The New York herald., 1879-01-04

manager said. however that the only way of obvat-
ing the difficulty in the future for the Depart
ment of Public Works provide better water sup
ply here by an increase of the mains. The cars not
being heated was quite funny TO listen to the per,
feet chorus of loudly drumming feet which the chilled
and passengers riotously kept all the way
Wee President Bishop, OF the New York IL said he
was in hopes that the problem Of heating the cars
successfully by steam would soon be solved. in spite
OF the present failure of the system. On the Ninth
irst two hours in the morning owing to the freezing
OF the pipes AT Ftynnth street. where the engines
are watered. and the latter had to be
taken to Thirty fourth street to be watered:
The Sixth avenue Il" fortunately experienced
only very trifing delays. and the luxury OF its
nicely warmed cars never gratefully appre-
ciated by its 60 daily passengers than yesterday
when the soft, genial heat seemed to many coming
chilled to the bone out of the ley cold like being
newly called to life, while the Sixth avenue horse
cars maintained the temperature of so many ice
wells Isn't this glorious?" "Hurrah! this is
splendid" by Jove, this is good these and a
hundred other outbursts Of qualification could be
heard from the half frozen passengers as they came
'thawed as il were under their pleasant heat. The
stations were also comfortably warmed, and the
whole line OF the Sixth avenue ~ seemed like .
sunny oasis in the Siberia of New York. The tracks
ON the three lis were all in fair order. and the
rails only all the smoother from the snow fall
20 that little delay would have arisen on the Third
or Ninth avenue Is but for the freezing of en-
gnes and pipes and the insufficient supply Of water
which latter cause 1t is hoped VII be promptly re-
TRAINS RUNNING ALL NIGHT.
The Third avenue IL" railroad began running
notice Prior to this the last train left the Battery
at twelve o'clock midnight. and the last train
down town left the upper part of the city at
hali-past twelve o'clock. 1t Is supposed
that the trims were run all night TO
prevent the water from freezing in the pipes OF the
engines occurred on the previous night, and which
caused much interruption to traffic on the road and
delay in the starting OF the carly trains.
SCENES on THE STREETS.
when venerable. whte-haired old gentlemen are
seen. with faces muiied thrice in shawls and wraps.
running at frantic rate through the Streets because
walking was impossible in such an cxcrucating
wind: when eariap and ear mum vendors standing
three 20 each block below the HERALD Office on
broadway sell out their entire stock at ten cents
apiece within an hour or two and then rush home
with jingling purses when ladies come running
into drug stores and other shops fairly breuthess
fsom the frigd air they have inhaled and beg TO be
allowed 10 stay moment lust to get warni, and
when the plumbers are about the only happy people
In the city the only who do not prumble then,
indeed. IL may be set down as an indisputabe fact
that IL Is exceptionally cold. All these features of
ard there IL doubt that probably three
foIrths of all the conversation held yesterday
bamnroasly or srsseiy. or with playful ressnation.
20 this all absorbing though prosac theme-the
cold No wonder. though. for to many II meant
utter misery AL day long. First broken sleep and
| consequent exhaustion and i'll humor upon rising
then frozen pipes and hence water with which to
perforia the morning ab,uiion TO make cup
o hot tea: then the expense and trouble of calling
a plumber when no plumber can be found for miles,
because every one has been engaged before then
freezing in cars and running like madmen through
the then bursting o' pipes in offices or busi
ness places and more trouble expense and incon-
getting home. there, probably, only to find the gas
| pipes frozen and their homes wrapped in Egyptian
among the experiences of thousands yesterday.
rLoFs onsrRtcT THE RIVERS
Throughout the day the North and East rivers were
| almost icebound. Above Hoboken the Hudson was
frozen over while below the river filed with i'm
mense Of floating ice. The Hoes came down
| the stream with a statel, magnihcence and the NOV
f,aa ~iGfr nd cd
/ 10 vie with the snow-crestsd Jersey hills in
their cold grandeur. la many places the
tsnied far into the river. Large cakes
of ice foaed into the terry slips and most Of them
were choked that the boats could only enter with
groat difficulty. II at ALL ON the North River the
seene was exceedingly beautiful. the moving masses
% nee looking 20 ,ns on she serrySoa,s
inond dust. Many Of the foes were apparently for
mdsble enough 20 sweep everything before them
a. they came down the channel aud swept past the
docks and the shipping into tho bay below the
Battery.
the Batter, in order catch faint idea of the open
| Polar sen witch hal been formed just below Castle
Garden. Looking toward the sea frozen deep was
visible A. far the eye could reach. With the cbb
of the tide large hclds OF pack Ice had fioatcd
into the bay and in many places II was
might have been possible TO walk ON the frozen
surface aud even OF the Battery wall the rack ice
seemed strong enough :. Dear ,e we'Sna OF daring
| were lifted ON the top of the waves. and In many
places they appeared and disappeared like immense
| whiccaps swollen with sense OF their own i'm
| portapce The water was ruffied by the high wind
| and every wave that rolled back with the Hood
hugged the dancing pieces In fierce embrace.
called doe especially attracted the reporters atten
tion. 7, had come down from beneath the Palisades
| or the heights of Mcehawken during the night and
anchored on Bedloc's Island In the morning just in
! time for high water. by daylight IL was trying
/ TO Green up the Fast River. Unfortunately for
it's ambitious prctcnsons the receding tide resisted
its unowsrd tendencies. and so the greater part Of
the day was spent IA oreasing the contrary waters
Nighta found ~ dashng itself to pieces against the
waves il had 80 yainly fought. for bent upon going
to sea it 1t neither Succeeded IN reaching the
ocean by the way OF He'll Gate and the Sound nor in
| getting out by the Nsrrows.
| DIockf>G Up THE SLIPS.
But the coycs ON the East River, all the way up TO
Astoria gave evidence that many ice ioes which had
| come down from the Hudson the day before
more successful I'm penetrating the waters Of Wall
about and Gowanus and kips bays than this unfor-
tunate piece of crystal which cartlystcd the re-
porter's fancy. In spite OF current rapid that
would permit the broken ice 90 freeze together
mn aud up went zoe after hoe. hing ali the wstery
rccesses 10 the eastward, Of which New Workers
know about a. much as they know OF Lake Ianga-
nv la and the Albert and Victoria Niyanza And down
again they came. forced back by the rccoding tide.
like nock Of wild geese. pointed at the ba-e. but
spreading into malt inverted V. aud pcnetrat-
ing ferry slips and obsrncng the ferry boats As il
was high water AZ He'll Gate very early n the morn
ing. the rccedns nee caught tue earlier passengers
had occasion before daylight found the pas
sage very much impeded by the floating icc. and
|
before they were able TO enter their slips The de-
tcntions we're exceedingly annoying. and good deal
of profane language mingled with the Wild music Of
the bowling winds.
| FORTUNATE rTRRIE&
| The singular feature about the days interruptions
was that hile Terry enabled To It, boats
ON schedule time. another in adjoining slip was
unable To send out more than onc boat in hour.
ON the East River for instance the Catharnc street
Ferry was not subject to any serious interruption.
while the Roosevelt street boats Ia several instances
wer. uuablr TO enter their slip and tue Nevada wss
compelled TO land her paescngcrs az CatLarine
street During tlio morning the passcnkcrs by the
Roosevelt street ferry hat very lively experiences.
The boats very grc!ularly. owing TO tic dtcnlty
| of entering the slp on either side, aud by eight
clock large crowd OF people had collected in the
! Bruokl,n terry house. As q matter of course the
waiting was too small 20 accommodate all who
wished to cross, aud many pcrsons wcr" compelled
| 20 stand OUTSIDE the ferry house exposed
| 20 the biting wind. frostbittcn ears
aud toes, tngllng fingers aud rcfulgcni
| noses were consequently common cApericncc.
| With the tenacity for which Amorscans rcmark.
able when the eiefnents against tim, most of tho
sA..