The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-14

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livery wagons were seen. ON the streets
tonight. Floating ice cakes in the.
river hinder the ferries greatly. Few
persons Nentured from their houses, to-
day. unless obliged to do so. Courts:
had to be closed: because of the cold,
and the: special Lincoln day :ce1ebra-
tions and the theaters were thtnly at
tended.
To-day was a legal holiday with the
banks and exchanges, and an enforced
one in the business districts generally.
AS there were no shoppers the big
stores closed their doors and sent the
clerks home: The streets even in the
theater districts are almost deserted. .
All, the charitable. institutions are
taxed beyond their resources, owing to
the sudden demands made upon them.
OF the $4,000 destitute families in the
city, as estimated by Blair, superinten
dent Of the outdoor poor, nearly all are
either freezing or starving to-day. The
continued storm has Handicapped all
efforts to aid and the blizzard of to-
day has necessitated a complete sus-
pension.
The thousands of poor Jews, Italians,
Greeks, Syrians and Armenians who
make a living by selling fruit, confec-
tionery and other small articles from
push-carts and stands have been driv'
en- out of business altogether and
brought to the verge of starvation.
Persons employed outdoors have lost
employment temporarily. They num-
Der many thousands, and some of them
will swell the list of destitute.
The task of keeping railroad trains
in motion was almost herculean. Par
ticuiarly was this the case with the
lines running out of the Grand Central
station With each hour the severity
of nd those
in charge of the work were reluctantly
compelled to admit that the total stag
nation of traffic stared them in the
face When told of the continuation.
of the existing conditions, was to be
expected tonight: officials of the road
said it was likely that traffic would
come to. a standstill before tomorrow.
: Tonight orders Were issued to sus
pend operations on the main line and
branches of. the Long Island Railroad
until the storm subsidized. Drifts nearly
ten feet high were prevalent through
out the island. -:
~ All of the. Sound steamboats, are tied
up by the storm and it, was announced
none of the: Fall: River: Stenington or
Norwich lines: would venture to. make
TRIPS until the storm: ceases and the
entrance. to He'll Gate is free from ice.
No out-of-town: mails were received
to-day With Inc exception OF TWO morn
ing consignments from. Boston. :
Z Chief of Police Deyery tonight is
sued an order to. the captains Of the
various precincts. in Greater New York
ITO give shelter to: all who apply for
At and to afford general assistance to.
destitute persons. -:
Mayor Van Wyck to-day notified
Commissioner John w. Roller Of the
Department Of charities that: he: had
100000 subject. TO the commissioner
draft for the purpose of. relieving the
poor. Tammapy Hail gave half the
amount and Richard Croker and James
Keene contributed $4,000 each.
/: Three deaths from the cold were re-
ported to-day: They, are.
RICHARD ATCHESON. So Years of
age. frozen to. death in the. snow. -:
GEORGE HATZEN; an agent at ia
Broadway. fell dead in a snow drift.
LEE SING. a. Chinese. % years old,
frozen to-death in Brooklyn.