New-York tribune., 1902-02-18
DAY OF STOPS AND BLOCKS
SNOW, TRUCKS AND SLIPPERY TRACKS
DEMORALIZE SURFACE LINES.


quently that they were not literally patronized.
The utmost effort made to keep the
tracks clear of snow, but the fall was so heavy
that it would not yield except to the heavy
snow scrapers. which were sent over the lines
at intervals of from fifteen to twenty minutes.
The Broadway line being the most important.
particular pains We're taken to keep it clear, and
the snowplOughs sent along every few
minutes. Three pIoughs were used between
Houston-st. and the Battery. Notwithstanding
this there was much blocking of traffic, in many
cases resulting from heavy trucks getting in
the way.
on the other lines also there was much trouble,
and all ran behind their schedules the
Nadison-ave. line being the least troubled, while
the Second, Third. Amsterdam and Eighth ave.
lines we're more than two hours late.
The principal complaint was made on those
lines having tracks beneath the elevated roads.
1t was said that as the tracks were
cleared large quantities of snow would he
thrown from above. causing another blocking Of
traffic.
The Christopher-st. horse line had hard a
time Of it, even with four horses to every car.
that went along seldom
Assistant General Manager Root, of the Metro
poIitan Street Railway Company. said that the
only delay the street railroads was caused
by horses and trucks It was Impossible for
u uChS 10 pun OUT 10 the sue OF the IIdthS "
cause of the great piles Of snow there. and their
progress along the tracks was extremely slow.
The cars were compelled to maintain a corre-
spending speed. Often horses slipped and fell.
causing protracted delay. 1t difficult to
TO get a horse TO its feet again, once it was
down
The headway is necessarily Irregular on ac-
count OF this blocking" said Mr.. Root. Elm
mate the vehicles from the streets and our lines
HI,
The rails are extremely slippery, and the cars
lost considerable time in stopping and start
ing. We are cleaning all the streets assigned TO
US by the Street Cleaning Department. and
have Broadway below Fourteenth-st. pretty well
in hand"
In consequence Of the storm the elevated rail
roads did a large business. The station plat
forms were crowded continually, and the pas
sengers who waiting at some OF the sta
tions found it Impossible to board the trains.
The Eighty-sixth-st Crosstown horsecar line
was not running. The superintendent of the
Third-ave. line. at Sxty-third-st., said that
sveepers had been kept going all night and
that the tracks were pretty clear. Nearly as
many cars as usual were running good head
way. Snow ploughs were used frequently, and
following six eight cars a car fitted
with a trench cleaner was run.
The company had considerable difficulty in
keeping heavy trucks and wagons from the
tracks. Frequently the horses became stubborn
and would not leave the tracks. blocking all the
that followed them
Traffic on the Lexington-ave. line in Harlem
was stopped entirely. Similar reports
made concerning the First and st. Nicholas
and Fort Lee lines
Trains on the Third and Second ave. elevated
lines moved somewhat slowly. 1t required
about ten minutes longer than usual 10 make
the "trip TO the city Han. and the engineers
were obliged 10 exercise considerable care in
running their engines.
One -hundred-and- -tweuty-ffth from Park
ave 10 Third-ave was crowded in the morn
ing hours with commuters from suburban
places At the One-hundred- -and-thirty eighth
ST. and -hundred-and- twenty y-hfth-st. sta
tions OF the New-York Central Railroad the
passengers were told that it would be difficult
TO land them in the Grand Central Station. and
that If they desired to get downtown quickly
they had better leave the trains and go by the
elevated road. Many Of the passengers followed
this advice.
In The Bronx the trolley lines were in bad
shape. The cross country line from Jerome-ave,
20 Unionport was blocked for several hours In
the morning. II was cleared after time but
it got blocked every once in while. \ few cars
would run. and then a block would occur for
half or three-quarters OF an hour.
The Mount Vernon line had TO suspend opera
tions entirely and not a passenger was taken
by the line in the morning on the Fordham
West Farms and Westchester-ave. lines traffic
was conducted infrequently, cars running
these lines about an hours interval
The crosstOwn line. at One-hundred- and sixty
frst-st. was closed TO traffic. the Union
Line. running from Eighth-ave. and One-nun-
dred-a -and-thirty ifth-st. to Port Morris
The WilIis-ave cars from -hundred-and-
twenty-nluth-st. to Highbridge moved at long
intervals. Trains on the elevated road were
much delayed. and did not run on their usual
headway.
The Bronx trolley system was more than ever
dIsorganzed when night came on. and at :
who live in The Bronx, especially on the out
skirts, left their hoTes II they could avoid it.
The FOrdham and West Farms lines of the
Union Railway We're the only ones that made
fny pretense at running full quota of cars.
The cars did not run regularly and there were
frequent delays and blocks. The One-hundred-
and thirty -eighth-st. Crosstown line oc-
casional car. but il was constant fight to get
them through at o'clock the snow caused
fuse blow out " burn at One-hundred-
and thirty ighth-st. and Southern Boulevard.
and the bottom structure of the car was badly
burned There no one in the
The Westchester and UniOnport, Mount YER
non, Webster-ave.. Jerome-ave.. Southern Boule-
ward. Westches-er and One hundred -and-sixty-
frst-st. lines Of the Union Trolley road made
pretense of running.
Those who the surface and elevates lines
left business early last evening, not caring TO
take chances of another experience like that
" hich tried their patience in the morning Tow
ard o'clock il promised to be a problem how
the patrons Of the traction lines would get home.
Snow still falling and the accumulated
heaps on all the thoroughfares forced trucks and
heavy vehicles OF every kind TO utilize the swept
tracks of the surface lines. This in turn inter
fered with the schedule Of the cars.
The disappearance OF the trucks from the
streets after 8 p m improved the conditions
so much that the electric lines were enabled to
resume running on something resembling sched-
ule time.
The Brooklyn Bridge kept clear of snow
most of the time. but there considerable