The New York herald., 1869-01-02
THE STORM.
Remarkable Hail Storm Yesterday-Tnc Con.
dition Of the streets and Ferries.


ditiOn Of the Streets and Ferries.
A storm OF very unusual description visited the
metropolis and adjacent towns on Thursday night,
continuing without intermisson throughout the
whole OF New Years Day and up TO late hour last
night, with probabilities OF lasting until this morn.
ing. The storm unusual in point OF duration,
severity and description, and much anxiety Is felt
lest 1t may prove TO have been very disastrous in Its
effects. Thursday had been an unusually uncom-
Portable, .dirtyr day, and night fell the air which
had been murky, moist and chill, became perceptbly
cooler. Light drzzles OF rain had fallen once or twice
during the afternoon, and about ten O'Clock at nights
chill, fretful rain, accompanied by raw gusty
wind, made the situation anything but agreeable for
such persons had procrastnated the purchases OF
their New Years dinners and gifts. People shrunk
away into their homes from the damp streets and
mistdr1b1lng air; and the great city, that usually
presents a scene of varied enthusiasm, hustle ana
diligence during the waning hours OF the old year.
was a most deserted SO far as its thoroughfares
trlDuted TO those general characterlstcs shop
Keepers, who usually keep the ir places busInes
open until midnight put up their shutters one or
two hours earlier and went home mentally coming
their balance sheets, and retired to awake at the
opening OF another year. lew muIled
loitrrcrs stroed along the Streets with hats
pulled over their br0ws aud hands thru ST
into their pockets looking in vain for the attractions
OF the ideal New YEARS. eve, and camhering indIer
emily into the street cars slouched down into their
seats, gathered the straw around their feel and
soaked drivers and teams, splattered along the
streets at intervals through the Icy susn, and roys
tering voices within the vehicles told OF jewellers
who were determined TO ''do the city, even at the
cost OF the ltlnerant shelters which the Jehus
afforded for compensatory fees The street lamps
lickered and threw dun, quivering shadows
puddes and mud burrows, and the little danes OF the
gaslights shvered and grew FAINT In the bufreting
wind. The night was miserably unpropitious and
omened comfortless morrow.
The first hour OF the dawnng year was greeted by
increasing wind aud cold, and the ridges Of dirt In
no atr q M Wpi ipy avyora onnp
clad In covering OF gstening shin crlsty tee So
II continued until about daybreak, when an In
tenser cold set IN, and the rain, which fall
ing much heavier began to CONCEAL and clatter on
window panes with cheerless rattle, broken only
1e o al nd o wc 81 e
sounds were intended by enterprtsing watchers as
salutations TO the year OF grace 1869. The ram
the house fronts roofs and trckled down rail-
ngs the glacial veneering became gritty and rough
within doors. SIill Increased cold transformed
the sleety rain into hail and the air
ing PARTICLES The wind whirled the Icy showers
with most fantastical inqusltivencss into cracks,
crevces and doorways, ping up little contributions
within half hour the city was clad In sheet OF
WHITE Metropolitans began to stir, and as they
stepped into the streets they pulled their coat col
into the smallest dimensions and essayed sort OF
shuflng dog-trot along the sidewalks through the
storm. Locomotion became, however, question or
probability, TO be determined among the pos
siDtes only by experiment and caution. Tho
Ice on the pavemenis, from the rain OF the pre-
ceding night, was just covered with layer
OF scet, and walking was found to be difficult In
the extreme, owing to the slippery state OF the
ground. The hard halstones slipped under pres
sure Of the foot like lot OF peas. ana had there
been no Ice beneath would have been unsafe enough
for the most sure-iooted. Down came the whizzing
storm for hours drifting Into miniature sle,Jus
everywhere, and occasionally twisting gush OF
wind caught up the accumulation OF hail on the
housetops dashed Il with inatured violence into
the r0adways below and br0omed II IN the faces or
pedestrians. The haiIs0ncs were angular and rregu-
lar In form, and battered with UNPLEASANT siingng
effect upon exposed PORTIONS oI the 'nuinan lace
diyine,n inducing muscular c0nt0rtions anu
gr1ns that seemed more suggestive OF ogrcs
and dd0ierie than any form OF benignlty or
holiday smiles IL was like v0lley OF gim-
lei points set In motion by screw hurricane.
At noon four OF ave inches OF hail lay on the level,
and cmbankments OF treble that depth barred the
streets at intervals. Snow poughs were brought
into requsitlon and the street railways were soon
marked by frozen walls OF puverlzed ice Tor u was
not snow, and did not resemble II excepting IN color
and the mode Of ITS s0idlfcati0n. Double teams
were harnessed 70 the street cars, and, save few
sIeighs. other vehicles were, 'sllke anges visits
few very few) and far between" few stumbling
staggering slipping, heavy treading citizens APP
peared now and then and bravcd the pellet storm
or walk OF few blocks, generally seeking refuge
In the cars when they were convenient; and II is
probable that, considering the proportion OF people
on the streets the city railways received greater
share OF patronage than on any day IN the past
twelve months. Everybody rode who had six cents.
on the fcrryboats passengers huddied into the
cabins end hugged tue steaiR-haAted eeaW ooapys