New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-13
SCENES ALONG THE BOWERY.
THE GREAT EAST SIDE ARTERY CHOKED.
ALL STREET CAR LINES SHOWED IN-INCIDENTs
IN THIRD AvRNUR.


IN THIRD AVENUE
The Bowery with its numerous lines Of horse
car tracks presented weird and picturesque
the city-the storm and drifting snow-long be-
fore daylight. bad locked il in icy fettcrs tight
and secure. Traffic ceased for cars and vehicles,
of every sort. save beer wagons. ere the average
citizen was otu of bed. The side walks, too'
were wellnigh impossible. and on the east side
of the street the snow brcast-hgh. Mcr-
chants whose places OF business line the avenue
were slow in taking down their shutters ana
for many of the stores open the day was repe-
tition of the Sunday quiet which had Just pre-
cedcd it.
ABANDONED UORSECARS EVERfWHERf-
walk along the avenue was the only means
of securing n chance TO see all the queer sights
which the storm presented the thoroughfarc.
Throughout its length, from the Cooper lnsii-
int 10 Division-st abandoned street cars and
vehicles OF every description were scattered in
various positions at intervals of less than a
block Some wagons were overturned and not q
few of the cars were seriously disabled IN the
frantic efforts that had been made by their drivers
to keen them moving.
One car Of the FOurth-ave. line. TO which SIX
horses were attached. was laborins against the
driving gale on it's way down town, near Grand
st., about 8 o'clock. when a heavy gust OF wind
more powerful than any yet ever come, sirnt X
the front plat form and the mass OF snow hiteu
the car bodily from its track ana purcn ONE
side in n drift. The half-paTayzcd paSScns'rS
abandoned it without further delay ana bune'eu
the storm to business rs best they could.
ONLY BEER WAGONS On THE STREET.
This experience was but repetition OF what
WAS taking place on every line during the early
morning hours The Third-avc line suffered
;tr
counted between Eichth-st and the City liall.
The powerful swccpeIs and their teams oil elgh-
teen and twenty horses could make no heidway'
and only an occasional beer wagon, leadcd win
keys which must have been empty. dragged lts
way I'D and down the broad roadway
An amusing feature Of the storm was Inc con
gregation of tmmps within the deserted S.ree e.
cars Every car packed with these poor
freezing creatures. who buttoned thclr thread
bare coats tighter about them and with grhhihg
faces pecred out through the ear windows on
the torn from which they were Tor the moment
secure
TIE POLICEMEN TOOK THINGS EASY.
In n walk taken from Chatham Souare to Eighth
ST, about o'clock by a reporter. not single
policeman was met, though there was oitentimcs
need enough of his services Citizens were fall
ing and tmid women and children STRUGGLING
thron0h the drifts were constantly stumbling
or being whirled violently against posts ana other
distractions. with no one 10 assist them IN case
Of injury. One old woman. carrying heavy
about six years by the other. attempted 70 cross
the avenue at Iouston-st gust of wind caught
her near the middle of the street and a counter,
blast caught the child Mt the same moment and
before either seemed aware Of II, they ware
torn apart and whirlcd in oppoStc directions
It was full three minutes before citizen Effected
the Gallant rescue of the child after chasing il
nearly block and returned it TO the woman
who firmly seated i'll drift near what must
have ben the curb All were too brrathcSs
TO exchange thanks. just as the old lady
was being helped TO her feet. light sgnboard
topncd over on her. and laid her low IN the
same drift from which she had Just arisen
Reseeching mercy from tho powers that rule
the elements the woman and her frightened
charge were finally started on their way.
MANY PEDESTRIANS IN THIRD AVENUE
The scenes along Thlrl-ave. all day during
the continuance of the storm were marked by
numerous exciting incidents, confined chiefly.
however. to the brave pedestrians who breasted
the driving gale. After the cars ceased running.
in the early forenoon, the avenue and sidewalks
were chiefly given over to business men making
their way to their offices. wait of an hour
to exhaust the patience OF wOuld-be passengers.
and they would descend to the street and in single
file start to walk down town. For many, walk
OF three or four blocks against the gale was sur
fcient to determine them to give np the effort
Some parents were so though'less as to let
their children start for school Struggling
through the snow and bitinc wind where the
little ones succeeded in reaching their schools 1t
was often 70 find their teachers absent and the
doors closed or unapproachablc. with the Nor,
nal School scholars the storm seemed 10 anofd
means OF much snort The elevated trains and
street cars filed with bright rosv-chct lied
laug Ching girls. and even after accidents or delays
compelled them to continue their way on foot.
they rompcd and fos'lcc one another cood-naturrd-
" along the sidewallyS not minding tumble
in the drifts from which they always emerged
looking more rosy, IL Dossibe. than before.
TIE BAKERS AND PosTMEN ALL BELATED.
The bakers newsdealeIs, postmen. and others
whose duties took them out in the early forenoon.
were all late in making their rounds. II was
from them that many families heard first OF the
magnitude OF the storm Letter carriers along
Third-avc and the Bowery reported more than
half the places OF business closed. md few whose
labors did not compel them to do so ventured
out. Those inside found employment enough,
however in watching the experiences Of their UNI
lucky brethren outside Falling signs and shutters
were an element of danger in the storm to pc
destrians which fortunately did not in many
instances result in serious injury. When night
set in. Thrd-ave. and the Bowery were still
snow-tound against travel Of every sort, and eX
cept for a few Pickering. gas lamps, the streets
were in total darkness Many OF the electric light
connections were broken. and the sheathng OF
ice over the globes shut out the light from nearly
oil f1,e rccf