New-York tribune., 1873-01-06
but the night soon enveloped the scene In darkness and
those who had been watching it turned away.
srnEfr RAIIROAp TRAFFIC.

STREET RAILROAD TRAFFIC..
The condition of the streets yesterday was worse PROB
ably at any other period during the recent success
sion of storms The sreetcrossngs we're In terrlpe
state the foundation being Of ice, above which was melt
ing Annoying mishaps were frequent, ana, as
the day advanced the OF snow heaped up IN tne
CUTTERS began to melt under the influence of the rain,
and the water carrying with II portion Of the snow and
hail. made its way to the middle OF the street. where II
gathered ing all the cavities and ruts OF the pave
ment, and forming deep pools amid the rapidly dis-
solving In streets through which cars ran, the
pavement between the tracks covered with muddy
water which flowed for blocks before 1t found an outlet
In West Broadway, on the Vesey-st branches OF the
Eighth and sxthaye. Railroads. this particularly
noticeable.
Here the streams in many instances formed large
ponds Of water, eight nine feet wide and from six
inches to foot In depth, extending several hundred
feet in length In Seeondave, from Thirty fourthst.
to Grandst the spaces between the tracks were filed
with water to depth varying from three to eight
inches.
In Third-ave.. seventh-ave. Twenty-third-st.. and
other streets the condition Of the tracks much the
same. The Third-ave. Company used sweeper, the
brushes OF which driven by steam, for cleaning
their tracks. II often useless, however, as the
water driven from the tracks and finding no outlet
speedily returned
Every depression in the surface of the pavement was
"a
sush. Even the cut through the piles OF
snow which frnged the contained liberal sup
ply of the material and walking was rendered un-
well disageeable For these reasons the num-
ber Of pedestrians yesterday very limited Broad
way ITSELF usually filled with crowd Of gay-dressed
people, presented but poor appearance. Here and
there man might be seen wearily trudgng through
and sush to hear favorte pastor preach, or to
satisfy some urgent need.
On the city railroad routes number OF cars were
withdrawn, and the Nnth-ave. and Belt lines ceased
running altogether The Bleecker-st. line ran down to
Parkrow only In many the cars were withdrawn
account OF the small number Of passengers Twenty
third-st First Nnthaves and portions
OF Forty.second and Fourteenth-sts were completely
flooded At Thirdave. and Twentythirdst, there was
large body of that could not into the sewers
the gratngs had become choked with blocks
Of ice.
TELEGRAPH WIRES DOWN.
This new phase in New-York's prolonged storm
serious drawback to telegraphc interests but fortu
nately as It Sunday the defective wires did not
materially obsruct business pursuits The ice cnsing
to the wires heavy that the lines were severed in
hundreds of Places and to such extent that commu
cation with the outside world was totally broken of
The wires worked perfectly early in the morning, but
gradually the manipulation Of the instruments became
and difficult and finally it had to be aban
doned altogether The at the Western Union Tele
graph Compsny's Office at Broadway and Libertyst in
the afternoon was curious, and occasionally amusing
Scores of persons who had braved the binding rain and
terrible walking send of important
disappointed learning that the Company was neither
receiving transmitting kilograms.
One man hurried in and confidently placing his written
message demanded that should be
of immediately but he informed by the glum
official behind the desk that it could not be teegsphed
until Monday morning whereupon the anxious caller
hah had IN hfad
and then turned away. There many similar cases.
The weight OF the ice upon the wires naturally broke
them, but than of telegraph poles in the city
were leyeled TO the ground. reporter OF the The
TRIBUNE called at the Western Union Telegraph Com
panys Office, last night and informed that corps Of
operators had Jersey City to make endeavors to
communicate with Washington, while another briesde
had gone to Harlem to attempt to communicate with
Boston IL was not apprehended that much damage had
been done to the wires outside Of NewYork City. Half
of the night force had retired and those that remained
were unemployed.
THE POLICE WIRES BROKEN.
The wires of the police and fire teegraphs were badly
damaged, and communication seriously and, for a
time dangerously interrupted The wires of the NINTH
Fourteenth sixteenth and Twentieth Precincts escaped
extensive injury and dispatches were transmitted over
them to headquarters usual The wires to the re-
naming precincts broken and rendered utterly
useless. Telegraphc communication between the New
York ana the brooklyn folce was CUT
of in the same manner.
OF the eight frealarm betowers. the wires OF only
one-the Marionst. tower-escaped destruction Com
muncaon between all the engine-hOuses and Fire Head
quarters entirely suspended superintendent Kelso
issued the following order to all Captains of precincts
yesterday afternoon:
CAPTAIN: The police and fire telegraph wires are
throughout the city from the effect of the storm
You will inform your command in case of fredo pull the
box as usual and then proceed to the nearest IRE COM
VI
this Office.
He issued the following additional order to Captains OF
Precincts below Fourteenthst:
CAPTAIN: You will provide quarters for officers of the
Mounted Squad and upon receipt of intellgenceof re
other emergency requiring the reserve OF adjoining
aSd MESSAGE yTp BY mounted oer 70 hs Psecipc
from which you require aid. and inform this ONCE.
sergeant and officers Of the mounted squad
were also stationed Pocs Headquarters, for duty
couriers in case of necessity The following order
issued to- the-bell-riDgers of the Fire Department.
The berngers WILL until further orders sound alarms
for all stations where fires occur without waiting for
snss tSs Sn hs Sn sad @
vigilance viii be necessary until the telegraph is put IN
In addition to this precaution the regular patrol was
doubled and mounted stationed at different |
points, throughout the city by Chief Engineer PerleT
Each company was also ordered to transmit alarms
TO neghboring companies BY special mes
senger. |
These precautions on the part OF the Ponce ana Fire
Departments regarded having rendered the city
comparatively safe though during several hours of the
afternoon q large fire a serious disturbance might
have resulted dsastrousy before the police hremen
could have been summoned. /
Large numbers of workmen have already begun to
pair the lines ofboth departments 1t Will take about
week to re9stabllsh the system and much longer time
to put the wires in condition to Withstand similar
storm.
ON THE RIVERS.
The rivers presented few features yesterday not
mon to every rainy day in this of the year. The
ice offered less obstruction the movements Of ferry
boats previous days. The harbor free from