New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-07
NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JANUARY T. Is96-SIXTEEN PAGES.
1T MADE THE BLOOD IINGLE.
COLDEsr DAY SINCE DECEMBER 81. 1880.

TWO BLocKADES on THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
FORCE HUNDREDS OF PASSENGERS TO BRAVE
THE FIERCE WINDs-POLICE CALLED TO
MOVE CROWD AT CITY HALL.
sTATIoN-wARMER TO-DAY.
Workers who have given much attention
TO the weather lately have observed that IT
runs in streaks of mild md cold. Some of them
predicted at Christmas time that there would
soon be another cold snap. which would make
skating the lakes in Central Park possible
again. The cold snap here with ven
geance yesterday. Everybody who moved out
of doors felt tho sting Of the frosty air. and
people. rule their heaviest winter
wraps and warmest underclothing. Earmuffs
were much In demand. and even district mes
senger boys moved fast in the street.
1t was the coldost day that New-York has
experienced since 1880 when. on December 81.
the thermometer dropped to degrees below
zero. At 6 a. IN. yesterday the mercury had
passed the zero point and trying to get fur
ther below it. For three hours the struggle was
maintained. and then. seeing that it Was OF no
avail. the mercury began to rise slowly from the
bulb. and at noon II had reached the altitude
Of degrees above zero
RECORD IN 1875.
The ccldcst day in New-York since the
Weather Bureau has been in existence was on
January 10. 1870 when the mercury registered
slightly below the record of 1850.
I'VE have had IN" worst = Il" said the local
forecaster Dunn as he gazcd fearfully below at
the hurrying crowd The cold wave was due 10
an area o. high pressure The wave IS now pass
ing ia pidly eastward and We have had our cold
est weather. 1t s. row getting warmer all over
tn" country"
AZ, a ~. the thermometer registered three de-
grees below. al 10 a m II was one degree above,
at noon It was two degrees and p. m. the mer-
curry had risen to nine degrees above zero.
Down on the street the people hustled along.
swinging their arms and happng their hands
agains' their ears foi II matter Of Jack
Frost getting In mis- work on ears or noses II
they were left long unprotected. Among the
chief sufferers Were the motormen on the cable
cars WAC. unlike their brothers On the elevated
road. could get no m meni's warmth inside the
cars. Horse-car drivers were equally unfortu-
nate and the deserted city Hall benches spoke
eloquently OF tn, suffering of the wandering
Willies" who sough, the warn. bat ir1n-clai re
llef " the polio" stations.
FLOATING ICE PALACES
{, ldom have the pcoplo along the river front
fascinating pictures a. those presented by the
incoming vessels. whether coastwise ar trans
atlantic. Each was veritabe floating zee
palace. Without exception. they steamed In
clad in ice from stem to stern. and from water
line io crossrrces Ev.n the tunnels and NE
boats bore icy evidences of the trip on the
occar La Gascogue. Of the French Line. ar.
rived here yesterday coated with ice fore ami
ait and the Hamburg Liner. Phoenicil also
brought several hundred tors more Of freight
thao she had baigained for.
TIL. POOR APPLY FOR coal.
The assistants OF superintendent Blake. of
tn. out .,.r Poor Department. were kept busy
y .stor,lar receiving applications for free coal
for poverty stricken families. Mere than hye
hundred applications were handed In. The cold
snap caused an increas" in the number of daily
applications Each Application has 90 10" In
v,siigated to learn II II Is deserving one. be
fore th- coal ll distributed. There MAS long
lin. Of poor persons IN Superintendent Blake
rooms all day seeking relief.
or course there was n breakdown on the
Bridge People might have expected that the
cars would stop running when IN" mercury was
lowering about the zero mark and a walk from
BROOKLYN 10 New-York involved 20 much sur
f.ring - 10 be- almost dangerous. Probably
I 900 persons who took The walk about O'Clock
YESTERDAY, morning were more angry than sur
Inised a the stopping Of the cars.
Twenty minutes bcfoi" o'clock tram "l
fnur cars started from the Brooklyn end of the
Bridge and every car was crowde with pas
.ngors The train got little way past IN"
frook.Nu tower and then stopped with series
of iolts For several minutes the passengers
could not find out what WIS IN" matter, ana
many Of thr,, were alarmed for their safety
while others booted and j"ercd Il; the Tainm"i
II was discovered at last that the grip OF one oi
,p. ln
cars were not able to drag the train mp the IN
cline.
STOPPED FOR HALF An HorR.,
4 message was sent by telephore from the
tower to the brooklyn end. and n switch loco
moiiy. was sent to take the train hack All
Other trains had 10 be stopped for nearly half
an hour \ great crowd Of people collected at
tho Hrooklyn end Of the fr.dgc and waited
awhile. and about 1000 unwillingly started 10
walk over because they could not hc sure when
the trains would run, and they were In a hurry
tn get across the river. There were many
vnutl women who feared that they might lose
their places as iypewrtcrs or saleswoinen II
they were too late in arriving at offices f. this
city ana there We're many b"lated clerks ana
business men In the crowd.
The wind that swept over tho Brldg" made the
suffering from the co,d more intolcrable. Many
Of The persons wrapped handkcrchiefs about tneir
ears 20 encp them from freezing. and most O' IN"
mon had iciclee hanging from their boards when
thcv got to NeW- York. Before haf the people VINO
started t. walk al time to complete their jour
nev they were disguised 10y seeing the trains
start again. 1t nearly an hour before the
trains were running their usual time. and
there was serious delay for many people who got
over in the cars.
There vas another block on the Bridge last
evening just at the rush" hours. At $50 o'clock
the gllp me Of tn cars on a train hound for
causing the cable to slip through the shoe of the
grip The grips On the three other cars held and