New-York tribune., 1896-01-09
PREP TTON EOR WINTER.

The cold snap has caused the people Of New
York great deal of Inconvenience. 1t has not
stopped their ears nor piled up their streets with
snow 10 the confusion Of the Street Cleaning
Department, hut it has brought frozen gas
meters and cold houses and bursted water pipes,
general discomfort and a conviction Mr.. John
Hare would say that you can't trust janitorS'
steam-fittcrs or real estate agents. Not only is
there more cold than Is agreeable, but also
more heat The Fire Department has been busy
for the last few days putting out small fires
started by the too energetic plumber in his ef-
forts TO thaw out the pipes which should have
been protected from freezing Yet 1t has not
been phcnomenay cold, after all The thcr-
momctcr went down one morning. il Is true, to
three degrees below zero That is by no means
an extraordinary temperature for this latitude.
Albany has been having the thermometer down
to seventeen degrees below zero. and Il large
part Of this State thinks nothing Of long term
Of zero weather.. Ncwlork Itself Is rarely rs
cold as the surrounding country, and cold snap
does not last here loEg, but it has no right To
expect exemption from goodly share of gcnu-
inc winter weather. and should he prepared to
endure il in comfort.
The fact is that New York does not make any
adequate provision for winter. 1t Is the same
old story every year cur periods Of really cold
weather are of short duration. but they come
Just "a surely and need 10 be guarded against
Just as much a. if they Listed all winter But
every cold snap. instead of giving "A new warn
Ing Of what will come again. seems to carry the
conviction that the law Of chances makes II
improbable that IT can ever be repeated In
Ia in tbn
the interior Of this State. houses are built and
people are clothed with view 10 the severe
weather that is sure to come But here in many
ways we are only in degree better prepared for
cold than are the inhabitants OF Georgia and
Florida whose climate invites them II take
more chances Of frost than they do of fire. They
risk the one and insure againS, the other. our
house owners follow much the same plan. Thcy
build with a view 10 average requirements, ana
in the demand for economy compel the architect
frequently to put his pipes not where h" should
but where he can most chcaply 80 he carries
water under a window along IN outer wall and
runs his sas pipe 10 The street close bes.d" Il
cold alr,hafi. That is the best he can do for
the money and II works well most Of the time.
But once or twice year il makes troubl" AMI
expense. which might have been avoided had
the same care been taken as i found necessary
In colder regions The architects and plumbers
probably do the best they can, but they canno,
DO as they would elsewhere so long IL the gen
cral public estimates "A New-Iork winter by its
average not by H. extremes.
Then there is the question Of clothing. Few
New Workers dress with any real regard {" III"
weather one cold day more or less Is not
worth thinking about. and when it comes III"
resident ~ this cly endurcs 1t with discomfort
instead ~ preparing 10 enjoy it with adequate
protection. and he j. a The more uncomfortable
because he never has n chance to 20" thoroughly
used to severe weather. II Ncwlork people
dressed with judgment and built and managed
their houses with a View io changing temper
aturr. they would not sean the weather reports
- anxiously for signs Of warm wave every
time the thermometer went down To zero.