New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-18
THE CITY SHROUDED IN FOG.
NEWCOMERS REMINDED OF LONDON.

city of late and the continued presence Of moisture
in the air suggest the alarming possibility that In
the matter of weather, in some other things New
York is trying to compete with London for first
honors. The waking thoughts of an Englishman IN
TINS city yesterday morning must have been that In
the night he had been transported to his
native heath As he became more wide awake,
however, he noticed difference in the
color of the fog into which he was
gazing from that to which he had previously been
accustomed; for dense as was the pail Of mist that
yelled everything, 1t had not the dirty yellow
tinge of its London prototype and it did not smell
OF coal smoke and gas. Otherwise the illusion was
complete. Travel over the ferries was seriously in
terrupted. In spite of bells and og-whistles tho
boats compelled almost literally to feel their
way from shore to shore. and long lines Of
passengers and teams stood waiting
their turns in front Of the ferry houses. On
shore the discomforts not great. Drivers
were compelled to be more cautious than usual In
the handling of their reins but there was no neces-
sty for torches to light the way of the pedestrian.
The most serions discomfort that he experienced
arose from the moisture overhead and the damp
ness under foot The fog was thick and heavy,
and as il settled upon the clothing it made itself
felt.
The air was warm and the snow melted rapidly,
forming small rivers In the cutters and car-tracks,
and miniature Niagaras at spots where the water
could run of into the sewers. These spots, how
ever, were too few. The men employed by the
Street Cleaning Department attempted to keep
open the cutters and clean the crosswalks of snow
aud Ice On Friday night they cleared space OF
twenty feet on either side of the crosswalks in
Fifh-ave. and opened the cutters, thus enabling
pedestrians to cross with sore degree Of
Rroa fao nv tina
combined efforts of the department and
private enterprise, reasonably free from
water and filth; but in majority Of the streets
no attempt at cleaning had been made and the
water lodged in the streets and overfiOwed the
crossings On the east side of the town, perhaps,
the cOndi of the streets was the worst and num-
bers of boys found work and fun IN digging and
shoveliing for persons whose patience had been ex-
haused In waiting for help from the proper authorI-
ties In the middle OF the day part of the street
caved in at Twenty-thlrd-st. and Fourth-ave.,
causing considerable Inconvenience and interrupt
ing streetcar travel, and much amusement was
furnished to afternoon promenaders by the efforts
of a man to lind snow enough tor his sleigh:
About noon the fog began to lift, and by 2 o'clock
IL had almost disappeared. The thaw, however,
continued, and the discOmforts of walking were
greater tue day drew TO close. Just before sun
set the clouds broke little and there was promise
of finer and colder weather, which Increased with
the approach OF night.
SIGNAL SERVICE OBSERVATIONS.
The United States Signal Service observer, at the
Equitable Building says that during Friday night
there had been foggy, cloudy, or rainy weather Oil
over the North Atlantic States with general fall
OF the barometer, and rise of temperature. The
reports received at o'clock showed that there had
been very little change in these districts but that
there would be very 5000. as cold spell was APP
preaching from the West. At Chicago the Their
mometer registered 100, fall of $50 in twenty
four hours at st. Louis the same; at Cincinnati
25o were registered fall Of $50, and at Cleveland
23o a fall of 400. From shreveport Ls came an
account of heavy snowstOrm, the temperature
being 2so-a fall of 26o in twenty -four
hours Indianola, Tex. reported heavy
gale, the maximum velocity OF the WIND
highest temperature for the week was felt az
Augusta, Ga, where the thermometer registered
$40; the lowest at MInnedosa, Manitoba, where 1T
registered only so In New-YOrk the temperature
at o'clock was 4le, at III O'Clock 46o, and at 3
O'clock 40. the barometer HAD renamed nearly
stationary and there had been rainfall OF only 90
of an inch. What little wind there was came from
the west aud sou, Invest.
throughout the evening there were occasional
sprinklng showers. but the wind had frcshened aud
was heip ping TO dry the streets he temporal uTe
had ia len slowly but steadily and at mldnighe
Hudnuts thermometer registered 80. Masses or
clouds were huiryIng the sky, through which
the moon valnly eudcayOred to pierce. The air
was very much colder, aud persons who were IN tho
streets hurried rapidly along.
Naming was done last uignt by the Street Clean
ing Department, out to-day Is Intended to remove
tne snow that remains piled up III Fourteenth aud
Twenty rd-sts and Elf have.
NAVIGATION IMPEDED BY THE FOG.
The Sound steamers were all greatly delayed by
the fog. Number were collected beyond He'll Gate in
the morning waiting for the mist to clear up before
they could reach the city, but no accidents we're
reported nor any other inconvenience except that
incidental 20 delay. The Elm CITY and the
Continental of the New. Haven Line, were unable
10 leave New Haven Friday, and did not
start on their return trip until yesterday.
The Laura, of the Bridgeport Line. arrived IN
the city at noon. SIX hours late. The steamers OF
the Providence Line only few hours behind
time. The Narragansett OF me Stonlngt9h Llne.
was three hours lae, and the Rhode Island dld not
start untl yesterday noon instead OF Friday night.
The Cay of Worcester. of the Norwich Line was
della we'd five hours and the City OF London ami the
CITY of NewYork did not start until noon yesterday,
emitting their Friday "trip. The lily OF
Fall River, tue new freight Gamer OF he Fall River
LAID up until yesterday afternoon on the sound In
the afternoon the steamers on all the lines LEFT the
city on regular tine. Steamboat captains on cound
steamers said that the fog was the neayiest Known
for wears; there " were no soft spots IN It,, and at
times the llagstats on the bows of the boats could
not be seen from the plot-houses.
Incoming and outgoing steamers were lmpeded
greatly by the fog. Inc former especially were
affected by it in the forenoon. The reports from
SANDY Hook were all nterspersed with th" express
SONS, Dense fog plenty of fog" " very thick
fop getting thick agaIn," too thick To see and
Ali the vocabulary of f0ggy commf II s. lie Clty OF
E1chmoud had been detained by the fog a. night.
She attempted to pass the Hook IN the forenoon,
bur at 2:l0 p. III. the telegraph operator tIere an
nounced: Richmond stopped again; Too thiek
for her TO come in wind light i, tnlck fog She
was still outside the bar at $50; AT 335 sue
was passing IN " aud at p m. had reache1 quar-
nine similar reports regarding the SuITe,, the
Bronklyn CITY, the City o. Savannah, the saragossa
the Drlawart the PavOnla, a1d various brigs and
schoon,rs were received. all indicating Tue caution
- birn uots we're obi gcd to exercise aud the tbck-
ness of the fog. The names OF some vessels could
nor ne made ont until The toy began 10 lift IN tue
'ernoo1. IL was late in the day brio a tho
Co., cleared away 90 tnat navigation was compare
tlvey easy.
TELEGRAPH AND MAIL COMMUNICATION DELAYED.
The interruptions of telegrapnic communication
with nearly all parts of the country have been
III. IL. l., La, Wat hauA