The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-13
Horse-Car Lines and the Elevated Roads
Blocked. and Business Totally Suspended
on the Erie and the Central Railways.
The Commerce of the Great Metropolis
Paralyzed by a Weather Freak.
Hotels Crowded to Their Capacity by People
Who Are Unable to Reach Their Homes
Assessor of Discomfort and Privation.
AN usPREoEDENrED STORM.
Surfaces and Elevated Trains Blocked a

NEW YoKK, March 12.-The hardest snow
storm of tho year by far is raging in New York
city. It began early this morning, and at
o'clock there was foot or over on the ground
The high wind caused drifts, which in the upper
part of the city three four feat high
Traffic was almost suspended Thousands of
passengers were blocked on the elevated roads.
and horse-cars were entirely unable to move
People who left up town by the elevated roads
were unable to get further than Eightieth street
by the roads. Many of the more venturesome
descended to the street by ladders and walked
the rest of the way down town. People in sub
urban towns found it almost impossible to reach
the city, so severe were the drifts. Business is
virtually at stand-stL Downtown houses
almost deserted. Only two trains arrived
with the mails this morning, and work st the
postofice was partially suspended. Tls car
riers made two trips, but in many cases had to
bring the mail back owing to business Offices
being closed. Postmaster Pearson said he had
not seen such a blockade for q number of years.
All the telegraph and telephone wires IN the
city are in bad working order. Hundreds of
wires down, having been broken by the
weight of the ice and snow. The ferry-boass of
New York and Brooklyn and Jersey City are run
ming once an hour or less. The wind at 10 A. NJ.
attained velocity of sixty-three miles hour.
1t was so fierce MP town that people on the
elevated trains were fearful lest the trains should
be blown from the track.
7P. M.-The storm is increasing and is abso-
lutely unprecedented. All business has been
paralyzed. At the Stock Exchange less than
fifteen thousand shares were sold. the smallest
on record The produce markets were all nom
ina The weather stopped the courts, jurors
and witnesses murder cases being unable to
arrive. Every streetcar in New York, Brook
lvn and Jersey City, and the elevated trains
stopped. The Brooklyn bridge and the ferries
almost abandoned, and the downtown hotels
crammed with suburbanites. The elevated
roads run three thousand trains daily usually,
aud never before were stopped Wesserners de-
clare that Dakota never furnished the equal of
New Yorks blizzard to-day. OF forty mails due
between 4 A. NJ. and noon, only two had arrived
by 2 this afternoon.
9 P. M-There is no abatement in the storm.
The Thermometer has fallen to 40, and frozen
ears and feet were never so numerous The
drug stores have been filed with patients all
day and evening. A woman absolutely froze to
death, tonight. at the corner of Broadway and
Fulton street popularity supposed to be the
busiest four corners earth. In the streets
hundreds of loaded wagons have been abandoned
and the horses taken to the nearest stables.
There have been countless accidents from slip
ping The Astor House alone turned away 300
woud-he guests, and the other hotels have SINH
lar experiences.
10P. M.-The State of New York is absolutely
showed under. The Oldest persons never saw
it's equal Not one train was dispatched by
either the Erie or the Central railroads to-day.
omething which is unprecedented. kilograms
from distance of 200 miles have tn same
story to tell, namely, 'its the worst storm ever
known here
The police authorities say the storm had not
been equaled since 1856. Most of the police
telegraph wires broke down early in the morn
ing, and the policemen were obliged to tramp
many miles carrying important dispatches.
Early in the day, Chief Shay, of the fire depart
menr, held consultation with Superintendent
Murray regarding extra precaution MS to be taken
10 promptly sounding fire alarms, and orders
have been issued to all policemen to notify occu-
pants of the nearest engine-house of fire imme-
diately after sounding alarm. A full force
of fremen have been kept on duty all day, and
as many extra horses as could be procured are |
quartered at the various engine-houses
Owing to the tremendous gale and terrible
storm there have been no arrivals nor depart
almost wholly abandoned in the rivers and har-
bor and even boats on the different ferries made
only infreQuent trips
AT midnight the storm was unabated The |
wind was as furious ever, but the snow had |
stopped falling The snow-drifts in the business |
street are as deep as in the country districts.
meagre reports have been received from uD- i
town districts. but in the lower portions where |
reporters managed to struggle through the snow |
and against the wind more than one hundred |
fractures of limbs and contusons of the skull |
were reported. The ambulance horses at the |
different hospitals were completely worn out |
early in the night, and calls in many cases |
could not be responded to-
The well-known correspondent Howard Car /
roll. of the Times. fell and broke his leg to- |
night
At l A. NJ. the wind had slightly moderated.
Every commercial and public electric light in |
the city was ordered shut off early in the night |
for fear the wires would break and damage be |
done to pedestrians. Traffic on the elevated |
roads not resumed till late at night and |
then the trains ran only at irregular and long |
intervals.
Several fires occurred today, and in some |
cases the coal supply wagons of the fire depart /
ment failed to reach the FIRE and firemen had TO /
chop down signs, shutters and all available |
wood work for fuel One engine was stalled /
on Broadway, and half a hundred men with |
ropes aud three horses occupied two hours get |
ting il out
The hospitals all had busy time of it. and |
almost numberless ambulance calls were re- /
ceived The majority of casualties were not of |
very serious pature though few deaths were /
reported Old river men say such night has /
been known oE the river since 1854 The waves /
are running high and the wind forces the water |
IN many instances, over the docks
Tedious and Dangerous Travelling.
WASHINGTON. March Il The efsores nf the