The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-05
THE THAWING SEASON.
Wonderful Contrasts of Weathsr-Rapid Melting
Of Snow and Weakening Of Ice-The
Woful Misery of Street Crossings
Falling OF Of sleighing.

Between yesterday and the day before there was
q very marked contrast. II the one embraced all
the misery and wretchedness bad weather Is capa-
BILE Of bringing together, the other had Spring.
like sOftness as unexpected as it was welcome.
Yesterdays blue sky and gently bracing air had
kindly influence and made people bear their trials
In travelling through the streets afOot with some-
thing approaching equanimity. or course the
thaw was accelerated by the mild condition OF the
atmosphere, and the walking In places was just as
bad as on the previous day; but Broadway was
vastly improved The Street Cleaning Department
did better than usual by that thorOughfare. Pri-
yate enterprise here and there made the trans
verse crossings clean but for the greater length OF
the street the effort to pass over from one side
to the other involved trying ordeal. The
Department was offered a splendid opportunity
yesterday for making clean sweep OF all the sush
on the principal thorOughfares. The present thaw
may be followed Immediately by hard frost, and
then we may be compelled to endure another such
disagreeabe experience as we have had Tor the
past two days.
VAST QUANTITY OF SNOW
has melted away and gone to mingle with the
waters of the North and East rivers. and II the
thaw only continues a few days longer people VILE
forget that there has been any snow storm unless
they travel down the side streets, where few re-
to the ferry slips were sadly demoralized by the
rapid tnaw OF yesterday. 1t seems to be nob0dy'a
In all their repeIIing nth long after the broom has
done It's work IN other parts OF the city This may
be chiefly remarked of the west side OF town and Ok
the approaches to the Jersey ferries
THE STREET CAR LINES
have dispensed with double teams and returned to
their normal appearance, but the stages are still
compelled to keep up multiplied equine force
In Canal, Fulton, Chatham and lower broadway
great confusion and OF time occurred yesterday
Inv
coming blocked The
at two O'Clock extended from Broadway to the
North River, and looked the most hopeless en-
tanglement that ever presented itself to the
Varck and BrOome streets a reporter of the
HERALD saw three 6ewildered policemen
n means Of breaking the endless blockade. The
difficulty TO tell where the ultimate
cause lay. Mournu looking people sat patiently
business OF waiting would come some time this side
of doomsday. In vain the policemen gazed with
penetrating vision up and down the long confused
line OF vehicles embracing everything usually seen
Oh wheels; nowhere could they detect what was at
the bottom of the difficulty. Finally alter an hour,
which to those on board the cars must have seemed
an age, q movement appeared In the direction or
Hudson street. and amid much blasphemy. sn0ut.
ing and whip cracking the blockade broke up in oh
directions. Something similar occurred on Broad
way between Barclay and Fulton streets at noon.
| the space between the Park Bank and st. Paurs
church. and hundreds of people were compelled to
T wait tue DOCK TO break before
| to cross the street.
| WHAT THE THAw HAS DEVELOPED.
| The thaw has been instrumental in developing
considerable muscular energy In people not much
given to physical exercise. In the lower part OF
| town there never was seen such hopping ana
jumping TO pass with dry shoes and in safety over
crossing say in Nassau or Beekman streets, was
/ feat many essayed but few accomplished. TO Jump
nom one h4eS on 20 soes Of eG
sIush called for the skill OF an acrobat In some
places there were broad channels OF Icy water that
In In IN I'M
Those who were deficient IN that quality, and hap.
pened to be supplied with the blessed invention OF
wade across the crossings that the scavengers'
broom mad failed to disturb furnished ed
rhey also brought out various
1 qualities of character among people. The
| strong: gilled and go-ahead spirits comprised o
on the curbstone to survey the situation. Cautious
and timld folks stopped at the edge, and, after
looking carefully across, ventured over, with slow
| and hesitating steps. Reckless people plunged In
without look or thought OF the consequences
and generally managed to rare as wen az the rest;
| were especially VAN OF themselves, and took inf-
mite delight in wadng through the very worst
| places. The freight wagons
| NORTH RIVER FRONT
had an especially hard time oft. West street was
| never remarkable Tor cleanliness nor order, and
yesterday 1t sustained its olden character to per-
| lection. 1t took some drays half the day to work
their way from eorndt to Christopher street.
countless stoppages going up and down town.
HOUsEKEEPERS, DO YOUR DUTY.
| Here It should be observed that whoever be the
| authority designated to see the city ordinance
| forced compelling housekeepeis to clear away the
\ snow in front OF their houses he has neglected hrs
| duty The street Cleaning Department II 1t had
| ten Zines the force at Its command would be una
| bic to cope with the enormous job OF Kidding both
sidewalks and streets of their present encum-
brance. II every householder would nat do the
duty imposed on him by the city ordinance there
would be less cause Tor complaint than there Is.
Any body can see there has been great and wilful
neglect In this respect, and that the Street Clean1
ing Department has no more to answer for than
great many citizens themselves.
THE SLEIGflING
! The sleighng has fallen oil considerably There
was rush OF cutters for the Park IN the
evening" but they came chiefly from the uptown
streets. Down town few sleigh bells were heard
and indeed sleigh under the circumstances was
more an object OF pity than admiration. sail
boat would be more In place.
The Park, however, kept up the enchantment or
Winter, and though the snow was as soft as sugar
t was scanned with no splaShing channels Of water
like the article In the city. little more cold and
the sleighing yesterday above Fifty-ninth street
would nave been very enjoyable. There were many
ladies abroad in cutters, as the weather was kindly
enough to be borne by delicate constitutions. PeO
pie versed In the science OF meteorology predict Tor
us more snow and more frost. dip below zero
fifteen or twenty degrees is said to be in store Tor
us within the next few weeks. Even that will be
more welcome than the insunerably horrd
weather OF Friday
HORSE NOTES