The New York herald., 1868-03-04

Coidest Day Of tho Senson-The Mercury
Below ZerO-The East River Temporarily
BlOclxaded.
The "oldest inbabtant," that exceedingly mythical
individual ever forcing his shrivelled form the
presence Of his peers when Nature in her wild moods
asserts her supremacy and stand aghast her WILL
for the pleasant purpose OF drawing comparisons be.
tween "auld lang syns" and the present period, was
somewhat bswildered yesterday the severity Of the
rather Alaskan weather. His mouth was sealed as
eectuay as the quiet waters Of the many ponds in
vicinity were bound up In their icy homes and tho old
man. was poweress to explain the character Of tho day
that sent many bedumbed men rocket-liks through
our streets, SO that sdog trots" were more common
than the easy psdestriansm usual with our ctizens
where he failed figures will not. AT four o'clock the
Thermometer marked degree below zero; at seven
Al N. i've degrees above: at twelve O'Clock (noon).
when the sun shone with some little fervor and the
ends Of the huge covering from every roof began
TO melt drop by drop fourteen degrees three O'Clock
In the aernoon tue same but the day began TO dis
appear las all such days Will in their unknown icy future
the scene had again changed. and the little bulb OF
curry denoted only three degrees above. Ugh II was
cold From 'GreenIands icy mountains y came the
clustering, keen wind, laden with cutting edged
all the paraphernaia that poor mortals adopt fight
Stubborn Nature, we're brought into requsition, but
homes vowna sits the coolest they saw" which
was not improbable.
but with the two edged sword OF wind and weather,
another diniculty quite nsurmountable for tho tim
being arose-none less than the suspension Of travel 70
an hour or the East river, between Brooklyn and
this city, The ice which had been floating the
in considerable quantities., began to increase early In
the morning shortly after ten o'clock the flood tide
was setting n eliminating disasrously about hafpas
one O'Clock when from the bay unbroken field made
It's way up tho river, stretching its wide, white arms
from shore 70 shore, carrying feyboas and augh else
IN its runous path. Unfortunately the Staten Island
ferryboat Mddietown in its conquerng path, and
II was driven, contrary to the views wishes of the
vany endeavorng to keep warm IN the Keen wind 70
position almost opposite Fulton ferry slip, New York
side. Communication was stopped for an hour as this
whte Held OF Ice some ten or twelve inches thick,
lodged from point hundred yards above Catharine
ferry below to the Fulton ferry, but ever
and anon swinging in the little channel on eithcr
sde seemingly bent rendering all the trouble and de-
tention possible to the cold fingered cold eared cold
toed and cold nosed thousands tnat ran in
from boat to boat from ferry to ferry seeking and
relief but finding none. II IS long lane without any
turning and thus proved this impedment to naviga-
ton as shortly after two o'clock the Stonngton boat
Narraganse delayed In coming through the Sound the
night BEFORE sped down the river under full head Of
pilots the largest that had been seen in tho river for
seventeen years severing II in twain as a cleaver
would divide an apple; and when the channel had
been made the edges OF the divided fed cracked
gave way, and the mass slowly moved seaward The
trouble over, and delighted thousands crowded the
ferry boats that had remained In their slips, with
'banked fires, for hour and the stoica pilots had
nervous, anxious loads OF human freight for Iuly two
hours Afterwards But soon the tide began to ebb and
further TO the carried the enormous fields Of
the Ice Kings production, and through the evening all
the ferries were. with but little detention, making their
usual trips At ten o'clock last night the river pre-
sented strange. weird aspect. The moons
cheeress rays shed down upon the crushed
cakes Of floating &C., and far the eye could
rcach looking towards the gates Of the ocean, naught
but the cold glance OF the full orb above reflected
upon tho ice save here aud there the red and green
lights from Wall, South Fulton ferry boat inter-
mingled their varied lights making the aspect still
more weird, still more cneeress suggesting many
pleasant thoughts. Trouble Is anticipated this morning
upon the usual recurrence OF the food tide.