New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-24
TELEGRAPH WIRES DOWN.
HIGH VELOCITY OF THE wINDsToRd.
THE WATER SUPPLY IN THE REsERvoIRs
HELPED BY TIE RAINFALL.

THE WATER SUPPLY IN THE REsERVOIRS
HELPED BY TIE RAINFALL.
Tired of mimiokng sunny October, old November.
though drawing nigh to death, awoke 10 all his own
bosterous. clustering, angry self yesterday. To do
his bidding he summoned the wind front IFS caves
and the rain from the Clouds and the broodng silence
Of Sunday evening gave place before morning to high
carnival OF storm. Harder and harder blew the wind
MS the day on, though delighted with Its
freedom; the rain driven along in binding masses.
signs and poles came down. and an umbrella hat,
njndclo,sy left unsecured at windy corners. was the
signal for whooping hobgobin Of the air to leap upon
TO turn inside out, and with fcndsh malice to hurl
the other into the muddest and deepest pool, carefully
prepared for The purpose.
At first, for the dronth-suferng city OF New York. the
rain interesting feature, but the great wind
increased rapidly in strength and velocity that
its ravages became the all absorbing topic. At 80
u. M the wind, which had begun with velocity OF
twenty miles hour blew at the rate OF forty eight
miles in this city and then began decreasing In strength
The storm one OF the most severe that has
been experienced this year In this neighborhood
1t extended Of 1000 miles, and did lots
of damage. 1t formed In the Lower Mississippi Val
ley last week. and from poor and humble beginnings
attained Yesterdays formidable proportions through
untiring industry. IT made rivers and bays very
uncomfortable places. Ferryboats had SO hard o time
of it that their trips made irregularly. and oc
cupied much more time than usual. The wind,
coming out of the southeast, had free range. and
kicked up a nasty and dangerous sea- The tide ran
hlgh and breakers burst over the Battery sca-wall
and across the broad walk
A serious consequence of the big windstorn was
the almost entire cpplng of the wires Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company. The wind USED then'
east, north, south and west, for harp to play It's
vail for the departing month, and the consequence was
that almost all telegraph wires leading to and from
this city were down. The night man
aOe of fhp
they were completely broke UP. They could get no
messages into or out Of the city, and were taking
all kilograms subject to delay. How long the delay
will last is hard 10 say 1t was not expected by those
who were in position to estimate the extent OF the
havoc that the wires could be repaired and reduced
to working order until this morning. 1t was learned
that messages were being stacked, and simply held as
nothing could be done with them 1t had been so ever
since the early evening, and new telegrams TO be
sent, kept arriving every few minutes, the number
of dispatches awaiting their turn was enormous before
midnight
Among other wires which were down were the
coast wires TO Savannah Augusta, Norfolk, New-Or-
leans and points In Florida. out Of the nnumerable
wires to Washington, only two were in working order
Between Buffalo and Chicago and, indeed almost all
Western points, all wires down and useless, shut
ting New-Y York off from almost all telegraph0 COM
muncaon with the rest OF the United states. All
kinds Of roundabout ways were rcsorted to to get
by way OF Boston, go Chicago by way of Montreal
and thence to Baltimore.
The Metropolitan Telephne Company reported that
beyond a few poles which were blown down, ana
few wires which became crossed with electric hght
wires they had suffered damage from the storm
locally and their longdistance telephones, inchdng
the one 10 Washington, also in good order
The rain, unfortunately for tho yawning reservoirs,
stopped at about O'Clock last night without having
done as much good expected from the Storm
The entire rainfall, from the time 1t began OH Sunday
night amounted to only 53100 OF an inch In THIS
city, and though 1t probably slightly heavier In
the Croton Valley. the weather showed Its meanness
by giving the people in the Ohio and Mississippi Val.
Ieys who didn't want any, two and three inches OF It,
1t would be interesting to know why this vaunted rain
storm switched off so suddenly. on Sunday night the
Weather bureau announced that the rain would be
Z" heavier on Tuesday than on Monday Mr.. Dunn
spoke too soon fol- wlin he tried last night to put
his finger on it, IL wasn't there. And In It's place,
cold wave began to make its presence felt. Mr. Dunn
then said that day would be fair and colder ana that
tn. same condition would prevail tomorrow The
temperature began falling radidly last night, and at
midnight starry sky looked down on streets which
were being rapidly dried up by the wind.
On the Sound the storm was terrific. with It's
clear sweep of may miles the great wind fell on the
waters till the waves spouted high and White and
angry OH the black rocks mt Larchmont, NewRochele
and the other places along the wooded, stony coast
Along shore anxious eyes were cast seaward toward
the many yachts which leapng and tugging
Violently at their anchors. with the waves washing
over them from bow to stern. ON New-ROchclle late
in the evening, the misty outline OF large yacht
hich had capsized her anchorage could be seen,
but no ventured out to her. The damage done by
tie wind will, however. be compensated for III some
degree by the beneficial effects OF the rain SO low
had the water IN the Ncw-Rochelle reservoir ialien
tina The danger of water famine had become most
imminent The of water for every purpose for
which it not absolutely essential was PROMPTED
ard decree passed imposing fine OF $50 for
the use of water for washing carriages, horses or Ike
| purposes. The reads, too, had become SO ory AUD
dusty that driving WIS painful duty
Late in the evening heavy sea was DreaRihg along
the shore of the Sound and much damage was feared
COMMISSIONER GILROY,S ANSWER