New-York tribune., 1909-01-14
TIE BREADLINE GROWS
HUNGRY THRONG TO FEED.
Bo5Cery Mission Takes Care Of 2,500
Hqlf-StmCGd Men.

For the first time in the history Of the BOW
.rv Mission PREPARATIONS were made 10 feed
TWENTY-FIVE hundred men in the bread Inc la9'
night
SNOW becan to fall early in the evening ou'
before the dropping Of the final curtain al l'Ie
sheatres the thin. struggling line Of III ciao men
began 10 form TO the south OF the mission en-
rance and il stealthily and continuously gre"
Ike a lengtheninE shadow until before HldnlsnI
= had thrown Itself around the block. and the
last wanderers 70 Join the wraithlke procession
stood shivering in the gusty blasts le" Ies1
anly from those first in line
( TIE wind was swift and carried with il not
.nly a sharp sting Of its Own but swirling
mass of snowflas1es which bit the flesh
A week ago last night food was given to TWO
thousand men in the Bowery Mission bread line
I've hundred more than until that time had been
ne maximum number. But the Rev. ! q Hall-
nond. superintendent Of the mission. decided
Early In the evening yesterday 10 take care Of
Dot less than twenty-five hundred applicants for
oils and coffee. and the pots were set 20 boiling
vith that end in view
AT l2:35 g. N. the line started its march
through the door 10 what 20 half-famished men.
Id and young-and there were five hundred old
nen who tottered in-were the ffeshpots Of
Egypt.
John Il Lonc assistant superintendent.
aicked out the five hundred older, more feeble
aungerers after the meagre meal. and told
hem to sit on the chairs OF the mission the re
nainder OF the night. At > a. m. he passed
econd breakfast to them. and then they were
compelled 90 take again TO the inhospitable
,avements where their companions Of several
. rours before had walked al I o'clock
Mr. Long pointed out SIX men in the bread
inc vino since last Monday have had nothing
4er, although. he said, each obtained employ
nent three days ago in various factories. The
nen say that they are not able TO draw any
money until Saturday.
IF this is indiscriminate charity. As has been
Iecently alleged by men prominent in the gov
Frnment employ said Mr.. Long. then va
fope that will be able to do more OF it"
] There are men in this line said 3r- HaIIi-
f1ond, who are half-crazed for the want Of
Peep. They never get a fun nights sleep"
There were sixty-three overcoats on the first
fifteen hundred men last night.
After flirting with the local weather man for
a0ro days the snowstorm which had been prom
PED for this city arrived late in the after
! soon. By midnight three inches Of snow had
. allen. the municipal lodging houses were taxed
their utmost and the Street Cleaning Depart
bent had begun preparing for real hard work
:
q about . O'Clock on Tuesday afternoon TO i
segrees above zero at o'clock yesterday morn
ag. The snow that reached here, however was
esle end OF storm which spent Itself over West
rn New York and Pennsylvania. but II had all
sae earmarks Of alyoung blizzard
81 Sc great was the crowd Of homeless men and
fc-nen who sought shelter at the Municipal
sdgingi house, at First avenue and 23d street,
bat By 9 o'clock last night the overflow was
!. sing sent 10 the building Of the Department Of
:, har1tiss. IN East 26th street \ number OF the
: cnnen who applied for shelter We're found 10
tea 81 and were sent TO bellevue Hospital. BY
, O'clock the city had cared for seven hundred
: the lodgingihOuse and Charities Department
: 1ilding
& The snow carried aiong'by q brisk breeze
& nd !n some. places drifted badly that II in
si Tfered with streeocar traff5r. The horsecar
!. ne On First Avenue was forced TO stop running
lArly in the evening while the a3d and 34th
Erect crosstown} cars were frequently blocked
isspite the snow sv-repers that were early put
80 work
81 The Union Railway NColnpany began TO run its
TeepeTs. snowploughs and sand cars early in
fiae evening, and was abe 70 conform closer 10
.hedule than any OF the other lines.
& At the bureau of snow removal No 500 Fifth
venue. Carroll :. Dunphe general superirtend-
q 1t. said last night that he had Instructed As
4 stant superintendent William Charleswortf1 10
f sforn the SIX contractors who are exuected n
lear the city of snow to have their men on
1 and al o O'Clock this morning. Ten thousand
z zen VIII be set 10 work while four thousand
q -aeons VIII be used in carting off the snow.