New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-03
CIT Y I TIE " s.

CITY ITEM s.
Spring arrived Saturday morning, and, in the
word. Of the almanac " about these days look in the
country papers for Bryant's poem The Stormy
March has come at last" The day was typisa!
and characteristic of the most besterous and disagree
able month Of the year. srhe sunrise was that Of
May; the early morning fair specimen of latter
April; the midday ftfu and uncertain as November
the afternoon full of driving that seemed con-
nuation of the great storm Of January; the evening
snowy blowy, thawy, sloppy, and otherwise the in-
carnaton OF bad weather; and the whole day
Of those never in any other month than March.
Yesterday morning the Sierra Nevada of Broadway,
newly whitened with the snow, fairly represented
birdseye view Of the Andes, figure made more real
az the sun rays erected innumersbe rivers along the
slopes which combine to form Anazons and La Piatas
in the trimming cutters either side. But for the
additional snow the streets yesterday might have
been passable; but the half melted sposh which COW
cred the pavemens 10 the depth OF two or three
inches wa too formidable for any not driven forth
by some relentless necessity Yet the sun was warm
ard The air toerably mild, except where chilled by
our street mountains of snow; and were these noun.
taiDs removed, as they should have been month
ago, we might-without doing very great violence to
the factS-chrOnicle the opening OF Spring.
But whether the weather be fair weather or no,
some of the fruits of Spring will be in full perfection
this week The goddess of Fashion, the only divinity
universally worshiped in New-iork, will certainly
arrive, whether escorted by Flora or Boreas. Her
times and certain, and her rules as rgor
Gus a. those of Fate. The man or woman who dares
70 appear on Broadway the day after her advent, in
the apparel of last month, il a marked individual and
nay expect any number of hard looks and cold
shoulders from the butterfly throng who sacrifice com
fort aud Of en- health and life at the shrine othe gay
GOODIES Already her priests aud pressesses are pre-
pairing be. way, and the grand opening day of the
Spring Fashions an event not inferior in importance
to Presidential lnauguration-is close at hand; al
ready the myriads who look to that day as The day of
the year are txtemporizng litany: " From rain,
" from snow, from bleak winds and foul streets, o
"propitou. godde-- deliver Us"
THR FRozES CROTOs PIPFs-DEPrH OF THy
F.osr.-The depth to which the frost has penetrated
the earth here in this city, II almost beyond be-
Ief-in fact !, quite We presume that very few
pelsons have any idea that the waterppes are frozen
I'D four feet below the surface, and that all the
superncumbent of earth IL cold and "a hard as
an iceberg. Yet that ia rue-we can believe it, be-
cause W. have proved the fact. We measured yester
day in an excavation the east side Of north and
south street near Broadway above Canal, the depth
Of the frost. The Croon water lead pipe was frozen
eOld four feet below the undeside Of the hag-sone,
and the earth from two to four inches lower, making
total depth q four feet six inches OF frozen earth,
which i, composed Of mass Of clayey loan, gravel
and pebble stones, very compact. The plumber
who opened the above excavation assures u. that be
finds the pipes frozen at the same depth in various
parts Of the city. In place in Thirty fifth street
he had TO build large fire on one of the iron branch
pipes, after taking off four feet Of frozen earth.
Never since the CrOton water introduced INTO
the city Las there been as much difficulty now with
frozen pipes. The water is stopped in hundreds OF
hoLes 70 the very serious Inconvenience OF the occu-
pants, who waiting anxiously for warm day to
~ the stream running again. What effect will a
dozen warm days have upon the pipes rmbeded IN
fiozen earth four feet deep Some Of them will not
thaw cat in month. Rather cold comfort, to be sure,
for parched man waiting for drink. but we cannot
help IL that the depth Of the frosto'er four feet
by our actual measurement.
What ar We 10 do for water" is The almost uni
yersaI question. We can only answer, wait patiently.
June will in time and that viii surely bring the
water-proVided the pipes not burst. Many. per
hap the majority have frozen up and stopped since
TIE weather has grown mild, and people have neg
lected to keep the water running, thinking the danger
al over II will not start again until there = long
tenn of thaving weather
What remedy for the difficulty can the Croton De
psrmeDt apply before another Winter IL would be
Herculeanta task to take up ell the pipes and aythem
beow the frost limit which must be fixed hereafter IN
this ctya five feet. Is there not some other remedy
What would i cost during such a freezing term to
shut of the water al the reservoir every night, snd
inject the pipes full Of steam until al the remaining
water Wa raised aboy. the freezing point 1t GER
tain!y would not be very costly or troublesome job
10 10 the water that il would rot freeze, even
while running in pipes imbedded in frozen earth be
cause a very slight stream left running during the
night has kept the pipe open in many places where
the earth s frozen solid all around them.
The subject s one in which ell our citizens are
deeply interested, and one which shoud r-ceive the
immediate attention OF the Croton Department. It IL
even worthy consideration whether the ppe@ cannot
al be ha~ed out by steam thus saving Tie eo-of-
Eou- expense OF the work in progress Ot olggnS
down Il. each house and thswng them by bre or boil
inz water. Besde.. what blessing II vonia b. 70
many poor fames TO b. restored at onfe to The ben-
f:s Of cOpous streams Of pure wster.
Let u have .hsN BY steam.
Tbs March Session Of the Common Como VII "
comnenred tbs eSenng The subject OF the ptop"Seo
CITY Hal p.ans Is promised 1t was setIied IN the
T,rnunox II Al Aloud - erected