Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
Settles Over Pittsburg, and Causes
Considerable of Rumpus
Among the Old Timers.
HARD TO RECALL A PARALLEL DAY
The Fog, Smoke and Gloom Almost Thick
Enough to be Cut Into Pieces
and Carted Away.
MIXED CONDITIONS OF ATMOSPHERE.
Pscrls- Scenes in tn. City on Saturday Thst VIII
Become Memorable

treated 10 samples OF Wealner IKE tnose
diShed up yesterday.
Old citizens, who love to dwell on clIma1es
of former days, found themselves put to
trump cards when asked for a parallel, but
wherever they were given the last chance
they got there with both feet, and had quite
4 margin to spare for the bluff and bluster
fund, with which they always knock younger
Statisticians eudwise when 1t comes down to
discussion of the unusual.
The atmospheric conditions of Yesterday
might be described as mixed. At an early
hour a hight rain or mist began to fall,
and this was soon followed by a fog
So dense that a mechanic might
have cut it with brosdax.
There was not air enough stirring to disturb
anything, and great volumes of coal smoke
here and there drited lazily into the swim,
so to speak, and became a part of the
blanket which settled over the city.
Almost Anything to be Had.
By2 O'Clock in the afternoon pedestrians
could reach out into space and grasp almost
anything disagreeable. People who object
TO rain could take mist, and anyone with a
grrdge against natural gas could become
thoroughly saturated with coal smoke.
The zephyrs that came floating out OF
cheap restaurants were freighted with every
thing on the bill of fare, from shadow soup
10 beefsteak smothered In onions and stewed
prunes The cargo in every instance anch-
ored directly over the pavement and gave
the fog banks a dusty, pale yellow appear
ance, to say nothing about the flavor i'm
parted, it being a case of ''the hide going
With the tallow.''
All the streets were coated with a thin
covering of mud, which was as treacherous
in its makeup as banana peels, and the log
was full of umbrellas. No sooner would
the unprotected traveller ask some lsdy's
pardon for moment, while he disengaged
her parachute from his eye, than another
female with the courage of lion would
burst forth from the gloom and gracefully
swipe his hat under the feet of the mob.
Artificial Lights Necessity.
Every office, every business house-in
fact every place occupied by nortals the
city over had to be illuminated. Gas jets
and incandescent lights were as numerous
as stars on a summer night, and it looked
odd TO see great blocks lighted from base
ment to roof The street lights were also
called INTO service, but their efforts were
very tame.
In spite of all the little Objectionable
features, however, the shop windows at
trartei considerable attention, and the
strange fact about II was that the bulk of
the curious crowds consisted of women and
children. They seemed to be having Just as
good a time looking at the trinkets and
watching The vague outlines of the boy in
the rear muffled from head to foot play Santa
Claus at the rate of 90 cents dav. as If
two suns had been Frightening up the
scene. The man who had hopes of snow
enough to warrant the dusting up of the
rusty cutter, two days ago, quietly turned
il over to the fowls as hen rooSt again, and
fell back upon summer drinks until the
next cold spell.
Scores of people could be found in book
stores looking for thoughtful literature
LoncfelIow's Rainy Day" found many
admirers, but 'Ip Darkest Africa" was
greater favorite." The selection that topped
the heap, however, was Lord Byron's
Dream of Darkness" which tells OF
world without sun, moon or stars, where all
the clouds had been dissolved and every
heart was chilled with a selfish prayer for
light, darkness being the universe. This
vivid picture came nearer fitting in with
the average sentiment than ANYTHING that
could be recalled on tie spur fthe moment.
Little Life Along the River Banks.
Along the rivers there were very few
signs of life. Nothing worth speaking about
except fog banks could be seen. 1t was ut
terly impossible to distinguish objects 200
feet away. Now and then a steamer could be
located bv the black volumes that rolled
A. Ill h,& tl,o
body of the craft was lost to view. Even
the wharlboats could not be outlined from
Water street.
Many of the old.rivermen "allowed' that
this was the first time in over 20 years that
they had felt perfectly at home in Pittsburg,
and every few moments little groups of
them would be encountered feeling their
way around the corner TO place where they
could moIstea up-wIth something more sub
stantial than mist.
Commodore Walton, the coal king OF the
rivers, ack ged that it was as disagree
able day, without mentioning anv dates
that he could recall, shutting out yesterday,
so lar as fog and smoke were concerned, His
adYices freu1 down river were to the effect
that it was raining and with lots of snow in
the mountains, and plenty of ice in the
upper streams he confidently expected a
warm spell and a frcshet
An old steamboat man who gauges his
weather estimates by secret code picked
up during years of experience, was asked
how he accounted for the unusual condi-
tions He assumed q profound look, and
then, like Jack Bunsbv, gave an opinion
as is an opinion" by remarking that, as
near as he could calculate, ait was merely a
gathering of the atmosphere"
Impossible for Boats to Run.
James a. Henderson, of the Pittsburg
aud Cincinnati Packet Line, said that the
fog had badly interfered with the business
OF his company. "It is the worst have
ever seen on the river" he continued, "and
have been in the business for % years.
Everything is late to-day, and it was i'm
possible for the boats to run in this fog. Il
any such attempts had been made numerous
accidents would have been the result.
'sFhe- rain will cause a rise in the river,
though to what extent, of course, can t
say. We have ordered shippers TO move
their freight from tine wharf, for fear it will
getin the way OF the river and float off.
There is some rain up the Monongahela
river, and the snow up the Allegheny will
combine 10 give the river rise. and ex-
pect to see a good river by Monday. That
will be good thing for the coal men, as at
present there is no river for them to work
on
Pleasant Predictions for the Future.
At the Sigual Service Office the officials
were still fixing up predictions. Boss Stew
arts desk was covered with little notes iroL
many sources, asking him 10 turn the crank
and see if he could not bring about a
change. About O'Clock he said the indi-
cations we're for rain, with clearing and fair