Wichita eagle., 1890-03-07
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Gai1u Eaole
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
HOW THE METROPOLIS HAS SIZE.
FERED FROM FOG THIS WINTER.
Perils and Discomfort in the Streets and
Around the Ferries-Accidents ON the
Elevated Railroads and the Zig Rr;dee
Delays and Losses In Business.
Especial Correspondence

anu the Rig Bridge.
Delays and Losses In Business.
Especial Correspondencel
NEW YORK, Feb 24.-It would be absurd
probably, TO accuse the weather bureau of
having succumbed to an attack of anglo
manla, such as New Yorkers are often de-
clared to have. 1t would be rather cruel.
too, for the weather bureau has enough
other enormitieS TO answer for this winter.
1t Is fact, however, that in one respect the
weather here has been more London ike for
the past few months than ever before, in that
we have had a remarkable series of fogs.
These foss, moreover, are by no means the
light morning mists to which we are not I'M
accustomed and TO which there is no great
objection. They are dense masses of vapor
so dark as to cast the city into twilight and
make it really difficult and dangerous to 90
around town. Some Of the Johnnies and
cheppieS around the clubs have complained
that they are not quite SO black and dirty as
the London fogs are, but that is probably
owing to the fact that, as a rule we use hard
coal instead Of the soft English coal that
thIckens the London air with smoke and SCOT.
Aside from this mere incident, we may be
SAID to have had a remarkable succession of
London particulars"
As might naturally be expected. the weather
bureau refuses to acknowledge this. The ern-
ployes of that remarkable Institution ere SO ac-
customed to reversing the popular Judgment Of
any meteorological phenomenon that it seemed
very easy for one of them to tell me that we had
not had, he believed, any unusual amount of
fog this winter. The remark did not surprise.
it paralyzed me; but he some what dulied the
effect OF his mOnStrous statement by admit
ting that there had been more fog on land
than usual Ordinarily, he said, the fog was
caused by warm air striking the floating ice
III the rivers aud bay, and consequently it
lies over the water. Why there should be 50
much fog ON land this year he couldn't say,
and this seemed so characteristic Of the ser
vice that | came away relieved
More than usual! Well. yes There have
been several days this winter when a man
standing on the sidewalk could not see tie
street car that was passing hun. No one who
Is not familiar with tae life of the streets in
the great city can realize what this actually
means. 1t IS almost as if the sun should fail
to rise some day, and the street lights should
ali be put out. The most reckless truck
driver dare not try to dash along at his usual
rate through the crowded streets, and thus
the delivery of every box and bale of mer-
chandlse that IS TO be shipped is more or less
delayed. Carriages and street cars are driven |
al reduced speed, and thus the arrival any
where OF everybody is made late and uncer-
tam. Inc obscurlty-it is not exactly dark !
ness-makeS the blocks" in the overcrowied !
business streets more numerous than ever |
and sometimes almost hopeless. At the best |
of times the principal business thoroughfares /
are inadequate for the proper accommodation |
OF the traffic of the city, and, when a hin |
drance like fog is encountered, discomfort,
danger and great loss of money are expert
enced. The loss Of money is Of course, almost |
all indirect, caused by delays, but it is none
the less actual.
One curious feature Of this matter is the
paralysis that falls upon street industries
There is an army of men and boys who make
their living in the streets Peddlers, organ !
grinders, street bands, bootblacks, old clothes
men, rag men, travelling tinkers. clothesline
members and the like devote themselves to
picking up such pennies as can be gotten out
of small trades and small services. and find
their customers on the sidewalks or in the
houses they pass In a fog such as came
almost every day in December. on eight days
In the first half of January, and with gradu-
ally lesSening frequency since, it is practically
impossible for them to find customers and
their business stops.
Serious as this is to the street workers.
however, there are many other results of
more general importance. 1t does not seem.
for example. as if the running of cars on the
elevated railroads would be interfered with by
such thing as fog. Excepting in two or
three places the down tracks do not cross the
up tracks, and there is practically no danger
az all of collision between trains going in on
poS.te directions, and with the excellent svs-
TEN Of signals that has been established it
seems as ii there was no danger Of collision
with train ahead. Yet there nave been two
or three such collisions this winter. taouyh
there has been no case of fatal or
even serious injury TO the person The slow
trave! that Is necessary throws the trains Off
the tIIne schedule, and the engineers have TO
rely on their eyes Slone 10 tell them what is
ahead. IN @ log they can neither see obstruc-
ions nor signals, and the result is an occa-
'ional accident. Whether the company will
continue 10 be as fortunate in the future as
[ has been in the past in escaping serious ac-
'iGents is purely u matter OF con lecture. There
re few New Workers who do not expect that
ONE day there Viii be az accident attended
With friShJiul loss of lie. but it is certain
hat the road Is managed with rs much care
IS Is humanity possible considering that there
re few serious defects Ia II.
Even on the Brooklyn Bridge railroad.
where there ara no crossings. and where the
motive power Is supplied hv cable. there was
collision in December that was owing 10
he fos which obScured The sight OF the train
zen and prevented them from seeing a train
.hich had stopped ahead Of them Fortu-
aceIy this was also q comparatively trifiing
though one or two persons were :
sverely injured.
But IL is on the water and along the water
'onC that the serious results and yAe pic,ur-
cue features of the fos are 30 be found On ;
Ia 18th and 20th Of December no vessel loft j
r arrived in the great port Of New York Tor !
lirt--~,x rours, though several vessels hung !
round outside the harbor. only managing 10
ei IN on tire ,lst, and several ocean steam
S in2t " >:e ready to start were obliged 10