New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-18
GALES AND A DRIVING RAIN.
A FIERCE STORM on THE COAST. :

the winter of 800 promises 70 establish high
record. made its appearance yesterday, and New
York once again given to rain and wind.
From the darkness of the early morning until the
shadow of night had fallen over the city, the
rival clements fought fight to the death for the
mastery, and when rwcnty-onc hours had been
counted the battle was still undecided. In the
opinion Of the sailors. longshoremen, policemen,
newspaper men. and other persons whose sx-
pcr:cnces entitie them to speak with authority
the weather, the wind had rather the better Of
th" battle. The rain dashed itself in great sheets
into peoples faces, while the wind whirled the
bodies of those who bravcy plodded through the
streets
Late on Tuesday night New-York was warned
to expect snow and high winds with the storm
that was making its way along the coast from
North Carolina. The northeast wind was on time.
but a rush OF warm air from the South that came
ahead of the storm raised the temperature TO two
or three degrees above the freezing point. and
turncd the snow into rain. Sergeant Jesunofskl,
the acting chief Of the Signal Service Bureau.
whose extraordinary memory ana mastery OF data
enable him 10 reel of whole column of facts
without once referring to his notes. gave a forcible
and gr4 phc description of the origin and progress
Of the visitation
WHERE 1T CAME FROM
fest on Monday at point between ST. Louis
and Chicago. At that time ii had developed no
energy whatever, and, in fact, did not begin to
assume anything like respectable proportions un-
nj room on Tuesday, Wncn II was forced out OF
its course and driven southcast"ard By two areas
Of high atmospheric prcSsIic -One IN st LOUIS
and the other in the Southwest. 1t made pretty
rapid time tie country, Tor at ; a. m. tins
morning il was central over Cape iiatteras and
Norfolk Virginia. Now il is pushing Its way
nolthcastward and causing hCavy rains and gales
all along the Atlantic Coast from Eastport, Me,
to Charleston, \ G.. Pierce as il is now, eNpece
to see il increase IN intensity it continues.
II Is not probable that we shall be quit of it to-
ni-ht, or even tomorrow, but the fall in tenn
Ieratnrr which Is likely to occur tonight or early
tomorrow may give us a light snowfall in place
Ol the RAN.
Il was not until late on Tuesday night that signs
Of the cnemys approach began to be felt in this
city soon after o'clock the wird which had
been blowing Gently at sixteen miles an hour. or
less, suddenly went up 10 twenty miles an hour
and A. midnight had increased 10 twentyfour
miles. At 3 a. m IT iaI reached n twenty eight.
mile gait and between ( 80 and 80 a. m. blew
steadily at thirty milo, an hour Then, with one
great swirl and ru>E, it bounded along to forty
miles an hour, and maintained that speed for the
rest Of thc morning and afternoon, the maximum
velocity Of forty-two miles ain hour being attained
AZ l0:lj a. m.
The wind iS northeast all along the coast"
said Sergeant Jesunoishi, in giving these figures.
But at sea it shows greatly increased violence.
and We are sure TO hear of many wrecks.
great loss 10 shipping can scarcely he avoided
the storm maintains It's pre- mt character
WIND SENT THE RAIN FLYING.
The rain first appeared at 4 80 a. m. Having
once started it wasted no time but kept right at
work without moments break. Those people
who reached their homes drenched to the skin
last night will probably cXpec; 10 hear that the
rainfall was exceptionally heavy. As matter
OF fact considering the magnitude and force ot
th, storm. it was exceptionally light. not quito
two inches falling during the whole day. TIE force
of The wind that caught the raindrops up before
they could touch the pavement and hurled them
through the air lent to it an artificial force.
The streets and avenues of the city presented
their usual aspect of dc>olation and hopelessness.
There is scarcely anything new that il is possible
to say on this head Everybody who lives in
New-lorl knows what the streets like in wet
weather Once again the roadways and pave
ments-the former anklc-decp in slime and mud
and the latter dotted over with small pools and
streams Of water-atorled a sight that it would
hc scarcely possible 10 see in any other capital
city Of the civilized world.
USUALLY HIGH TIDES.
In order fully TO appreciate the force OF tho
storm in this region. however. one had tn walk
or try T. wak-along the Battery seafront. IL
was a dreary and dcSolatc day on the rivers and
bay The wind blew the driving rain in sheets
across the water. and pilots were cautious in tho
handng Of their vessels The morning tide was
unusually high and the waves broke over the sea
wall of Battery Park, sending spray up on the
-raSs plots. II was as drcary and uncom Portable
on shore it the and a supcrfuity
of water was everywhere.
We,t-St. of course once more established It's
claims 10 he considered the hthiest spot on the
Atlantic Coast again the surface of the road
way was almost hidden by small rivers of muddy
water in which men. women and children. TO say
nothing of horses. were OBLIGED 10 walk ankle
deep IN their passage 10 and lrom the fcrry-hoats.
Oitsidc each Of tine railroad stations there were
the usual blockadcs OF wagons. standing eight or
nine deep. Some of the trains on the Jersey Cen
lrdl. PcnnSyvania and New-lork. Lake Erie and
Western roads suffered delays ranging from thirty
minutes 10 two hours. hut the officials were in
rlincd 10 ascrc the loss OF time to the heavy
lhristmas traffic rather than To the rain and
wind. Mails from yarous parts of the country
Wcr. delayed from fifteen minutes 10 several
hours The train from 81. Louis suffered the
most delay.
UMBRELLAS IN DANGER.
Tire adventurous man who tried 10 cross City
Hall Park in the afternoon had tale of adventure
and danger Ia tell when he reached the sidewalk
in Broadway or Park Place. The paths and roads
around the park were strcwn with the battered.
bent and broken corpses of umbrellas that had
fallen hy the way.
Perhaps. however. the summit of human misery
va, reached between and o'clock in the even
lng. when the ahors of the day were over. and
the elevated railroads and strcct-cars were
packet with a mass OF dripping, SCANNING, shivcr-
ing humanity. glad 10 creep anywhere for shelter.
This Is Just the time when the Broadway car
harassed and driven, gets even with
his natural cnemies-the pablic His car may be