The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-13
The SNOW STORM.
The Streets Blockaded Travel Impeded-
Detention of the Mails-The City
Cars and Ferries Run
ming Irregularly.

The first severe sno storm OF the season this
ton OF the country occurred yesterday BY il %
TO be understood one OF those peculiar. biting drifting
akey northeastes with which teat portion Of the globe
known - tho sIsland OF Manhattan" was wont 10 be
favored in 'ye merrie olden TYNE" Every Intelligent
Gothamite Is OF the fact, that within the past
month"; three or four vain end eavors were made to get
up snow Storm but all Of them proved 20 be nothing but
abortive attempts ana il was not until the tact dawned
upon us with tho OF yesterday that was fully
realized that old fashioned was AZ hand Those
OF our citizens who had retired to resi- with the moons
delquescent light struggling through clouds thai were
almost Opaque awoko in the ruing to md
terrible storm racing and the feathery masses piled
high up against the doorway while the whistIing wind
pped merrily and sang howed through every chnk
and crevce as the flakes danced against the wia
dow PAGES, aud told in unmisakabie language that the
way 70 business seriously ppeded with banks Of
driftod snow, shaped by tho wind into huge frozen
boudea To just about third OF the good people OF
this metropolis this fall Of snow came as blessing,
browning their expectancy with bright visions
OF the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of strings OF silver and merry
seighing parties while the other twothrds Il brought
nothing but papable misery, and suffering
the skating season, which had just commenced
at some OF tho ponds, brought TO an
aOrupt ctOsci Dnt the prOspect OF GOOD sioign
ing fully recomponsed for the disappointment in
this quarter and little scboolboys shouted with
glee 1T SHOWS snowsi" the lively imaginings Of
holly contested battle helds-o be fought with
milton OF Arctic coldness-loomed up in the distance.
ut SHOWS Great heaven 1t snowsi exclaimed tho
poor also no stood sbverng and shaking at his
door, and tho unwelcome truth forced itself upon him
that ne had neither fire. tho wherewith to purchase
fuel until he had earned H. and every seam crack and
hole In his boots letting in water than the leather
could keep out and his thrsadbare coat being but
apology for covering to keep his great heart warm
COMMENCED.
Tho presasng signs OF tho atmosphere had been for
some time previous pointing Individually 10 an i'm
minent storm; but IL held up nicely until eleven
o'clock Wednesday evening. at which time ii nrst
commenced falling fine little flakes, not much larger
than the head of pin Those but the harbingers
or OF tho muttudinous host that
soon to follow and pour down upon US so ptlessy and
necessarily tweny-four hours. At one O'Clock the
ground just barely covered with the eecy drapery
that like rich mantle thrown the shoulders of
and changed the vista OF dirty. dusty streets and
heaps Of refuse into boundiess cxpanso
wind was blowing lightly from tho northeast the
At the time continuing 10 fall steadily bus
gently, and the themome,er standing a. thirty 1--we de.
daylight yesterday morning, when percepuble change
was observable. AZ eight O'Clock the mercury had
fallen TO seventeen degrees and before eleven o'clock
the wind had increased 10 perfect gale The Snow
King ruled with severity throughout the day. and made
young and old alike skip rather lively before him, or
caused them hang their heads in bitter huma-
ton when advancing toward him. As the day wore on
me sse ana 20
seemed though the storm had gathered strength
aud vgor for that time the snow vas driven down in
binding showers and the storm was raging furiousy,
while travel on the various ferries omnibus lines aud
city railroads had greatly inerfered with At six
O'Clock last evening the 10 level places that wefe
sheltered from the wind had reached depth OF over
nine inches. The snow was dry and light and, with
colo driving wind penetrating every nook ana corner
impossibilty.
Most OF the ferryboats made their regular trips dur
ing the day. but ater dark navigation was some what
diincut. Travel greatly mpeded and the tide
being very high, but WITH the greatest difficulty
that teams could get their heavy loads board the
boatA During tbs evening the boats compelled to
cautiously blowing their Whistles and reducing their
speed materially Tho fog bells, indicating the slips
either SIDE kept Dng and every possible precau
waves S1 rolling in from the ses-iher white caps"
shouIdering and topping over zach other a. though
darker walers--made the bay and North river very
rough, and caused OF the fra ferryboats to roll
with an alarming tendency 70 keel over from port 70
The Jersey CITY beats ran on time during the day. a.
did also the Fulton, south BROOKLYN Hobokea and
Williamsburg boats but aftcr night set IN they only
made semi-occasional trips Tue staten Island ferry
boats bad hard time OF IT. The last boat that went TO
winch should have sailed al hvo O'Clock did not leave
the slip un quarter to SIX and after making about two
thirds 81 distance Obliged to return TO the city
Mr. John A. sharp, passenger on the boat makes
the following statement OF
THE LAST "TRIP or ISLAND rERaYnoAT
We left New York nj quarter 10 six O'clock taking
out si the Ave O'Clock passengers, and making In
all about twelve hundred people When We got away
from the slip discovered that there were lights
board the boat the gas being frozen; but why the oil
araps not nosted on the stats fore and at VIC
could not learn Tho company should be held amenable
to the law daring 10 sail their vessels without these
lights. A gentleman on board luckily had candle with
him and this he GIFTED and placed 10 tho ladies' cabin.
The pilot also had a lamp 70 enable him 10 see his
compass, and these the only lights on board
the boat After proceeding about two-thirds OF
the way down tho bay, with the sea rolling
steamer creskIng fearfuiy, our rudder broke, and
the pilot then shifted the rudder pin to the other end OF
the boat and headed New York. All this tune
dark Erebus board the boat, not single light
he she would never soc land again After floating
around at the merry % the waves for long tnie
happily the New York shore, but were IL not for
the passengers stood Upon the deck in the u.
rious storm we should have been run INTO ~ one of
the south ferry boats and many lives would have been
lost We wers all safely landed at tho wharf Of tho
hsrbor pel,cs boai, hours spent In trying
reach apd returned thanks Tor our provden
tai escape from wacry grave and procured lodgings
elsewhere. some OF the passengers subsequently held
an indignation meeting al which the ferry company
severely for thus jcopardzng the lives OF their
passengers by neggenty attempting 10 run their boats
without the proper lights.
ferry making her ten O'Clock trip from Brooklyn
sho foul OF largo lying 81 the end 81 the Fulton
ferry slip, carrying away by the collision portion o.
her profncr deck The ship sustained injury and
the Jerry continued her trips throughout the gh
GREAT Inns 90 TRAVEL
The trains from Philadelphia arrived on time. They
n.s %; % 'n The
ming OF tho traA The Erie, Hudson River. Harlem