The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-27
A DAY OF RAIN.
HOW THE so KING METROPOLIS LOOKED AND
FELT yEsTERDAY-EFFECr OF THE RAIN IN
FASTENING RIVER NAVIGATION.

HOW THE so KING METROPOLIS LOOKED AND
FELT yEsTERDAY-EFFECr OF THE RAIN IN
FASTENING RIVER NAVIGATION.
The murky. rain pierced atmosphere which hung
over the uuccan OF the lower wards yesterday
was sreakcd with blue from the mingled maledctI
and gaseous exhalations which rose sympathzingiy
from tho rocking payemen,s Disconsoate way
farcrs nouudercd through the garbage and filth
and paused obviously nc tho crossings, meas
uring with anxious eye tho depth Of mud
between them and tho further shore All through the
day the rain fell persstcnty, drizzle and drop, IN
monotonous succession City and river wrapped
in a chilly blanket OF fog and MIST never pierced by
stray CLEAN Of sunlight but changing only from gray
20 black tho heavy clouds massed moro
thicky. A cold wind blew tho searching mist into
the face though the head might be bent down through
angle OF more thnn 100 degrees to avoid it., and
drove the chilly particles under muller and coat COL
lar percolating la little Icy down the neck.
Umbrellas saturated aud then turned inside out
with magical CELEBRITY, aud II was pitabe sight
to view tho sufferer bleak
ncr with the rain descending IN torrents. and
his silk hat soaking in the gutter attempting to re-
pair his damaged parachute. rho horse cars were
filed they usually are on rainy days. with dripping
passengers, making one another mutually uncomiort-
able, wet and tired, as they crowded together like
through the cutters in the clean streets and
stood in swelling pools in the dirty ones. Some
Rector, Albany, Thomas, Delaney. Hester, Essex and
the nke-werc swampcd. Netting Ice ana rotting
ana above this muck foul water lay in pools covered
with a scum which broken by tho falling drops
sewers opened the water that might cleanse these
streets Will simply add to the existing slime.
ALONG rHg wnAnvEs
Only the necessary work OF unloading and removing
freight was performed yesterday and the dischargng
was carried on by small number comparatively OF
mon aud teams. The men worked slowly and The pa
tent horses drew tho loads painfully through The
cioggcd streets, or stood, covered by soak
Ths decss O. s vessels Snpp INC wha pes
were nearly Idcscrted: tho sails braccd tightly
the yards. the bare poles stood up like u scat
crng pine grove winter over the water, fnr as
tho eye could reach, dropped n curtain OF fog which
never lifted Through tho mist n tew moving vessels
couid be family discovered
NAVIGATION.
The prospect OF the rcopenng OF navigation on tho
towboat agencies hopeful spirits fix Satur.
day the 3lst, as tho day when tho rvcr will be clear
thoritcs say that 1t Is Impossible TO a daic
with any degree OF certainty. Last year tho
date is hardly to be looked this year. The condi.
ton OF the Ice is closely watched, and special report
Below Four Mile Point, about twcnty-sIx miles from
Albany. the river Is comparatively clear, except
bends aud short reaches where some floating ice is
still lying Practically there is no obstruction to
boats up Four Mile Point nearly to Kinder Hook
From Kinder Hook, however, up to vanwe's Point
stretch OF ncrry twenty miles, tho ice Is masscd
an almost unbroKcn sheet The winter ice through.
out this whole stretch IS yet unmetcd week ago
heavy teams were crossing the rivcr at Undertook,
and the ice seemed as solid at any time
during tho winter At Albany, during tie
tmc, leo forming, and parties
were skating on the river as iearlessly in
mic-winter. II alone tho Hudson's winter ice
however, which stops tho passage. About two weeks
ago there q ireshct which brought down tho
main body Of the Ice from tho Mohawk and
the Hudson above Albany. The Mohawk
twelve feet and tho surrounding country
flooded. The to the level Of the docks
at Albany as tho swollen current swept the massive
foes OF leo past the city TO Vanwes Point For several
days the floating masses descended sucked under
stationary sheets by the force OF the and
piling up In huge riffs. Tho river below vanwics
and the descending driven by the food the
bottom OF the river, boring It's way into the sand and
and forming solid barrier which often extends
nearly the whole width OF tho river and rises In
some places feet or above tho level. All this
inert OF winter ice and submerged nocs must be
broken up and swept down before the boats ascend
10 Albany.
HALcYoy DAY.
Yesterday was day OF promise to the boatmen and
they alone were smiling while all around looked
gloomy. Fog and muddy their turn better
OF n vcrnal sun do not clear away the ice
SO fast MS penetrating spring mist. chill
solid ice, homecoming IL in all directions, and
the muddy water OF Ircshct will away the leo
faster than the sun can melt IT, SO the boatmcn looked
approval ut the day. and only feared that would
up and the weather bright and cold Another
cold snap would upset all their calculations and
their hopes OF an early season rest on the
continuance Of the drizzling, chilly. shower.
The ice the upper Mohawk and Hudson
has Enot yet como down, but II Is not thought that
at the hcadwaters will seriously inter-
ferc with navigation in whatever way II should de-
scend IL Is believed that this storm will weaken
the leo exceedingly between Kindcrbook and Vanwics
Point II II does break It up. in great part.
No tell definitely, however, what tho result OF
the rain and consequent reshet will be- or how