The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-26
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAINY,
ELoFPY CONDITION OF THINGS
YESTERDAY.
WEATHER MANS EXPLANATION
LOW" AND THE NORTHWEST
HAD TO BE GAME.
DIsAGREEABLE DAY IN ST. PAUL.
Electric Cars Were All Right, but
the Cable and Pedestrians Suf-
fered q Good Deal.

Big Andy was three minutes late
yesterday morning. The weather Of
| course. He trotted down Sibley street
from his car and was within AZ feet of
the shelter Of the union depot shed
when
Well, two little girls hurrying to their
work laughed at the spectacle. A hack
man and the policeman on the beat
measured the mark in the slush and
declared it the perfect figure Of man
6 feet in height and % inches across
the rear Of the bust. Big Andy though
better of his intention to use strong
Language, brushed himself as far as
his arms could reach, and trotted into
the union station humming that ancient
ditty, relating to the sidewalks Of New
York.
This walk-all walks everywhere the same;
Melted snow and sleet and ice-the weather
mans to blame"
Big Andy was not the only one 1t
has been many a long day since the
people Of st. Paul Were so universal
In their ups and downs. Pedestrians as
well as those who rode in vehicles and
the unfortunates who had business in
public vehicles of any sort, realized
early In the day that the weather man
had sent the worst possible conditions
for out-of-door exercise.
Trouble began early. The storm Of
rain and sleet that prevailed all Of yes
terday was part of the heritage Of
those who were out late the night be-
fore. When the street car men began
their duties yesterday morning there
was coating Of Ice on everything out
doors. The switches were blocked, the
cable slots cramped, the trolly wires
coated with ice. The employees of the
road surveyed the situation and said
Things not polite, They knew what to
expect and were not disappointed in
the realization before the day was
ended. 1t was not cold. The rain that
fell In torrents at intervals in the fore
neon was almost warm. Under the in
fiuence Of this down-pour the frost
oozed from the ground, from the build
1ngs, from the pavements, and every
thing was soon coated with g. film of
frozen moisture. The big court house,
was thing Of beauty, its dingy pink
walls being hidden in dainty frosting
Big buildings and little buildings took
on a Fantastic exterior Even the road
ways and the sidewalks concealed
their treachery under a coating Of
beauty. The first man out Of doors yes
terday was the first man on earth.
The second man, was the second TO
make a spectacle of himself The only
consolation they had was the fact that
their fall was before daylight. After
that hour the man who could keep his
feet was curiosity. sC sFaa
But the woes OF pedestrians were not
to be compared with those who sought
to reach business by means of the
street railway system The cable and
Its patrons were the worst sufferers
Supt. Smith says the trouble was due
to the expansion Of the ground ad1oin-
c1n
are so made that there is no room for
expansion or contraction. When the
conditions are such that the frost
comes out Of the ground in a sudden
thaW, there Is nothing to prevent a
condition Of things that makes trouble
for the superintendent of the street
railway system. The iron rails Of the
grip slot are bound to contract. This
contraction is out of ali proportion to
the contraction Of the grips on the
cars. Consequently something is sure
to stick" That's what happened all
day. The first train out of the power
house had trouble. So did the second.
The third was no better and the fourth
hesitated at all points along the line.
The first serious trouble however, oc-
CURED, as is certain on such occasions,
just at the busiest hour Of the fore
noon. When the rain was pouring
down heaviest, a grip stuck fast in an
east bound train at Western avenue.
Finally, after some time, the grip was
deliberately broken by the street car
employees and the car derailed to permit
the passage of other trains. AT noon,
when travel was heaviest, the same
trouble was experienced with the slot
at the western end of the line. Two
grip cars were disabled and travel was
delayed while waiting for the arrival
Of other grips from the power house.
During the afternoon there was COM
paratively small amount Of trouble.
But as soon as the night rush began
the rain began falling heavily again
and the frost poked it's nose out Of the
ground again and choked off more
! grips. At o'clock there were six
cable trains at the western end Of the
line and 1t was a question whether any
of them would get away Finally the
picks and axes Of the workmen cleared
the frozen switches, a disabled train
was shunted to the front and the block
ade was raised.
Thirty extra track men were at work
during the day to keep the cable rum
ming AS usual the Selby avenue hill
was the only place where there was no
| trouble. So constant is the vigilance
at this point that there is never the
slightest difficulty at this place which
Is naturally the most dangerous point
Of the entire cable system.
The electric lines suffered less from
delays than might have been expected.
In the early morning there was some
difficulty with ice on the overhead
wires and on the grades it was found
necessary to use sand and salt. But
as a whole the electric lines ran with
out serious delay.
The only thing now to be feared Is
a sudden freeze. If cold weather
should follow this thaw there would
be much difficulty with all the street
car lines. To obviate some of the diff
ficulties in this direction the company
will keep large force Of men on all
| the lines until the weather becomes
settled, again.
The weather yesterday was respon-
| eible for the smallest days business in
! retail houses for many months In