New-York tribune., 1909-02-25
CITY BURIEDU UNDER FOG
FerTv ard Train SerUic6 Held Up
Boat Crashes Into Battery WaU.

A trslve-hour rsiu was converted into sort Of
mist al midnight on Tuesday. and yesterday when
tb. hour for persons and traffic TO be taking
m some sernbsnce Of activity the city and harbor
x,ere wrapped IN OF the thickest fog pals of
vears L persistent fog, and UP the
ledrer Of municipal history many bad accounts.
Between 12sSo and p. N. the fog thick the
c3tv appeared 10 be in midnight darkness
The first diversion Of the unweIcorne mist was the
holding Up Of ferry and train service. and had il
uo3 been for the subway and the tubes under the
rivers the tardy enploye with bushel OF excuses
would not have had the privilege Of explaining to
.be boss that II foggy morning.
The fog blanket also .nterfered with the com
r,erce Of the port by holding up not only merchant
vessels willing come IN, but by keeping al their
respective piers steamers that were anxious TO get
OUt.
The fog in it's quiet way interfered with the
work of the Treasury Department by holding up
the cutter Hudson in its early morning
Start down the Bay 10 meet the liners. In the
same fashion the work Of the Department of Com
rnerce and Labor Handicapped when the cutter
Immigrant was sble to go in the mist and
injury was added insult when the ferryboat
Ellis Island. vessel OF the same department lost
her bearings and crashed into the Battery wall.
Anxious families were separated While some
members loitered about steamship piers other
members homeward bound paced the decks OF fog
bound steamers at the Hook every one hoping for
shift cf the wind.
Henri ". Taft brother of the President-elect
accompanied by his walbridge, went down as
far Quarantine the revenue cutter Hudson
hoping that the fog would lift in time for them
&c meet the Kaiser Wilhelm II, on which Mrs
Taft vas a passenger
When the cutter started through the fog the
Kaiser aground in the Gedney Channel and
before the liner pulled into md-channel at
noon the cutter went aground twice. but without
damage Mr.. Taft and his son gave up the trip,
saying they would try il again this morning. The
Hudson managed 20 find only two vessels in the
fog and after cruising about for six hours re-
turned the Battery
The big Cunarder Mauretania, with mail and
large passenger complement. unable TO leave
her pier, and although the fog thinned out AMI
disappeared about p m. it was decided TO hold
her until morning. It was said last night that she
would sail at o'clock this morning.
Practically entire ferry service both rivers
crippled, the ferryboats feeling their way eau
uously and slowly back and forth Although they
have the longest Of any, the boats Of the mu-
nicipal ferry service TO Staten Island made good
tine, considering tbs handicap OF the fog
When the ferryboat Ellis Island crashed into the
Battery wall few hundred feet east of the Aquar-
fura there considerable alarm among the pas
ssngers. the majority OF whom were immigrants
The overhang ran up on the top OF the wall and
knocked from its cement base one of the granite
posts supporting the chain fence. The propeller
81 that end damaged. The steamboat IhoInas
Milisrd was pressed inc service, but it was not
until p that she staI led for the island with
the night force
The wind shifted 10 the southwest az Sandy Hook
al 40 , N. and, taking advantage Of light
lift the Red Star liner Naderland went through
the Nar-ows to Quarantine and later doeked at her
pier Captain Cuppers. OF the Kaiser Wilhelm IL
sent wireless message that his vessel had not
been damaged by running into the mud. ana thst
be would wait until morning TO go up TO the pier
The fog and slippery rails were responsible for a
collision between Lexington avenue elevated tram
and another train stalled ahead Of 1t at Fulton
street and Alabama avenue George Flynn the
rlotorrnan Of the Lexington avenue train, was
thrown from his controller but not seriously hurI
The cars II the point Of contact we're damagedS