The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-03
THE NEW YEARS SNOW.
New York and It's Suburbs in
Winter Attire.
CONDITION OF THE CITY.
Trouble in Travelling Railroad Trains
Blockaded and Mails Detained.


vas the sight OF big city knee deep with snow and It's
thousand channels OF business pockaded Sidewalk
and street. housetop and step, lay buried beneath It's
dazzling whiteness. The early wanderer III he morn
ing found the depth and OF the white expansc no
small job 10 overcome. An hour or so alter daylight
the spectacle changed and the great shovel brigade
proceeded to dig out The streets and show pedestrians
the familiar landmarks OF well known avenues ana
streets Milkman and baker, rcwsboy and postman,
seemed have been lost, and mistress and maid alike
we're i'll humored Tho comfortable breakfast lacked
many OF lis pleasant appointments and was made less
agreeable from the astounding reports OF servants thai
aavigation was impossible Heads OF families found
ms great extent, ana many were the blessings
That they heaped upon 1.-The beautiful snow" as
aoundering through drifts in unexpected places, they
found their chagr that horse cars were lew and FAR
between and standing only'' could be obtained.
The story OF citizens dscomiors is the story OF
The busting population OF the city Out OF doors was
more like Canadian scene in mdwnter than is found
in this latitude January, and, with the less expe
hence of the Canadian dealing with genuine old
lines OF this character, proved more bother
some TO the Gothamite
With the appearance OF tho workers with broom and
spade The companies got in iul working trim; the
great snow ploughs drawn by ten ana twelve horses
and plungng through the eig hteen or twenty inches
OF aakey blankets that mad fallen with such noseess
pcrsstency, laid that the horses
could travel with some degree Of speed But proved
slow work, for carriage and wagon often again lev
slied low tho ridges and mounds and lett the road
nearly bad before the work Of clearing the routes
commented Every important line in the city thus
sent out its and horses and ploughs
and brooms, and no doubt were o!
much service in giving travellers little
quicker transit down town than walking could bring
about Yet, at the same time, the snow which SO I'M
psde their progress was occasionally hurled and
pitched doors with recklessness that was sudi-
Gent 10 put II everybody's way.
BROADWAY AFTER THE STORM.
II was not allowed to lie anywhere peace save IN
Broadway, and that artery OF life and business It
through its usual process OF churning TO mass
OF soil, dirty indescrbabe stuff, that be found
10 other city in the world twenty.our
hours after a like storm of Monday last This
thoroughiare well nigh impossible. All kinds
OF vehicles made tardy progress The stages for the
first in many years, the old drivers say ten or
Twelve, doubled up,' while express wagons had
additional horse power did big trucks and carts.
All New Workers know Broadway is strange place
Il is so full of wonders that you cease to wonder at
Them. Yet they did open their eyes yesterday
Mounds OF snow where hotel proprietors ana store.
keepers had ordered paths TO be made werc higher
than the heads of most men, much higher than the
way through tho narrow avenue leading TO
The opposite side OF the street was not
only uiftcult but annoying TO those OF the
fair sex gay with snowy costumes When The sun
commenced 1t work OF melting the riffs on cornice,
window sill and housetop protection was needed to
shield attires, that at some points there we're
noted wet clusters OF umbrellas like mushroom beds
In mourning extended doeiully This was the case
from Tenth TO Thirtyhourh street. and many thought
1t required deal oil bravery to contend with the drip
ping roofs and the great depth OF snow; still there
are ioiks equally sensible ana nardy, perhaps who
In thar
misi hail. snow sleet, log, or all these atmospheric
conditions together, and Broadway presented that
striking hall OF IT'S physognomy TO charm.
DETENTION EvEKYwHERE.
In all the other streets in the city there was expert
cnced the difficulty oil travel Some OF the cross
town thoroug had many amusing and provoking
Incidents of detention. Cars left the tracks every
block aud after Jotng the passengers for some
Instance came to \ siandstl. Neither drivers
conductors the majority OF cases could prevail upon
those inside to step out on INC street LOT Iine 'hat
the could be again lifted ON the rails, as de-
tention seemed preferable to wading through |
loot two OF winters covering. Now aud
then such streets presented OF swearing |
drivers broadsdc Others, with here and there
a vehicle that had lost wheel or morse or two that
had gwen out. IL the time when men sighed for
rapid transit become general IN every section OF
the city; time when the Elevated Rplroad with It's
clear tracks showed operated great advan age
over ali other means OF public conveyance. An
other foot OF and week or more OF carts, car
T,ages ana pedestr,ans nounderiug IN the embank-
ments and possibly Dr. Gilbert may be delighted TO |
hear that is tile wish OF old and young that ms plan
OF rapid transi twere IN ORDER
Al nh the ferries-Brooklyn, Jersey City and Ho- |
bokcn-there much detention during the morning.
To tho anpoyan OF the storm there was added the
incident OF the rivers being blocked with ice AT a
few minutes past eight O'Clock a huge Cake half a
mile in extent rendered the East River nearly impass
able II came up the Battery and Governors
Island, and was destined to be broken IN pieces in
making The passage OF Hell Gate whittier /! was sent
by the rushing Hood tide None OF the crryboais ven
turcd plunge their boats into IT, but waited patiently
until 1t passed
The officers the Society Tor Prevention OF Cruelty
TO Animals, out very early yesterday morning
on the watch the poorly horses might not
unnecessarily suffer. The Twcnty-h street
tow line demanded attention Here, with tho
a and half deep, only one horse, at times, was
h,ched 10 the cars vany endeavOrng 10 make decent
headway IL was an impossible ana cruel task and the
society officers would not allow the drivers to proceed
until four horses attached 10 each convey
nnce The was thus blocked Tor nearly
two hours, but once more IN running order
matters went along smoothly and Pleasantly. Mr.
Bergh also caused Cary's crosstown line to four
horses as he the Fourh avenue, Third avenue and
Fort second street lines He also brought up with
round turn several backmen and truck drivers who
were not taking consideration that horsencsh was
susceptible OF FEELING.
There is u OF misty probability that Broadway
may be cleared OF the snow this week. Captain Gun
ner, OF tho Street Cleaning bureau, wants
to undertake the job and feels assured
that IRON the Battery TO Fourteenth street u
NAV DO made .sclcan a whistle" in forty hours,
N tho required amount OF money IL forthcoming He
and his subordnates ready Tor the work, and only
wani 10 hear the order that Will start them. The
thorouehfarc is already LAID out IN sections, and the
shuyels aud picks that VIII DO required are now ais.
tr,buod al the several station houses awaiting the call
of the laborers. snow ploughs Will be run down the
street and the thoroughly oosencd, when shovel
anu spnoc ana VIII do the rest with sufficient
funds The lob will be extended TO Thrtylourth street.
md Filth avenue Will also be cleaned.
Police Commissioner Nchos upon being questioned
relative to removing the snow from Broadway,
hopcd II would be donc this week. The money re-
quircd will probably be furnished by the Board OF
Estimate and Apportonment, and this done the work
will nj once proceed ''ihcrc Is great want ID the
dcpartmcnt" said the Commissioner 'oi suitable
scows 10 receive the dirt and snow irrm the street
We want those that sea-going. and we VIII have
them built we can get money 10 pay Tor them only
gIvo ms the meal, 10 the work and New YORK shall
Rave the ceancst streets In the world mark my word
for IL"
DETENTION MAILS.
business interests well az Iocomolion suffered In
tensciy from the heavy fall Of snow on New year .
u,eht Tho mails which usually arrive at the New