The Jersey City news., 1899-12-18
WRAPPED IN MIST
Heaviest Fog in Years Hides
the City and River
From View.
DELAY ON THE RAILROADS
Two Erie Ferryboats Col
lide Off Hoboken-N No
One Hurt.

The worst fog that has visited this To-
cality in many a year completely encel-
oped the city this morning when the
larger portion of her residents awoke. So
thick was the heavy mist that people liy-
ing on one side of the street could not see
what was going on on the opposite side
This delayed progress of all kinds and
even pedestrians had to exercise more
than ordinary care as they made their
way through the dense fog In the early
hours the trolley cars were much delay
ed, as they were obliged to run slower
tina nusual in order to avoid collisions and
other accidents. Fortunately the fog lift
ed on land during the morning and the at
mosphere became clear
During the early morning hours there
was much delay on the Delaware, Lacka-i
wanna and Western Railroad Incoming
trains were stalled on the meadows, and
were from a half to an hour late in ariv-
ing at the station. AS the Pennsylvania
had no tunnel to go through 1t expert
enced little difficulty in running its trains
on time.
The worst effects of the fog were as
usual felt on the ferries. The boats made
no attempt to run on time and strag-
gied back and forth as best they could.
This almost paralyzed the outgoing train
traffic and few If any trains left the city
on time Seldom If ever has there been
such a blockade of teams as there was
at the Pennsylvania ferries. At three
o'clock this afternoon a long line of yehi-
cles extended up Exchange place and
Montgomery street to Washington to
Grand around to Greene streets. It rare
ly happens that blockade of teams is SO
long and lasts such a length of time. The
Jersey City police did excellent work and
kept the teams in order
The fog was a peculiar one. appear
ing to be of variable density, being
thicker and more Opaque in some places
than in others. The fog acted as de-
terrent to all kinds of transit. On all
the elevated roads in New York and in
Brooklyn men were stationed along the
tracks to prevent accidents. At switch
ing points the track guards used whis-
ties to prevent any collisions. Delays
were the rule on IL roads everywhere.
The surface street cars moved slower
than usual and in many places there
were blocks. particularly at crossings.
The trolley lines across the Brooklyn
Bridge were blocked alternately on the
north and south side of the structure.
The increase of traffic on the Bridge
threw most of the travel to the Bridge
trains, which, as usual on foggy morn
ing. were packed almost to suffocation.
Ships got lost in the murk and fog and
remained in unknown locations for many
hours before being reported at Quaran-
tine. No vessels passed out, their sail
During the heavy fog this morning
collision occurred between the ferryboats
Passaic and Susqueuhanna of the Twen-
ty-third street route of the Erie. The
accident occurred off Fourteenth street,
Hoboken, while the Passaic was on her
$40 trip to New York laden with passen-
gers The Susquehanna was on return
trip and had but about fifteen passengers
aboard Nearly all Of these were out on
the open decks of the ferryboat. Both
boats were cropping their way through the
dense fog when they suddenly doomed up
In the sight of passengers Of both boats.
scarcely fifty feet apart Every effort
was made by the pilots to give room for
passage. but the heavily laden Passaic
sagged into the Susquehanna and tore
away about twenty-five feet Of the latters
cabin
The Passaic was not injured, and her
passengers soon recovered from their ex-
element The Susquehanna resumed her
regular trips and was still in service at
noon.
Nearly all the Erie boats ran on almost
schedule time, except on y few trips.
There was the usual jam of trucks and
wagons and at times lower Pavonia ave-
nue. was choked with such traffic for sew
eral blocks.