New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-27
STORM GRIPS H4RBOR.
Shipping Circles Fear Long
CONGESTION IN Consequence.

The pulse OF the waterfront and harbOr
was subnormal when the storm hit it on
Saturday To be correct. pulsation had
about ceased A few stalled teams and an
occasional steward running across West
street from steamship 10 barroom for
pint OF liquid Christmas cheer vas the only
spasmodic throb TO show that life had not
departed entirely
II was different yesterday. The COM
merce of New York cannot stand one hoi-
day hard upon the heels Of another, and
the waterfront took on a semblance OF
feeble activity. Ships will come and 90 re-
gardless OF time and man, SO the small feet
that was held back b. the great snow
whorI Of Christmas steamed IN silently yes
terday and made the sleeping waterfront
shake a leg here. blink an eve there and
let the silent observer from the tall tower
in Broadway see that It was not dead but
sleeping.
With the first streaks of dawn something
moved slowly over the white spread cover
ing Battery Park. Il was Jimmy, the Bat
terry Dolphin stealing from the Barge
once on a Sabbath mission OF charity 10
the sparrows of the park. About IA week
ago a big package Of Battle Creeks ''predi-
gested." destined for the stomachs OF Ellis
Island aliens, broke at the Barge Office
and the Dolphin gathered it in
This looks good for the rainy day" said
the Dolphin" at the time. Maybe it'll
come in handy for the park chippies when
there amt nuthin' around 10 eat. Some
time when the snow covers UP the real
food. eb?''
Well. the park chippies'' were twitter-
ing for food yesterday al daybreak, and
the Dolphin" was there with the goods.
But something happened overnight which
the Dolphin" had not counted on. a great
flock Of gllls unable 10 ride out the blizzard
came in on the northeaster and found a
haven in Battery Park.
Hundreds Of them rested silently on the
snow hummocks at dawn waiting for the
wind 70 change and the Dolphin" unvtt-
rtngIy reused them For q moment he
pinched himself 70 see If he was not Little
Memo, and finding that he was all there,
mentally and physically, he spread the Bat
tie Creek product on the snow and awaited
the coming Of the '-chippies."
No bird would eat while he stood close
By, so he wandered over 70 the lunch wagon
at the Barge ONCE, and then, according TO
his report later in the day. tame pigeons,
wild g7IIIs and impudent sparrovs Toasted
in silence on the food from Michigan. Tha
Dolphin" much pleased with himself,
drained high one TO the health OF the
bird family.
This is the first time in many years when
blizzard has driven the sulls so far IN
land as the Battery, and seldom have the
wind and snow been so violent that steam
ships could not be moved from one pier 10
another.
Tugs that had contracts for shifting
steamers had 10 abandon the attempt and
work that should have been attended 70
yesterday will cause more or less conges-
tion IL shipping circles for some weeks.
The Austrian steamship Martha Washing
ton. which was ready TO leave Robins
drydock, in Erie Basin, for Bush's docks, II
South Brooklyn, could not venture into the
wind ore OF Frederick g. DaIzel's tugs
went 10 Carteret, y. J on Saturday night
10 get the five-masted schooner Paul Palmer
and tow her beyond Sandy Hook. but the
stiff gale rampant yesterday forestalled the
towing job. The oil tank steamship Hud-
son should have been shifted from 18th
street. Brooklyn. TO Hunters Point yester-
day. but the tugs declined 70 take her out
in the wind
A fleet Of sailing vessels ready 10 90
seward kept within the shelter OF Sandy
Hook. waiting for the weather TO moder-
ate.
Throughout the harbor the blizzard
caused more or less damage A piledriVer
vas sunk al Ellis Island. and a small
steam hoist went 70 the bottom OF the
North River at 72d street. \ piledriver
went adrift of City Island ana TWO tugs
we're sent out 10 look for il
The incoming fleet arriving yesterday
from tha east and the south was small.
The steamship Russia. from Libau, had a
nard time getting into her dock al South
BROOKLYN A half dozen tugs had all they
could do 10 warp the big liner alongside
the pier The wind and tide swung her in
an adverse direction. and her big manila
hawsers snapped several times. The cap
tain said he never came of the Hook in
such rough weather. The seas, he said
were a. high as he had encountered IN
rnid-AtIantfc.
When the revenue cutter Hudson went
down the bay early yesterday morning 70
nut tho boarding officer and customs inspec-
tors on board the new White star liner
Iaurentic from Liverpool. she encountered
exceptionally heavy seas. The cutter
pitched 80 heavily in forty-mile gale that
= was found impossible 70 put any one on
Z beard The Hudson had gonG 10 the 'Lau-