead image via Sarah Kaufman/Patch.