New-York tribune., 1874-12-21
THE CITY IN DANGER.


THE CITY IN DANGER.
fYLRGRAPnC COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTED
THROUGHOUT TIE ISIA>D-PRECAUTIoNs TAKEN
AGAINST TIRES-SiREEr PATROLS ESTABLISHED
AND THE BELL-TowERs CALLED INTO USE.
The weight of snow accommodating on the
tlegraph wires. proved by about IL O'Clock TO be too
severe strain aud throughout the city the wires began
breaking under the continuous pressure In many ln-
stapces especially whore great number or wires were
attached TO the poles. the combined weight OF
srow upon them ced pull down the poles and on
Broadway the BoweTy, and other main thoroughfares
where lines were exten ied leaning or fallen
poles were vsioe in every third or fourth block
In somo instances the wires were oeneeted
60 low that they obstructed the passage or
street cars and hal to be or hosted on improv!sed
npngh,s permit passage of vehicles In Chatham
ST. this blockade Of vehicles lasted for some time and
finally remedied only by tie forcibe lowering OF the
wires TO level with the track. when the were
.rven them Wires also lay frequently along the
cutters, few feet above the silowak. and trpped up
the unwary In their attempts to cross the
street Communication by telegraph throughout the
city was con sequenty of. aud the Fire and Police
DEPARTMENTS were compelled TO take extraordinary
measures to resume their broken CONNECTIONS With
the engine houses and police stations Tho wires
OF the Western Union Company suffered in sim lar
uanner ono broken wire IN many cases lying across
insulation. Men set ut work repairing the dam
are as ouok as puss bl-. but It Sunday and as
the westher very inclemsnt, 1t was Impossible
% secure all tho labor that was needed The general
damage can hardly he estimated, bat the loss by
bro,en po,es and wires alone will probably amount to
too,a A great number OF awnings were also crushed
IN by the weight Of snow, IN some cases incumoering
tho sidewalk until the police could muster force enough
10 move them.
The Fire Department took early and stringent meas
ures TO avoid the difficulty that was presented by the
pterruption OF telegraphic communication AS early
a. noon t was that the wires were breaking In
all directions and messengers from the various bat
alions continued from that ume up to nightfal to
,opaar at Firemen's Hall with similar reports. BY
,clock In the afternoon Mr. Emerick Superintendent
rthe Fro Alarm Telegraph. reported that in case an
,,arm were cent out, hardly half the companes
would get IL. Where wires not actually
broken. they were crossed by other fallen wires
by fallen ,les and communication was therefore In
pcssibIe wires that were not Otherwise de-
iectiye hundred breaks had been reported at that
time IN the co circuits OF telegraph wire which range In
all directions from tyninths. south TO the Battery.
and at least % telegraph poles were down. Communi-
.ation was impossible by the southern and northern
circuits and was very uncertain by the Others while the
special wires Which connect with the bel'owers by
means OF which been the rule hitherto in similar
emergencies pass the alarm, broken In several
places The Chief Of the Department Ell Bates. became
aware early from casual view OF the snow storm at
his own home. No 13l AttOrney-s that the safety OF
the city endangered and he posted In haste to the
fire Headq 0arters ia Mercerst lie at issued the
following order:
l. Chiefs Of Battaons from 10 VIII immediately on
receipt OF order establish street patrols In each
company IN then Respective bittalioDs as follows Two
eept,ns tpose compane, having charge Of bell towers
witch will furnish man as street pdtfoi uuInH .no
Az and TWO AT gbt In OF discovery OF fire they
A alarm TO tDt ucdTebt Conpduv,
tbr commanding officer OF when VIII in'neoIaesr u,s
oatch messenger TO every other company DONG ouy
III All leaves Of absence revoked except 10 cases
Of Sickness or death IN the family until other"iso
III Tho tower bells will ring for all fires south OF
' ~ " N Chief of Department.
The "baualions from to g." reiefreo " j." .ne
order include the companies which cover tha' Poo
81 the city lying south of Fiftyninthst' there oeInH
,ply ten companies altogether covering the vast as
3rict north Of Flfty-ninth-st'. lnciuoins .,c
lem Manhattanville. Washington b'gnls, anu .no
oeulysnpexed territory IN Westchester' lhese iaer
ostriets have always been patroed ne drecteu io' '
lower districts in the above order' anu 'no wv. 80
towers within their limits, the Mount hiorfis Ao". -
Harlem aud the one IN Westchester' nave a"''' D
rung In case Of fires. IL was tIereioie """S'
Include them IN the order . -,
rha,o a. no hu,,wer between Thirty-third-st ana
fflh-st. and the denseiy popu
lated district lying between those TWO etieots ~ .
consequently remain uncovered Nv 'no .,r
ment. Chief Bates psrtly remedied 'ne o'" .ar
NV oscn ,Ia, natros on horseback, using the spare
horses. should make regular rounds during tue n'en'
through the district .. 4, u a. directed that
horses should also used In a NV an early
An case OF any Threatened emergency anu ~ he had
hour 10 the evening the Chief was sa.lsne1 snnern-
done ali he could 10 protect the city from nlo the
tsadent Eeriok mad engaged in % men for
breaks yesteyday brug unable 10 nnu @ 80 a. IN 70.
the WorS "A t was Sunday. He VIII employ 10
dsy mnsi Of them peipg skilled men iioin 'n' "N
Union Telegraph COMPANY ,,.,,oa prsci ncts over the
COMMUNICATION between the Police tarv circuit
Police tecgraph wires broken eafy ~, r.akin9
failed A. earIy as II O'clock, either t NV oiners
n, III % 60, @ 1r Inc destructiun OF insulation w n
alin, across them The last dispsch .onna tbat
opsrte,s wss dated l0i5 u. Wben ~ ","r Me
t1n,nup,cstjon was enlreiy cut on, p.snres 10
Dermott ~ no vas on duty. at once tooa n.eans Of
.ernre connecion with tho precincts W w nont an
mounted men. The mounted tuuaa ~ ~ st
men snmmoned rom their station III Es syc,,nns a.
aud dstruted through the preci WIZ. nd
act ss messengers ween the b cnnyevaure OF
isrs in case Of emergency and for tne & deailed
inmrlant new These mounted men w. W. A. the
sl,o ~ headauarters for u similar poI :yery nre-
force OF tae mounted squad couo hot red we're in
so,nct those preclucts that were uucoNei ~. ,n,s
strueted 70 repOrt any impor ant hrs noun ed
ar iAl ~