The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-17
LOC0M0TION In THE SLUSH.
BROADWAY THE MAGNIFICENT UN-
DER 4 JANUARY THAW.
Busiuess Mems Experiences In Getting Down
Town after the street Cleaners had Mare
rowed the Way with Lines Of Ice Hills.


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Busiuess Mems Experiences In Getting Down
Town after the street Cleaners had Mare
rowed the Way with Lines Of Ice Hills.
The freezing of the fast falling rain on
Monday afternoon rendered walking on the
sidewa alks almos i'm prac ticabe, except In those
streets Ia which continual travel kept the sur
face roughened, and In the evening timid travel
lers took to the middle Of the streets and
waded In single Gle through tho half frozen mass
Of snow water and Jumps Of Ice. The side
streets were especially dangerous. and brown
stone stoops were terror. In the warm at
mosphere Of yesterday morning the Ice and
snow were melting rapidly, aud dense fog
hung over the city. Out on tho rivers the fog
made navigation perilously uncertain, and
deafening, screechins Of steam whistles and
claDging Of bells was kept up constantly from
all the ferry boats and tugs In motion. and from
the ferry houses and wharvss along shore. The
streets resounded with the ring OF hatchets,
pickaxes, ice cbisels, shovels and crowbars upon
the sidewalks and pavemonts; the dripping of
water from roofs and awning sheds, and bursted
gutter spouts; the rafting and crashing Of ice
falling from trees. signs, and telegraph wires aud
snow rushing down In avalanches from sloping
roofs, and the ceaseless splashine OF men and
beasts through sea OF siush.
way as 1t was yesterday forenoon, that any pre-
tenoe Of cleaning It had been made. True there
had been an effort at piling the dus-up masses Of
Ice In great mounds 90 both sides OF the way,
but YOU could not miss a cart load OF the de-
posit. 1t had simply been heaped up and made
more conspicuous. Between these mounds,
which were from three to four and even ive feet
In height, was left narrow space In which lay
lake of slush. through this semi.liquid mess
weary horses plashAd, sending showers OF the
brown mixture across the sidewalks at every
step Between the heaps OF ice, spaces were left
OCCASIONALLY, through which teams might ap-
proach the sidewalks to unload goods. In front
OF Woodward, Lawrence Co.'S stors. just be-
low Pearl street. the manner OF using these
openings was ILL strated by the driver OF grea,
truck. who deliberately drove In upon the side
walk and remained there until bis load Of pack
ing cases had been tossed into the cellar. That
was the practice all along the street.
For a block or more above White street the
ice did not seem to have been even dug up from
the pavement. The east crossing OF Canal
street, At broadway. was simply a lake OF vari-
Gus and uncertain depths. With m,uy treacher-
Gus little Islands OF ice, stepping upon which
would almost inevitably precpita the stopper
into the sea Of siush. A miss. having skipDed
across, watched her friend who was several
steps behind. and when she came up addressed
ber, Nellie, wouldn't wear those seal brown
stooslues II were you. They SAY thiL there y
u poisonous dye IN them" Seal brown indeed.
They were wuite when We came out an hour
ago
Al Prince street the street Cleaning Depart.
ment manifested signs Of activity. Two aged
men were In leisureiy way picking at tue sewer
openings to let 81 great sheet of water that
had accumulated. Between Houston and
Beecker streets the ire had been piled up
the west side almost altogether. and the hill 1t
made was a. high o. the head. OF men on the
sidewalk. At GG LrOaiway the leak - from
broken gutter spout had cased the tin pipe with
msr- ot Toe twenty feet ia length and lrly
as large around - a lOur barrcl at which men,
leaning frOm windows were hacking away with
httohets. seemingly Indifferent as to whom they
might deinoiish with the falling fragments. At
Third street ! Ike covered the crossing to a
depth OF from four to twelve inches. Near the
middle OF this was very tempting stepping
upon II promptly sat down In the pool Just be-
yond. Some went down easily and hopeessly:
Others hound-red. struggled. waved their arms
aud legs. c.utched at imaginary things, ana al
last went down swearing.
Early In the afternoon work was resumed en-
ergetically for tue removal of the .ed up masses
OF ice. The snow and ram OF MOuday and Mon
day night had welded them together. and the
labOrers had To tear them apart with picksxes
before shovels could b. used. Several hundred
men we're set At this task all along Broadway,
from Four zenith stree tD the lower END, aud
thence through Whitehall street to the south
ferry. During the afternoon comparatively few
carts were employed, as the street was nccts.
s.rlly 30 badly crowded 10y the COMPRESSION OF
al IT'S vast traflc into little more thHn half Its
accustomed channel that there " IS no room for
them. After nightiull, however, When the num-
Der Of trucks, express wagons, aud CARR ages was
reduced, and only the omniDuses contenued
tne space wl h them. all the carts al the disposal
Of tue department were employed.