New-York tribune., 1876-12-30
DECEMBER'S LAST TEMPEST.

FLOODED.
The holiday appearance of the city received
an unpleasant transformation yesterday by reason Oh
violent storm Of wind slect and rain, which took away
all the Winters beauty and vivacity from the stfee's
Beginning with furry of driving snow that caused
prognostications of heavy fal the character Of the
storm changed soon after seet, and then TO
binding rain that rapidly thawed tue snow ana hled
the streets with slush and water and deceitfu slippery
ice making carriage travel difficult and pedestranlsn
almost dangerous The stages were drawn by additional
horses and most Of tho companies doubled their
teams and reduced the number Of cars early In the day.
Efforts were made to clear the tracks with sWepers' out
they were almost useless In their effect upon the heavy
slush
The usual effects of storm upon city property tooK
place Windows were broken by slamminS blinds, ana
numerous chimneys were overturned by tue high Wina
Westst cellars suffered newhat from miniature
,leIugcs, and provisions damaged In Washington
and tbe other markets The streets and stores were
melancholy in their desertiOn, aud thrice melancholy III
the dripping individuals whom business forced out OF
doors Washington market was in especial cootfst W
its peoped eheerulness Of one week ago. the stas "ee
filled with New Years cheer, but there were few buyers
Hucksters were driven from their stalls and for one day
the voice Of the street yender was unheard Darkhes
brought on an of wind and promise OF coer
weather Homeyar,lbound merchants and their clerks
found a considerable lack Of means OF transportation
and all the cars were filed with damp crowded, e1
trcmely dsagreeable company.
The storm was not unexpected by those who have
given attention to the reports oil the sgna SERVICE
although the full extent Of its more unpleasant features
sas not predicted. Yesterday the Indications were
generally cloudy weather and snowy, with northery
IN sterlv winds and falling barometer" There was
no change in the programme during the day. and In the
evening the prediction Of "cOlder northwest wh's
and rising barometer" was fulfilled. The STORM hau
been brewing Mississippi and Louisiana FOR severai
DAYS and even there it accompanied Win shgh'
fal of snow From there advanced in general north
eastery direction until Thursday morning the STORM
center was in Eastern Kentucky. Ar,r striking the
Allegheny Mountains was much more RAPID III
tho same direction and 1t reached ths Guy
about o'clock yesterday morning AT Gf'
4 m Yesterday the barometer IN the Sig
ual Service Office in the Equitable building $1,000
NJ % 92 inches II then fell slowly until noon when s
des eut became more rapid; at 4l7 p. H. 1t marked
29o3 inches. and was falling rapidly; at p M 1t
reached the lowest point of the storm, 2S9S Achcs.
From that point IL began to rise, ana at p III IL st"ou
M 29 OIL inches At 4:47 p M the wind was piV"lhs
gale a the rate OF 10 miles an hour III ths city, anu le
nigncst velocity recorded was Mt 5:2O p m' "heh tue
rate WAS 4S miles an hour The course OF the wnd was
from the northeast during the day, hut at p H. 's
irectun suddenly vccrcd 20 southeast the barometer
begap 10 rise and the storm center had passed Soon
after the rain ceased although high winds continued 10
prevail The precipitation, although not great III a0u'
was widespread in extent. Throughout the lake region
snow fell At Boston, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cln-
cuuq.i Detroit and Kingston, Can, the snow tall was
tc,vv II was light at Chicago indianapolis, and Louis
Vile in Baltimore there rain and at Ncw-London'
Conu there was an abundance Of sleet Cduuonay sg-
nails were ordered at Sandy Hook at 1880 a. m yester-
day. and in this city at 0:1j a. H.
EFFECTS OF TIE STORM.
II does not appear that much material damage was
done along the water front Oh the East KVcr INC WIN
during the day castery and such wind does hot
pr,nc up the ice although il adds TO the tide AT one or
, POINTS pe1r Grand-st some freight which had been
sIy cxposcd had to be suddenly removed about
,,c,ork AS the tide came in The boats at the Grand
Street Ferry made their trips regularly Dut iodhd
troublesome at times TO strike the dock ana the DoalS
were occasionally swung in by lines Thc Ice got uhder
the bridge too and when the tide came in 1t was fted
u, m bi that the teams found great difficulty IN eay'
+, Going on tie boat. Once or twice heavy teams
had Z, 1--WE it I'D entirely. At Catherine, Fulton, Wall
aud South Ferries trouble was IepOreI Iht Doats
made trips regaTy anu n ococR the Wind Seemed to
yCcr toward the west The TVer grew r0ugdel ~ te
wind rose and seemed likely to make the late passages
HTg TIC Irest annoyance that the storm caused
nlonE a9 ~ cTery corner At Fulton and souts tie
crossings over ankle deep lh siush ti water Inc
cuycrts we're nch with snow aud lce ana there was no
.,,nr for The water. II backed up into a number OF
cellar stalls ia the maIkthouse, ana nearly nOated on
some chairs and tables. There were seEolH Inches OI
water In the cellars across the way ana an along the
street NJ material damage was reported by the owners
I'm fhc saloons, who said they had td so ucn tOuOe
heretofore that they knew too much 10 pnt anythn
where water could reach t The Ge!als CONTAINED very
fte that could 1c hurt man living NJ No 4S South
81 sad the water did not generally penetrate 10 ms
premises but that last ngat there were ionl inches Oh
water over hs hard concrete noor lie was sure Ila' IN
nearly every cellar SJuihst water "Od De IOuhd AT
FULTON and South Ferries, tue small 20 .iat tneie
abound made themselves more useiui anu eIHeu not
rev pennies by plotting the bsWidered IootpassenEers
around the troachcrUus pools The unfortunate Delns
rn.trd to hi walking stick and watcrtgI boots gen
eray lad to rue lt and Landed on the oIEe side
n ~, Inv I'm Ohyerst there about IL inches of
water IN tc Easements OF four houses near oOut-St ana
il was said that a family living IN one had Deen Obliged
m ,n,e etry In the evening From another an old cat
cuef hcr four kittens that were near droVhihs carry
ing them much To the tdicdtlOn OF group OF ldleis
p,lirT near ly. No further damage WIS appr lcudGd
iau r3ntI-st ms late as 10 O'clock Men were ragagcd
i'm different places in digging OUT tGe ana caIhE
small caua,s through banks Of snow and lCc
br tip OF the Noth River rose last ."DII, Oyc2 two
IN sreat danger OF beins Hooded The ry Washed over
noToug OF Per No l. tic freight depot OF he lonnsyl
iani RlIlroal, precaUOn had been Iak: to store
he frrIyht az sufficient hight to protect H. The water
from the flowed down few docks and AM some
trdInv damage 20 a few bales OF cotton Around COrt-
anJtst several cellars flooded, but 10 cOid not be
asccrtned that any damage was done ihe cutters IN
m the streets chOKed Win sus so tIat the water
coud not run on and every crossing WAS mus made IN
paSsaDls. 49,, t an tbo teIaoro nh vircs tI,rnuoI,
out tno country much less than might have been an
ticIpated Although some wires We're broken, e0nuuhl
Union and the Atlantic and PaclnG cOnpahes' was not
interrupted fue Elncpu dlmi8lty o. .ht iatse. [ com &
storIl was unusually severe. Communication Wlth Chl-
ca.so, san Francisco, Boston, ScWOrleahs, ana Othef
ronis was mot broken MIR. Dolan the manager at the
rr..,i Union Ouera S-rUOm said tnat that company
,J InsTcncrd little diiculty on of its nnner
",s rr. n connection with any city broken IN
t WAS easy 10 reach II Dy another llhe III Clu-
ruuat could bc reached by the way or fhadelpha
,I NJ thinnrr communication could be had by way OF
Unnalo IA the city there WAS almost no trouble wltE
the wires. rthCugh one or two We're broken az wee
ta,v,ru Ths result vas generally anticipated there,
m wires were frequently broken ny iainS trees IN TIC
operating room at 10 0c.Ock last hsnt he'fy al thc
NNp Al
tiiat e wires are good working OTder-and the click
iuy oI Iue Instruments WAS lloesSint Mr. DOan said
tbt trouble was frequently caused by the uneven sway
mg OF tgc wires IL they were stretched equally taui,
tuy world SWING together in Tie wind; bat as thc Ten
- ,rn 1IslN mnnnln the wires MOnd sway agalnst