New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-17
THE STORM.

II was not a blizzard The temperature was
too high and the snow was in 0rdiar! HINES
not spicrles In fact there was rOthihS III"
usual about it, unless it was that II came from
the southwest, while the wind was Diowihe /"
furious gale from the northeast. IL was just
plain. ordinary. old-fashioned clustering SNOW"
storm. the kind of storm which every Nor'herh-
bred man declares was familiar 10 hih' III HIS
bovhOOd. but which, he adds. we never nave
nowadays. As a matter OF fact we 90 nave
them nowadays. about as frequently as ever
the weather and the climate. year IN ana year
ont. not having changed perceptibly WITHIN
the memory OF the Oldest inhabitant. mat u.s.
perhaps the most Obvious OF all fac's sugges'eu
by Yesterdays storm
or more practical value is the consideration
of the progress made. or not made. In deaiih.
with such incement manifestations or cle-
mental power. Man cannot hope to control the
weather The best he can do Is so 10 order
his affairs that he will he incommoded ana ais
comfOrted by IL as little as possible mat ne
has vet done so is not for moment 10 De De-
lieved A certain amount Of Inconvenience ana
suffering may always be inevitable IN such Il
Storm but not nearly as much as was actually
endured yesterday. Take. for example, the on"
item of local transit. The cable-carS showed
vast superiority over horsecars. yet even they
had their faults. Tracks were slippery, ord-
nary speed was not attempted, progress WAS
slow and uncertain Trolley lines suffered s'ili
more. and the elevated railroads were by no
means exempt from trouble. One OF these days
we may have properly constructed under
ground road. on which a storm like that would
have not the slightest effect. One or these
days. tOO-and it ought to be very soon-New-
York may he as humane as some other cities
now are in requiring the platforms OF surface
cars 10 be inclosed in winter. so that conduct
ors and gripmen will not be exposed rcedlessly
TO snow and frost. The superiority or bridges
over ferries. the advantages of underground
electric wires. and a host Of other details OF
potential progress are all clearly brought out
at such a time as this
They are mere details commonplace and I'M
! heroic. and so familiar 10 us that We are prone
to overlook them excepting on some special
occas Even then we are inclined 10 put
them aside. as Of only temporary interest.
| There was large amount OF average human
nature in that Arkansas settler. who could not
mend his cabin roof when ii rained and did not
need 10 when il did not rain. If all the need
less and avoidable delay Inconvenience and
| discomfort suffered by all the people Of this
city Yesterday. and TO be suffered by them In
| the score or more Of similar storms between
now and next spring. could be Jumped in one
| visible mass. the world would be appalled, at
+, ts ma gnitude and cruel horror. That instead
| of being thus condensed IL Is widely distributed
| in place and time, is not really the slightest
mitigation of the evil. The lesson we have TO
learn more completely is that material civli-
zation consists not merely in increased lux
uries. but In decreased discOmforts well.
| That is the lesson most suggested by these saw
age wntry storms. 1t will profit man little to
make all the other inventions and discoveries
in the world if he find no way OF protecting
| himself from the Incorporate elements