The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-16
The GLACIAL PERIOD.
Increasing Difficulty with Water Pipes
and Hydrants.
KITCHEN RANGES EXPLODING
Necessity for a Uniform Law
on the Subject.
INTERRUPTED NAVIGATION.
The Ice in the Rivers and on the
Sound.

The Ice in the Rivers and on the
Sound.
the troubles arising from frozen water pipes
turing the past seven days have been sun1ciently
numerous and annoying to try the patience and
temper OF the most evenly balanced minds to 90
found among average householders and tenants.
The evils OF the existing system, however. have
not yet eliminated to their fullest extent for from
the predictions coming to hand from "Old Proba-
biltttes there 10 more than possible chance that
the present Arctic weather will TOR some time
longer continue to eniold us Within its icy grasp.
In iaot, from all the conclusions that can now be
drawn, there is every reason to believe that-the
cold wave wiz remain at the Hood for weeks to
come.
Those, therefore, who are at all soncitous for
their health well being and personal comfort will
exercise every possible caution to prevent a visit
tatton to the interior Of their households Of the
nndertow caused by the returning wave-in other
words, to guard against the destruction to their
property, which must necessarily ensue when
thaw sets in and relieves the water in the pipes
from its present Icy solidity aud allows 1t in It's
hquiiaction to find its way through the open
assures which have hitherto been undiscovered.
Although the number Of the dwellers In the
midst OF this busy city who have been made actual
sufferers from a scarcity OF tho limpid stream,
furnished by Gods providence and the fostering
care OF the Croton Board, has been few up to
within the last two days compared with the I'm
mense demand ana supply, yet the roll is every
day, nay every hour, being added to. Sunday,
which is IN great measure q day Of rest to man
and beast, Is also one In no small degree to the
water pipes. This opportunity has not been neg
lected by our domestic foe.
JACK FROST.
He has improved the occasion with vim, and
although silently yet none the less surely. many
family and family laundress can tell TO their indi.
vidual cost
Monday is. with but few exceptions, set apart as
The day OF the week on which shall be performed
those mysterious operations known as wash
ingn Into the inner secrets or this rite no man
has ever yet been allowed to penetrate, ex-
ceptlng, perhaps, John Chinaman. The most
he knows OF the subject is that his rest 10 disturbed
In the early morning, his breakfast made unc0m-
Portable and his house or apartments made unten-
able to such degree that he is glad to rush away
from the demon that has, for the time, invaded
his home, and endeavor to seek con.
ISOLATION In either his business avoca-
lions or IN outdoor amusements He
knows 1t Is useless to call on friend. for wher-
over he goes the same vap0ry immateriality
meets him face to face. The presence
OF this weekly apparttion is bad enough
TO be compelled to endure at the best
Of times. but what must have been the feelings Of
hundreds OF husbands yesterday morning when
they were awakened out OF a delicious morning
sleep BY their wives to have the Information i'm.
parted to the m in despaIring tones that no water
was to be had: tnat the pipes were frozen, and
that they the husbands) must get up and try
to remedy the dif1culty. Then they remembered
the cautions given by the HERALD, In full force.
and anathemized themselves for not needing the
seasonabe advice therein given. 1t was too late.
however, to indulge In
VAIN REGRETS
but rather was 1t incumbent on them to get up
and try TO remedy the evil. Alas! too late. On
visiting the floors below, or the kitchen, as the
case might be, the same state OF affairs was found
TO exist AS q last hope descent was made into
the cellar and an inspection made OF the pipe
connecting with the main In the street, still with
no better success. Patls and pals full of hot
water borrowed from ueghbors who had paid
timely heed TO the HEIALD's warningS were
poured over the pipe, resulting In obtaining few
1rops-coming from the top-but that was all. No
low OF water such as was needed could be made
10 come. In many instances, however, which
were brought to the writer's notice Yesterday
the reverse of the above was the case, for the
water had only frozen just sufficiently, in be nd
liquifed by the heat. poured forth in torrents,
wetting the feet ana garments OF the operators,
ana flooding the floor in a short space Of time
This, Of course, made 1t imperative to seek the
immediate services OF one OF those
PLAQUES OF CIVILIZATION
yciept ''plumbers," Tor, Notwithstanding that ef-
forts were made to stop the leak by bin ding
around the pipe rags, &C., the now OF water
Still continued. the plumber remedies the local
urgency with which his services nave
been sought as TO charge an exorDitant
lee for his work. This, Of course, has to De paid,
ana in the momentary anger Of the sufferer he
allows the professor OF blowpipes and solder to
depart, forgetting that he still is as far or from
obtaining the water he so much req uires as ever,
for the upsta rs pipes ore yet frozen stin.
In the cases where no fracture occurs In the
supply pipe in the basement from the efforts TO
thaw 1t out and after II Is found useless to con-
tinue to operate upon 1t, the question then arises
"What is to be dones" No satisfactory answer can
be given by any OF the bystanders and the annoy
lnce has TO be borne. However, in hundreds OF
Instances yesterday this tamelv giving up to the
Torce OF circumstances was not submitted to until
the most extraordinary means had failed. For ex-
ample, In many OF the uptown cross streets, espe-
cally on the east side, the people, finding the
Meeting pipes between the mains and their houses
frozen. dug holes In the street until these pipes
were uncovered. Tney then
LIGHTED HUGE FIRES
In the hope OF effecting their purpose In some
cases this method was successful for a time. but
no permanent good was effected; for as soon as
the fires were allowed 10 90 out the pipes became
frozen up again harder than ever, for they were,
by the very means taken to secure relief
more exposed to the action OF the
weather Than they we're before. IL was
no unusual thing to see whole blocks or
houses with these holes in front OF them. This
method Is, to say the least, clumsy aud IN
eGec.ual so lar as any permanent be0eht is con-
terned, besides being dangerous TO pedestrians
and horses This Is particularly the case where q
leak has occurred, Tor the holes soon I'LL up with
the water, which in turn Overnows the street, TO
be converted into solid and slippery ice. Ii this
sind OF proceeding Is allowed TO be continued the
NUMBER VI accidents reported during the coming
wccx IN the shape OF broken arms and legs may