The New York herald., 1879-01-05
7HE POLAR STORM.
Effects of the Cold Wave in and
Around New York.
TRAVELLING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
A Fleet of Ocean Steamships Frozen
In to Their Docks.
I'D IT II F 9 II A IT F.
UP T H E S 7 A T E
Railroad Traffic with the
West Suspended.
THOUSANDS OF CARS "STALLED.'

During Friday night and the early morning yester-
day tho weather grew more and more nearly unen-
durable. The keen blasts that whistled across the
open lots and down the avenues around the corners
and through the by-streets of the city grew colder
and colder. The unfortunates whose business calls
them ont of doors i'll the night hours were almost IN
despair. Wraps of the thickest and most vouoiuons
kind seemed Of little service, the keen wind not
only blew through the heaviest clothing Int seemed
to pierce TO the dividing asurder of bone and mar
row. soul and spirit. The poor-tiod help them,
their suferings never be written In their mar
row homes, where the fires scant and the wrap
pings few-where the ventilation is all too thorough
and the joiner work decayed-they sat and shivered
in dumb agony The pail of coal that is all the poor
man can buy at once, soon spent, and human
endurance taxed to Its limit TO them the night
was the poorest, the homeless wanderers,
it death
Yesterday morning dawned as cold as an Esquimau
could desire, if he reasonable EsqCimau,
and in the early morning the cold seemed almost
harder to bear than in the night, for the sunlight
brought none of the relief it usually does bring but
as the day grew older the wind it tired with it's
long clustering died away to a toerable breeze, and
bright winter brought cheer to the city. The
cold wave seemed to have passed and once life
resumed its normal phases Pedestriansm again bc-
came possible and even the ladies', who the most of
them had sensbly huggcd their happy hearthstones
the day before ventured the myriad of curious
errands which ladies find to do. Broadway and the
avenues grew gay again with bright colors and glow
ing faces and the shops again filed with shop
pers Men even turned their coat collars down. some
of them and the more venturesome among them
would walk several blocks without stopping for
something hot.
THE EFFECTS
All through the city were the effects of the
cold to be noted The harvest of the plum
Der had come, and. needless of the hatred
of mankind he preparing to reap his gains.
Through the New Years storm and the terrible day
that followed, when the poor crying to Heaven
for pity. when the half-frozen people of the
city were weeping praying scolding
or cursing, according to their several fam
cies he tthe plumbcr) had sat in his well
warmed office exultantly watching the thermometer
outside his window and carefully looking his
soldering irons and files and little charcoal furnaces
and maets and wrenches and tongs and other little
tools precious to him and costly to householders.
Tho more he looked the better he was satisfied.
Rubbing his hands, not for warmth, but for glee. he
noted each degree the mercury fe and longed for its
greater fall Down to zero was ''up to par with
him, and below premium. And yester-
day. all the city, his men were busy, at about
ST an hour. examining pipes and tearing up floors
and sidewalks working infinite damage and some
benefit at enormous prices
THAwING ouT THE HYDRANTs.
In the city's plumb work there an interesting
work going on The hydrants from which the out
door supply of water is drawn conceal within an
innocent looking outside considerable amount of
mechanism. sad experience has taught the Fire
Department that the frost is likely TO interfere with
this mechanism There have been occasions when
this interference has cost considerable delay in
putting out fire, ana the department has accord
ingy issued orders that the hydrants be all watched
and when any out of repair they shall be reported
TO the Department of Public Works. This inspection
has been in progress for some two weeks. and with
one or exceptions the hydrans are in
proper condition. The writer watched the opera
tion of thawing hydrant that WAS slightly Frozen
and he was much edited y small piece OF rubber
hose was first introduced through the main cock. the
water being shut of at the valve below, and an at
tempt was made to pump out the water above the
valve which should have flowed OF through the
small safety under ground but which had failed
to do This attempt was made with small hand
pump and as it would not work il was known that
the water had frozen. current of steam was then
thrown in and, the ice being thereby melted, the
water was easily pumped of and quantity of salt
was thrown in That generally keeps the water
from freezing" said the Chief, who explained the
operation but it is bad for the hydrant as it cor
rodes the valve-rod" No great difficulty has been
found thus far this winter with the hydrants as the
frost is said to have penetrated only about twelve
inches below the surface OF the ground and even the
smallest MIGRANTS have their valves at least eighteen
inches below.
As was said above. pedestrIgnism was possible yes
terday and active people who scorn the horse cars
aud hout the elevated roads were in their glory
Sneering at the lazy efemnacy OF the majority OF
mankind they strobe mantuliy along the paveincnts
bright examples OF sturllncss, pufeu with their
own vanity. Less conceited people preferred riding,
and preferred the Sixth route to all Others in
the city, as the cars are warmed on that route alone
The cars however, did large business, their
passengers growing as usual, at the paIsimony of
the companies, that for the fares than for
the welfare of their customers. The drivers and con-
ductors course suffered usual in weather,
and the horses seemed luckicr than the human at
tendants of the as they had work to do that Kept
them warm.
THE 81" RAILROADS
On both of the ~" roads the trains ran with great
rift nome of ~ m
than one minute behind schedule time at the Harlem
terminus There is no doubt, however, that arrange
ments could be made which would be more conducive
to speed OF transit than those now in vogue on the
Third avenue IL" road. For instance. the frequency
with which il is necessary to repenish engines with
water would be much less If they
structcd SO to suit the existing and prospective
traffic. The change OF engines at sixy-seveith street
causes a waste of many minutes, which, in the az
grcgatc, OF much value to the public. II the
cnange made at the despatching points only
less time would he required between the Battery aud
Harlem. Many complaints were heard yesterday ON
the regular schedule time 1t is said by large num-
Der of the passengers that further economy OF at
least twelve minutes is possible in making the jour-
ney. The average speed between stations is certainly
less than the Sixth road and there be-
sides, more frequent stopping places.
The absence of any artificial heat in the
Justly denounced yesterday by passengers as much
az upon every previous day since the beginning
of the present cold snap Every who rode
more than few blocks became completely chilled
and donbess the seeds of fatal diseases have thus
been planted in great many cases. The authorities
of the New York company acknowledge that the steam
apparatus IN their w heat two cars at time.
but 10 will not heat third. Yet the fact is patent
that they do not cause IT. to be operated
even NO far to heat those two which
would be great boon to. their patrons.
The comments last evening between Ave and seven
o'clock when the closely crowded, were char
acterzet by great deal OF energy aud pcrspicuity.
In conversation tho HEBALDs improved arpclation
for the roads frequently used, and its superior
eligibility for the purposes of the punster were
practically recognized. This can't be the II" said
one '.its too cold" "Itll be ell for the directors
when they die" said another IL guess their faces
will be elongated when the slide down the broad and
winding way" ''Bapid transit then. YOU bct" "No
cold there, my boy!'
or DISCIPLINE
When the Third avenue IL road first opened
TO the Harlem River trains were run TO l2Dti street
Lately, however. they lave all stopped at l2Jth
street, where "a platform has been erected This
arrangement Is not convenient for people VINO live
at Morrlsania and Mott lIavon one marked improve