New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-21
A sNoWsToRM AT LAST.
WINTER SHOWS fr Is STILL ALIVE.
THE COLD WAVE, FOLLOWED BIZ RISE IN THn
TEMPEnATURE, MAKES oLD-TIME JANUARY

TEMPERATURES, MAKES oLD-TIME JANUARY
wEArHER-scENEs ABOUT THE CITY,
The early riser who ventured out of doors yes
terday morning was confronted with genuine
winter day. With the mercury huddled down near
the ffteens and lively breeze running loose
through the streets at the rate of eighteen miles
an hour, New-York wore common everyday
January appearance. Nature did not smile. for
the clouds were banking up in the northeast and
the weather savored OF snow. The wind sent the
blood rushing to ones cheek and made men hurry
along and steer in a direction which would bury
their stinging prosecutors behind them. It was
evident to the weather prophets that snow
storm was coming and the hale. bluff old
timers who have been complaining about the
effeminste season looked cheerful and donning q
REFER or a peaiacket sailed forth to thrust out
their chests against the biting wind and to let it
blow fun force against their weather-tanned
cheeks. There were many of these TO be seen
around the Battery. and the universal opinion was
that winter had come at last. The water more
than anything else, perhaps, indicated the ap-
proach Of snow. The Bay was mass of deep
blue and the white patches on its surface here and
there made the background seem the more dark.
hued by contrast In the air there was an un-
mistakable feeling Of snow and as the gathering
clouds drew nearer to the city and apparently
lowered around above before settling down. the
mercury began to rise.
AS the temperature grew mi1der the air became
more gloomy and sombre, and shortly after
8 o'clock. when the Thermometer registered 81
degrees, the bits Of white gan to dutter down
to the earth. They were so small and light
that they danced about before alighting and
were caught by the wind and tossed in all dire
lions Soon the air was thick with the fakes
and the sidewalks became covered with a sheet OF
white whereon were left the prints of the big
boot, the little boot and the delicate mark of
French heels The air was cold enough to mako
the snow stick to everything it touched, and
overcoats and wraps wore covering Of stubborn
particles Of ice which would not be shaken Off
while later in the evening they caught in women's
hair and hung there, glstening like diamonds
under the electric lights.
PACKED soLIDLY IN THE STREETS.
Shortly after nightfall the snow had packed
solidly in the streets. 1t was deep enough to
permit those who were determined to have a
slegh-ride to run out their cutters, but as these
came to street-crossings there was usually graft
ing. scrspng noise which SET ones teeth on edge,
but those in the cutters did not seem to mind
that In the pleasure Of q winters sleigh
ride with the wind driving the snow into
faces and whistiing about tingling ears. In
Brooklyn deigh bells were not infrequently heard
also The snow was falling so steadily
and thickly by 8 o'clock that it
seemed as If good old-fashioned
New-England storm had SEQ in. The small boy to
whom the luxury of cutter is beyond his
dreams got fully as much sport out Of 1t all
as any one else. Snowballs began to whiz un-
comfortably near hats, aid old scores Were gen.
orally paid eff to surly policemen In the Battery
number of gamins bad gathered for bootbai
gpne. The 6rst fake that fell saw the football
from all sides. A wild hurrah soon went up
and with ringing shous the boys went TO sliding.
The Battery policemen were utterly Incompetent
t. ss cope ws sst sr as one s @ g Of h Soy
would be routed in one place, new crowd
would bob up in another.
NO IIvELINEss DOWNTOWN.
Tho lower streets were cheerless enough. Tho
wind rushing along between the high buildings
tipped the snow as it came down until it slanted
almost to parallel to the ground. Then it drove
il along the streets in long white sheets, search
ing and bitter In their keenness The of lights
spanning the East River between New-YorlS and
Brooklyn grew dull and obscure long before it
touched the further SIDE and the whirIing masses
of white were gloomy and dispiriung.
The followers of baseball who, in an outburst
Of ill-timed enthusiasm had arranged for game
of ball at the Polo Grounds during the after
noon did not think to have the players wear
mowshoes, and so the scheme met with death by
freezing Yesterdays sn0wstorm was the first
genuine one of the season, and it went TO work as
though 1t had been in the habit of coming along
every few days for the last six weeks. The snow
which fell on November 20 was light, and was
washed away by the rain which followed during
the night 1t was scarcely more than heavy
sIeet az any time. The Signal Service Observer
told reporter last evening that snow or rain
might be expected for to-day, and as the weather
predictions have been particularly accurate OF
iate II is likely that the storm will be good one
Telephone and telegraph wires were badly used
by the wind and the weight Of damp snow. Manv
Telephone wires in the city were blown down.
and many were rendered useless By crossing with
electric light telegraph and other telephone wires.
The polce wires were badly out of order last night
and the only way in which messages reached the
central office from stations where the wires were
down was by messengers.
At the Western Union Telegraph Office it was
said late at night that large numbers Of wires
in this city had been blown down and that
most of the city wires were out Of order, IN one
way or another, owing to the storm: Wires to
the West were working fairly well. but there
was considerable trouble east and north. The
full amount of damage could not be known until
to-day