New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-20
SPRING, GENTLE SPRING.
SURPRISING WEATHER COMPUTES THE
PROPHETS.
A REsPEcrA Bile sNOwsToRM GIVES THE DEPUTx
STRENGTHENING COMMISSIONER CHANCE
TO PROVE Ills ORIGINAL IDEAS.

STRENGTHENING COMMISSIONER A CHANCE
TO PROVE Ills ORIGINAL IDEAS.
A snowstorm took New-York by surprise yester-
day. At haf-past 5 in the morning the first
light fakes fell AS the day grew older the fall
grew heavier. At z O'Clock the snow was coming
down thickly and steadily. At noon the depth
of the fall was between five and six inches. equai
to a rainfall of SO go of an inch. At p. IA
it had increased to nearly seven inches. and be-
tween that time and 5 o'clock, when patches OF
blue sky broke among the clouds. and the snow
stopped, about bali an inch more fell. The gen.
rral temperature was l degree above the freezing
point and owing to this the snow was sticky
The flakes were large and moist and heaped them
selves in soft banks.
The street-car lines the only traBporta-
tion lines in the city which were hindered by
the Storm The trains on the elevated roads ard
on the Bridge made good time. Teegraphd
communication suffered more than anything else.
Mr.. Baldwin, wire chief Of the Western Union
Company said " The effect of the storm was very
severe in the ncishborhood of Philadelphia, and
between Philadelphia and Baltimore. also in the
Allegheny Mountains between Altoona and Pitts
burg and along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
between Washington and Cumberland. The
trouble was caused by the wet snow adhering TO
the wires and poles. Wires and poles were
broken, and broken trees and broken foreign
wires MI over our wires. Outside OF these
districts there has been no serious interruption.
We felt the storm very little here. and there was
no complete stoppagc of communication. In the
section mentioned we were deprived Of about one.
halt-of our facilities for three or four hours and
we expect to have these entirely restored by to-
morrow morning.
New-Yorkers downtown looked with admiration
on the beautiful transformation wrought by tho
snow on the trees of City Hall Park and on more
prosaic objects; looked with disgust on the less
beautiful transformation wrought by the snow
on the streets and asked What's the matter
with the weather prophets ,"
SERGEANT DUNN MORE CAUTIOUS.
A Tribune reporter went TO Sergeant Dunn. Of
the Signal Service Bureau, and asked, >" Is this
sprng?'
well. it's supposed to be sprng-time. replied
the Sergeant. cautiously.
Wasn't warm, fair weather foretold for to-
day?'
We'll, that prediction covered the twenty
four hours from o'clock on Tuesday morning
TO o'clock this morning, and it was verified for
twenty-one hours. There was indication of q
snowstorm last night. There no rain any,
where Us at p m. The skies were then
clear as far south Georgia and as far west as
Michigan. The nearest light rain falling last
night was at Cincinnati. and il was hardly driz-
zle. The storm that we are having here is q
storm that moved up from Texas. where it was
central yesterday
"A cowboy storm"
YES. and it must be the rampage. 1t trav-
clled 1000 miles in nine hours. which is thing
that doesn't often happen. 1t is only In one cass
| ont fIofa SfO
as this one has moved 1t broke up prediction
that had every assurance of being verified. There
is no man in the world who can tell-there are no
indications 10 show-that storm is going to
move as that one moved"
1T is showing through the Middle Atlantic
States, the New-England States and the Lake
Region. The fall is very nearly even through
out all these places. The telegraph wires arc
working badly. our reports were all late this
morning The centre OF the storm is over Viz
gInia and IL is moving of the Virginia coast
south of the centre Of the storm, through the
South Atlantic States, 1t is raining. West of the
Mississippi II Is fair.
AT o'clock this morning the temperature
here was 30 degrees 1t was 30 degrees at Bos-
ton and 26 AZ Chicago; 1t is colder through the
Western States. and below zero in Minnesota.
High winds prevail along the Atlantic Coast and
storm signals are displayed from Hatteras north
ward to Maine"
INDICATIONS FOR TODAY.
What the indications for Tomorrow"
" II will be colder here tomorrow. and it should
be fair
VIII you say that positvely?'
We'll, there is every chance for it. Every
thing is favorable 70 fair weather after to-mor-
row morning anyhow. with colder temperature
At the Grand Central Station Yesterday after
noon il was reported that none Of the incoming or
outgoing trains had been delayed by the snow
storm. and that no dancer of blOclSades was
| feared q m
time. The Boston Express on the New-lorll
and New Haven. due at 80 p. m. twenty
minutes late and the local express on the New
York Central. due at , - p. m, was six minutes
late. Bat neither of these delays il was sad
was due TO the snow. Between New-Nork and
Albany less snow was reported than in the neigh.
The Delaware Lackawanna and Western and
the Ncw-Nork. Lake Erie and Western trains near
" all arrived on schedule time. On the Pennsyl-
vania. West Shore and Central Ncw-.Icrsey roads
many morning trains were delayed from five to
twenty minutes. Heavy snow was reported all
along these lines but no fears of serious block
AIDES were entertained by the officials in this city.
II was the general opinion that the snow had not
come 10 stay.
EFFORTS At sTEEETCLEANING.
Acting Street Cleaning Commissioner Haean pun
on all his available force yesterday. and all the
extra men he could employ 10 clear away the
snow and scrapc and shovel and sweep and cart
off the evidences of the storm. Eddie claimed
that he was doing his :" level best with the APP
planccs at hand to keep the cross-wallSs open and
the cutters clear. The Acting Commissioner sent
n letter yesterday 10 the Mayor asking that tho
Board of Estimate, which VIII meet Tomorrow
authorize n transfer of more money to the " ice
and snow appropriation. of which ali but $1,000
has been expended. In the budget of 1890
&25 OOO was set apart for the removal of ice and
snow : : 900 of this has been paid out Mayor
Grant said that he would bring tine matter he
fore the Board tomorrow, although where the
Street. Cleaning Department had found enough ice
and snow since January 10 use up 81 5000 upon
was a puzzle to him. This may be another in
tercstng matter for the absent Commissioner to
explain il he comes back.
The North German Lloyd steamer Vera and
several ships all the incoming craft that
arrived Yesterday up 10 evening. They reported
that the storm was heavy outside and navigation
difficult Several steamers were due Yesterday
! Il -. G.lI.