New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-01

DECEMBER Ice IN APRIL SUSsHrsE.-It is now the
frst iay of April and We are treading upon rather
walking over the ice of Decenbers formation in the
streets of New.York True, the great mass, which in
some streets j. still four feet thick. comes from the
great January snow, beaten and compacted together
BY the many thousand feet, and wagon-wheels and
sleghrunners that have passed over il since it fell,
until now. on the first Of April, men employed
with picks and bsTs quarring solid ice 10 New.fork
streets tia, l. almost as solid the stones Of the
pavement. and much more difficult to move. 1t is
true, where it lies deepest ii has been covered with
an accumulation of coal-ashes and dit, which has
been thrown into the street ever since the fell,
with all the freedom incident 10 lsweSs New-York.
Yet there are many shaded yards and deep recesses
between buildings where the snow can still be found
almost in state OF purity such has been the GOODNESS
of the weather for full three months
For a still longer period we have not had single
shower of melting rair. All that have fallen have
been extremely light, and have generally resulted in
freezing so as to add s TO the OF ice, and
during the last week of March we have had some of
the most uncomfortsby cold days OF the whole year.
The ice in the rivers that has been so troublesome
during the Winter has gone out to sea- and the cold of
last week was not Of long enough continuance to form
a new supply. The East River is open through into
the Sound, and the Hudson up to Permont, and few
miles above, but above the Highlands 1t is still as
firm in mid Winter, and no hopes are entertained OF
the river being open for boats to Albany before the
10th or 5th of April and still later than that for the
Connecticut River.
Fortunately for city and country, the great mass of
in this vicinity has gone off gradually as to be
almost impereeptsble In of the streets beside
those from which it has been carted both snow and
ice have wholly disappeared.
Such streets are now clouded in dust, blown from
three months accumulations of dirt, untouched by
broom hoe of city street cleaners. In such
streets there is nothing to hinder their being
swept and cleaned every day except pretty little
triangular quarrel between the Mayor, Street Com
missioner and "tho People," upon which the Su-
preme Court forbds anybody, unless they intend to
treat said Court with contempt from touching spoon
full of street dirt until the wisdom of said Court finds
out which branch of the City Government is properly
entitled to the dirt Aforesaid.
As to the streets filed with ice this first day of
April, who that knows how city work is done is fool
enough to believe that the city will ever attempt TO
clean them of either dirt iccl And official negli-
gence has allowed il to be covered up with kitchen
garbage that we begin to despair of sun warm
enough to penetrate the filthy mass so as to quety
these miniature mountains of frozen snow by which
alone the superintendent mass is preserved from
putrefaoton.
Such is the condition of New-York City, April l,
1885, Both snow and ice, over three months old are
still lying in streets and yards in most unwelcome
abundance.
Croton water pipes that ceased running in January
are still frozen solid and as in many instances they
are buried four or five feet deep in frozen earth, aud
that il covered other feet deep in ice, the period of
their thawing out seems somewhat remote, particu-
larly since the weather. though in the second month
OF Spring, is anything but Springlke
Yesterday the last day of March, was sunny, but
SO cool that ladies walked upon the sunny side of the
street. close wrapt in the coaks and furs of mdwiner
and gentlemen still paraded their warm wooden shawls
Such the end of Marchlet enter upon All Fools
Day with strong hope that shall not be all fools
if we anticipate a warmer month and a fruitful
Spring, notwithstanding the abundance Of April snow
and ice