New-York tribune., 1899-02-11
STILL BELOW ZERO.
rHr RECORDS SHOW NO COLDER
WEATHER IN NEW-TcRK.
MUCH SUFFERING CAUSED AMONG THE POOR
FrRPYBoATs IMPEDED BY THE IcE-THE
PORT LEE BOAT IN THE RIVER
ALL NIGHT.

Zoro WA continued
Sew-Yorkers chatter yesterday. II was worse
sha, IN Thursday in the early hours OF the day. No
colder weather than that OF yesterday morning
has been recorded in this city since the Weather
Bureau began 10 keep official tab The mercury
got down 10 degrees below zero at s a. M and
stayed there for an hour. Such low temperature
has been recorded by the local bureau three times
before on January TO- 1876: December 81. $780, and
February II. 1896 The mercury did not fall quite
so lovv In the great blizzard which hit this city on
March H. 1855
The ofIlcial thermometer marked below zero soon
after 1 a. m yesterday. and the mercury kept below
the zero mark until nearly 10 a. m The Official
thermometer IS on the roof OF the Manhattan Life
Building In lower Broadway. and apparently the
cold was not intense up there as 1t was ABOUT
many thermometers near the street level In diner-
ent parts OF the city. which marked 10 degrees be-
low zero about a In several suburban places
the mercury fell lower than that. Yesterday
afternoon. when the city was flooded with sun
shine and the breeze seemed TO abate somewhat
peoplo on the streets began TO hope for break
In the cold wave. but the highest temperature
reached In this city yesterday was degrees above
zero.
As soon as the sun went down the cold became
more intense and the biting wind was stronger
and the mercury in the tube was near the zero
point before midnight.
The forecas. given at the weather Bureau last
mint was fair and cold weather IN the city to-
days.
SUFFERING CAUSED BY THE COLD.
The creakng sounds made by the wheels Of
rniIk-wagons passing over the snow-covered pave
ments early yesterday morning awoke many New
Workers and made them shiver In their beds. Win
dow-panes much covered with frost Ill
many houses that people indoors could not see
through them. so many water-pipes and gas
pipes frozen that the plumbers and gas-htterS
ha OF
their services The cold caused delays in the run
ming of street railway cars and the cars were Ike
ice-boxes. The police rescued several persons who
overcome with the cold and took them TO hos
pitfalls he thawed out. Nobody was frozen TO
death 80 far as the police records showed. but there
was much suffering over hundred persons
suffering with frosbtten hands. feet ears or noses
treated at city hospitals. People who had 10
go foot along any street usually ran over tho
Icy sidewalks. Everybody seemed to be in hurry.
The continued severity OF the weather has brought
excessive suffering upon the poor OF the city. This
much is ettested by the unusual number OF men
and women who have applied al the various police
stations and at the city lodging-ho at First
ave and wenty-third-st.. FOR shelter from the BIT
ing cold Superintendent Blair OF the outdoor
Office. at East River and Twenty-sixth-st.. be-
ieged all day yesterday by the poor in need Of help
While many asked for food, their principal cry was
for coal and fuel. 1t apparent from the ap-
peaIs made to Mr.. Blair that the cold wave has
John W. Keller, Commissioner OF Charities, IS
doing all he can to relieve the distress by admit
ting people to the institutions controlled by the
Department OF Public Charities but he frankly
admits that there IS no way of helping poor people
not In public institutions except by private charity
This IL due 10 the law that forbids the Department
10 give relief to people in their own homes. At
time it the custom OF the city 10 distribute
coal every winter among the poor, but because OF
the abuses whtsh 1t alleged had crept into the
system the PRESTIGE was discontinued. and the work
OF giving out coal relegated to the superin-
tendence OF the Charity Organization Society.
DIFFICULTY IN REMOVING SNOW.
g. J. Bradsh the inspector Of snow removal said
yesterday that $3.50 loads Of snow removed
from the streets Thursday. and that. as near
as he could Judge the same amount, II not pore
would he taken away yesterday. Much difhcuity
has been experienced during the extreme cold
weather In getting a sufficient number Of snow
shovellers. Nearly the whole force OF regular
street t-sweepers was al work yesterday shoveling
snow into Contractor Dunns carts The wages OF
these city employees will be deducted from the
amount paid to Mr.. Dunn.
James Mccartney. the Commissioner OF Street
Cleaning said yesterday:
''It was reported to me last night and this morn
ing that twelve Of our had been severely frozen
while at work in the streets Now. these are men
that have work every day in the year. and make
cold weather II they freeze. how about those poor
fellows who have only few rags 10 keep them
such night as last night nor in the daytime
either. l am sure that thoughtful people VIII look
at the matter in this light, and be satisfied with
what is being done
FERRYBOAT ALL NIGHT IN THE ICE.
Many OF the ferryboats greatly delayed
Yesterday by the ice in the rivers and Ray. Few
Of the boats from South Ferry 10 Thrty-ninth-st,
Brooklyn able 10 make the trip in less than
The ferryboat Hopatcong. Of the Christopher-st
line. unable 10 make her slip on the New-forS
side yesterday morning, owing TO the low ude ana
ice In the river, and obliged TO return 10 Ho-
boken with four hundred passengers' who were
transferred 20 the fcrryboat Secaucus and landed
IN New-York after a delay of an hour and half
Many ferryboats were frozen fast IN their p SIPS
while taking on passengers. and II often was WIN
much difficulty that the boats broke loose from the
Fort Lee ferryboat stuck in the middle OF
the Hudson River from midnight Thursday untii
trucks were on the boat. and among The passengers
were yonng MoSn p VINO Da 'nr ro pTS m,en Who had
also been visiting friends in EnRlewood The boat
left the New-Jersey slip at midnight and when In
midstream IL was caught in an icefoe captain
Davis did everything possible TO run the boat back
hemmed it in that Il was utterly impossible move
the boat one way or the other. lhe young "0ih'es @
the, lfe-preservers she slept calmly through the
The Ice was so bothersome in the East River
yesterday afternoon that the Wall-st. ferryboats
between Manhattan and BROOKLYN could nqt run
and the service was abandoned aiter ABOUT ABOUT
o'clock The ice was tammed in the MOntague-st
slip deep that tho boats could DOT enter IcoPle
living on the Heights who the Wal-st. ferry
went by way Of the Fulton ferry. which. by the
hardest kind OF work. made irregular trips
ICE IN THE BAY AND AT THE HOOK.
Three coal barges. owned by the Atlantic Trans
portatlon Company which were anchored or Lib
erty Island, dragged their anchors and hoated
about in the route of the Communipaw ferry be
tween New Jersey and New-York. to the danger Of
these boats.
The ships anchored about Liberty Island present.
ed a pretty appearance the spray OF which dashed
over they having frozen Nearly every tug passing
near the Battery was coated with ice.
The British steamer Daniel, from Shields. an
chored IN the lower bay since Sunday. awaiting
orders which was forced by the ice and wind on
Thursday on a bar Off the lfe-saving station, was
In the same position yesterday morning, and some
of the life-saving crew walked over the ice 20 her
The nfe-savers returned and reported that the