The New York herald., 1872-12-28
The Grand Assault ON the SaOw
Blockade in the City.
Embankments Hundreds Of Miles
Long Thrown Up.
How the Banditti Sh0vellers
Did Their Work.
THE GREAT SlElCHING SEASON BEGUN.
A Bitter. Day and a SLIM
Display.
"OUT ON THE ROAD"
Scenes Along the Route to McCombs Dam
Bridge and Fordham- Blue Noses
in Abundance.
COMING HONE AFTER sUNDOwN.
Sketches of Character.
and Scenery.

| and scenery.
II is tho cod indisputable fact that the grandest
exhibition OF snow New Workers have Witnessed
| for many years was that which nature laid at our
| ieet yesterday morning. 1t was Q cheerful and
glorious spectacle and, save people afflicted with
bunons and dyspe psia, all else gave it royal well
come. Even the 'Italian bandittir from "the
passes Of the Apennines" hailed It's appearance
with Joy. The first honest penny these
afflicted fugitives have yet earned In the
land OF the free came to them yesterday
through means OF the beautiful snow. Every
mothers son OF them able and willing to handle
shovel de as much for half q days work as he
might expect to get for u months labor in the
lard Of his fathers Tho lamps were still lighting
In the dim, gray morning when the grand assault
began upon the snow banks encumbering the side
walks On q hundred miles Of thOr0ughfare a
countless army Of shOveers worked away through
the fOrenOOn-wOrked like men entrenChng
themselves against q powerful invading host.
From the Battery to Harlem breastworks were
thrown up that the army OF the Potomac never
approached In accomplishing during SO brief
time and to so great an extent Fire shovels, coal
shovels, mortar shovels and the regular old.Iash-
f0ned wooden snow shovels were brought into
action 1t was
THE GRANDEsT SIGHT or sHOvKLLINa
the world ever saw. There was enterprise In 1t,
too. There was keen rivalry between one store
keeper and another-between one hOusekeeper and
another. The Italian banditti and our own ban.
ditti, to whom fail OF snow Is welcome as q fall
Of mama was to the Israelltes Of DID, worked with
savage energy. Every house on arlstocratic ave-
nues like Filth and Madison, where Jeames (knee
plush ultra of servants) thinks it beneath
him to shovel snow or the sidewalk, counted fifty
has tO fho hop nd n
the banditti went for these and like avenues as
they might for clothing store fire. The fellow
who shoveled through his work the fastest made
money the fastest. Having sent the last fake n.y.
ing from his wooden shovel on his twenty five loot
extent of sidewalk, he shouldered his weapon aud
trotted away to another job next door. Yesterday
was
TRULY GREAT DAY
for the banditti One OF them is credibly reported
to have made $40 between six O'Clock and twelve
at noon. But, short-sighted as human nature Ia
always, they nattered themselves this snow fall
world be a common thing through the Winter. and
a large majority of the bandltti four own
chieny) knew not themselves from their
shoves in the evening so viley did
they abuse malt and other such lively
beverages. Broadway was taken in charge by the
regular banditt OF the Street Cleaning depart
ment, and they made pretty clean work OF 1t.
While the virgin mantle OF snow as yet undefed
and unwrinkled lay over all things, the city pre-
sented wonderful spectacle. HERALD reporter
went up in balloon-that Is to say he went up
the fire tower III the Fifteenth ward-to view the
| scene, and 1t really looked as If New York
| had gone to bed and drawn white counterpart
| over her. 1t also looked as If New York was be-
| ing "waked' while in this condition The lamps
appeared as candles beside the quilt, reminding
one OF the classic lines referring to the memorable
end of Mr.. Tim Finnegan, who had numerous tai
! low luminaries around his head, and an equally
large collection around his feet
i WONDERFUL WALLS.
At twelve O'Clock noon, thanks to the super.
human exertons Of the gallant shovel brigade, the
| sidewalks were as clean and slippery as the kitch-
| en- hoor OF Park row restaurant. The embank-
ments thrown up along Broadway and many other
streets were marvellous to behold On the inner
side they looked like solid walls Of MARBLE or rather
pigs lard. At intervals of from twenty to nty
| feet excavations were made TO permit pedes
trians crossing from one side Of the stree,
to the other. These, too, were amazing
So solid did they look at either side one
was tempted to believe that crowbars and nitro
| glycerne were used to effect the cuttings. The
chcerfulness tnat prevailed over all the travail o
travel was another striking circumstance. II The
snow had only been about six feet deeper the gen
| eral hllarlty would have been boundless 1t is tC
be hoped we may have longer and more profound
visitation OF this delightful stmuant to the nerves
and the appetite, for then shall enjoy such q
carnival as never entered into the widest dreams
| OF the Romans
| THE ABoMINABLE BROADWAY STAGES.
| sixteen feet only or Broadway were left for We
| hicular locomotion, anu to the distress OF every
lover OF his country and OF the glorious pastime OF
sleghing, this brief space was monopolized by those
most attrocious OF all monstrosites on wheels, the
Broadway stages, which were doubled up for the
occasion. Forgiveness ut such mercfu season
might be granted them If they had only Knocked Oh
their wheels and come down on runners: but no,
the beastly things would insist upon ploughing up
and utterly dealing our beautiful snow.v
The sleighing Carnival.
The slelghng carnival began late IN the day az
| compared with other years, because no one was
/ prepared for SO sudden and tremendous down.
fail. 1t was stunning avalanche from the skies
and bewildered the brains OF every livery stable
/ keeper in the city. But soon the Jingle Of sleigh
! bells made the air musical. Yet still 1t was far ad.
vanced In the day ere Broadway had much to show
| in the sleghng line. About two in the afternoon
/ the fun began In earnest.
SINGULAR SLEIGH AND TEAM.
| 1t was at this hour representative OF the
| HERALD succeeded easily enough IN securing
sleigh Of the olden time-a survivor OF many stir
winter-capable In an emergency OF accommodat.
ing the largest and fattes family OF the most pros
porous lager beer saloon IN the city, along with the
driver, target excursion and brass band
thrown In. IL was ample AMI accommodating
to the last degree Driven to extremities might
have made room for a travelling circus. The team
was even more accommodating. Approaching
the character OF the freight they allowed The iull-
est latitude OF time for an observaDt eye
TO take in the scenery on the road or
take ia friend by the way. That