New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-21
FREAKS OF THE FOG.
THREATENING IN ITS NATURE AND EX-
TENT
SHIPS KEPT OUT OF PORT AND EVERYBODY
MADE UNCOMFORTABLE ADDED
CURSE OF SOFT COAL.

Did you ever such weather this in your
HfeT'
mo, never did"
Terrible isn't it %
Awful
And yet both Of them have been through weather
exactly like it, only hundred times. If
this Is the nearest approach 20 anything Ike
memory that the young inhabitants have, who can
blame the oldest inhabitant? But memory has
nothing to do with it. How is your mother?"
said the bashful young man at the party to the
hostess; mot that I at all. only II makes
talk" And nobody cares at all whether there ever
was such weather before or not, only II makes
talk. The weather of the day is sufficient without
bothering to remember whether It ever happened
before.
But, although thoughtful New-Yorkers have
ceased to look for any experience in weather,
II must be admitted that such Is the variety OF
combinations Of the same old elements two
whole winters are ever alike. The characteristic
Of last winter The writer fails to re-
member what the characteristic or the winter be-
fore was; perhaps the reader remembers and will
not mind writing q letter about It, The char
acteristc OF this winter is fog. Half dozen years
ago there was a winter warm that it was cur
renty reported that the Gulf Stream had changed
its course and coming in nearer TO the land, 80
that the climate Of New-York and New-England
would straightway be more like that of England
than ever before. CThe 1uxtaposition of the words
currently reported and Gulf Stream makes
rather good Joke, If you think of 1t carefully
But this year IL IS IOS, ana yesteiu1J ~ was A"o'
Fog is another threat Of British climate but Of
that presently. There is occasion to go into
the science OF fogs just No doubt the general
warmth OF the winter has much to do with their
frequency, but II is scarcely worth while TO Try
to get rid of them by cooling the winters on
artifciaily When the oldest inhabltant used TO
say that the winters were not cold and there
not much snow as when he was boy, 1t
used TO be thought that # because the forests
had been cut of: but last winter, when there was
tybf hat he In
habitant had been lying-that is to say, 1t was
suspected-or, rather. surmised-that the Oldest IN
habitant had been unconsciously deceiving himself
well others
Now if a meteorological condition is proved or
suspected to be produced by the cutting of OF for
ests all you have to do is to stop cutting and let
them grow up, but It is only in measure that fogs
can be controlled and OF that also presently. II
seems absurd to tell New-Yorkers how inconvenient
fogs are but Americans are apathetio about
these things that they have TO be stirred up vio-
lenty to make them take any action, and that is
why agitation VIII never become a lost art IN
America. You know that II Is detriment TO COM
merce for half dozen big steamers that ought to
be at their piers to be anchored outside Sandy
Hook You know. If you stop to think OF It. that
it costs the companies that own them hundreds OF
dollars for every hour that they there But you
never think OF such things, unless you have
friend or a letter coming one Of them.
You know that there Is a collision OF ferTyboats
in one of the rivers about every time there is a
fog but you think complacently that there are
seldom any lives lost, and that you were not on
board either of the boats. You know that the
fog has & way Of falling on the sidewalks and OF
making them muddy and sticky, instead OF wash
ing them clean. honest rain does. and that
the only part Of the whole scourge that you care
anything about.
This far as has been limited, nothing has been
found to prevent fogs but yesterday there were
reports more than commonly unpleasant Up
around the region Of Forty-second-st., about the
middle Of the day. the fog seen 10 fall suddenly
down like a wet blanket. There nothing
strange about that. for OF the most charming
things about fog is the ecee1tricity Of its move
ments, but those whom 1t fell said that 1t
smelled smoky and felt choky. That was the menac-
ing thing about it-the threatening suggestion OF
London New-York is ambitious city, and it has
gone through a good deal for the sake Of making
itself indisputaby the second city Of the world but
It does not want TO be the first city OF the world
II London fogs a necessary perQusite OF that
station. It is awful thing for fog 70 get mixed
up with the SCOT OF soft coal. and II New-York
does not want to be hideous a place as London,
It must repent while there is time. and rid itself
Of the last flicker of a soft coal fire. The Board
OF Health has done something from time to time,
but It Is doubtful II 1t has done enough, and there
"a no danger Of its doing too much. The cities OF
the interior where soft coal is the customary fuel
are bad enough. but they have less fog. To be
showered with dry SCOT Is dstasteful to some, but
TO be showered with wet SCOT Is another matter.
man called at The Tribune office yesterday
with an invention for scattering fog, and con-
cessIon from the Russian Government AS mat
ter Of theory New-York would be Justified IN re-
senting any interference with its fogs on the part
OF the Gar a violation Of the Monroe Doc
trine but as matter of practice If the Gar wants
to make concessions Of the fog around Sandy Hook
and in both rivers and up and down Broadway, to
anybody who will carry 1t away. it will not be
looked upon as an unfriendly act.
nur UrATurp pEpOpT