New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-25
FOG ENSHROUDS CITY
H4RBOR CRAFT PICK WAY
At SN4ILiS PACE.
HomeUard Bound Commuters
Stranded for Hours-WMte-
hall Street Blocked.

The heaviest and most persistent fog that has
shut down upon this habor in many years
caused unusual inconvenience yesterday land
as well water, and while there about
half dozen minor collisions in the North and
East rivers serious injury or loss of life was
reported.
About l o'clock in the afternoon the sun
aged to peer family through the thick blanket
for about five minutes Apart from this in
terrupton Opaque pail held the entire har-
Dor, from Yonkers to Sandy Hook in its grasp,
and traffic practically paralyzeds through
out the day.
Ferryboats ventured through the fog on irreg
uar schedules, feeling their way from shore to
shore and loaded to their capacity. Occasion
ally the boats changed from mere steerageway
to a dead stop and drifted far out of their
courses. There we're many hairbreadth escapes
and few solid bumps the ferrybeats groped
through the mist like blind men in a crowded
thoroughfare. From the hour of sunrise 70 sun
set the DIN of sirens continued necessarily; and
then on through the night for the thick fog
botted out all lights
While the harbor craft were picking their
perious way in the harbor and rivers COM
muters, motormen and teamsters were having
their own troubles shore The demoralized
ferry service caused congestion at the various
terminals, and the ferry houses were unable to
accommodate the great horde BY degrees the
thousands of persons living in the suburbs and
employed in New York arrived at their various
places OF business but the scenes of confusion
and congestion in the morning were repeated
when they started homeward.
Hundreds of teams were stalled along the
river front, and the lower end of Whitehall
street, where the municipal ferries take and
discharge passengers for Staten Island and
Brooklyn. was impossible Staten Islanders
camped along the east end of Battery Park.
Drivers with patient horses left their wagons
and made a raid the nearby restaurants.
The congestion extended up as far as State
street, where there is a cluster of saloons, and
many commuters found themselves actually
pushed within the spring doors guarding these
establishments. The presence of federal sol
diers at the Governors Island landing sur
rounded by stranded Staten Islanders reminded
a man from Tompkinsville of a section of San
Francisco a week after the earthquake.
The ferry service between Fort Jay and the
Battery was slow and irregular, and many Off
GERS in uniform paced up and down within the
iron gates of the landing. The government
ferry house sheltered many men and women
from Governors Island. who passed the time
playing bridge.
The ferryboat Ellis Island. which usually
takes over the greater part Of the day force Of
$50 persons from Ellis Island the o'cl- X
trip. was stalled in the fog, and up to p. m. it
was generally thought that all employees on the
island would be marooned there for the night.
Meanwhile $50 members of the night staff
waited patiently at the Barge Office.
Commissioner Watchorn managed to get away
from the island on his launch, the Samoset. The
Ellis Island however, tied up at the Barge Of
fee about p m. and exchanged the day for the
night force. The crippled ferry service in both
rivers diverted a terrific traffic to the tube TO
Hoboken and to the East River tunnel Lines
of subway cars were stalled on the Jersey side,
and torpedoes had to be exploded trains
moved TO warn those behind that the way was
clear.
While the lower city and the rivers and har-
bor were in a state of congestion three big
transatlantic liners anchored peacefully off
Sandy Hook They were not noticed, because
the marine observers at Sandy Hook could not
see ten yards out to sea, but wireless messages
announced their presence Twelve steamers
were known to be down at the Hook but II is
believed that feet of about thirty had an
chored in the fog.
The steamer Carolina. which had been fog
bound off the bar for thirty six hours, steamed
slowly up from the Hook and landed her pas
sengers The Re dItalia, from Naples, also
took chance and CROPPED her way up TO her
pier. The revenue cutter Calumet, which left
the Battery al 7:30 a. m, was unable to get
back until 4:3O p Captain John Bradley.
however. found every steamer that came up the
Narrovs except the Clyde liner Cherokee, which |
sIipped by while the cutter was alongside an
other steamer.
Notwithstanding the unavoidable congestion |
the tunnel TO Hoboken maintained splendid
service The trains run under three minute |
headway. and it was estimated late last night |
that the normal traffic of the tubes which is |
As 600 persons increased yesterday to |
so 900.
Four footpads took advantage of the fog |
blanket. and attacked Captain John Henderson, |
of the coal barge George P. Bush tied up in !
VILLA m sburg as he about to go aboard the |
barge They took his money and watch and |
escaped before the skipper reganed conscious |
ness.
SPIRIT FRUIT COLONY HEAD DIES |